Benzinga | Sep 3, 2021 11:39AM EDT

This Burrito Chain Has A Better Year-To-Date Return Than Apple, AMD, Microsoft And Palantir

"Would you like any mild, medium or hot salsa? Any corn, sour cream or cheese?"

If the above sounds familiar, and I'll bet it does, you probably frequent Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc. (NYSE:CMG). And it's no secret investors in Chipotle are adding guacamole with their stock's returns in 2021.

Since January 2021, Chipotle stock's year-to-date return has outperformed a number of the world's most popular tech and software companies: Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL), Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMD), Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) and Palantir Technologies Inc (NYSE:PLTR).

Chipotle is the largest fast-casual chain restaurant in the U.S., with sales approaching $6 billion in 2020. Chipotle is entirely company-owned, with a footprint of 2,850 stores heavily indexed to the U.S.

Chipotle sells burritos, burrito bowls, tacos, quesadillas and beverages, with a selling proposition built around competitive prices, high-quality food sourcing and speed of service.

Here's how the returns break down from January 2021 to present:

* Palantir is up from $23.37 a share to $26.51 for a return of 13.44%

* AMD is up from $92.30 a share to $109.20 for a return of 18.31%

* Apple is up from $129.41 a share to $153.65 for a return of 18.73%

* Microsoft is up from $217.69 a share to $301.15 for a return of 38.34%

* And finally, Chipotle is up from $1,319.12 a share to $1,902.80 for a return of 44.25%

Photo: Courtesy Chipotle