Portillo's Inc. (PTLO)

The best restaurant stocks enduring through inflation

Consumers are becoming increasingly cost-conscious amid inflation persisting through early 2024. Stephens Research Analyst Jim Salera joins Market Domination to discuss which restaurant stocks are best positioned to navigate the challenging environment. Salera finds that at the higher end of the consumer spectrum, spending patterns are "pushing forward" amid inflationary pressures, with little change in consumer behavior. However, for consumers at the lower end of the spectrum, he observes that they are being "much more deliberate" about their spending. For investors evaluating restaurant stocks, Salera emphasizes the importance of identifying "which restaurants are differentiated from the crowd." He highlights names like Chipotle (CMG) and Wingstop (WING), which have demonstrated "very strong traffic trends," as examples of differentiated offerings. With the risk of consumers potentially "trading out" for better value options, Salera stresses that "it's very important [for restaurants] to have a unique value proposition that the consumer can really identify with to retain that traffic." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Angel Smith