Wall St. Earnings Expectations: The average estimate of analysts is for profit of $1.18 per share, a decline of 27.6% from the company’s actual earnings for the same quarter a year ago. During the past three months, the average estimate has moved up from $1.13. Between one and three months ago, the average estimate moved up. It has been unchanged at $1.18 during the last month. For the year, analysts are projecting net income of $3.36 per share, a decline of 32% from last year.

Past Earnings Performance: Last quarter, the company beat estimates by 9 cents, coming in at profit of $1.02 a share versus the estimate of net income of 93 cents a share. It marked the fourth straight quarter of beating estimates.

Investing Insights: Here’s Why Chipotle’s Stock Keeps Winning.

Wall St. Revenue Expectations: On average, analysts predict $1.16 billion in revenue this quarter, a decline of 12.8% from the year ago quarter. Analysts are forecasting total revenue of $4.26 billion for the year, a decline of 9.9% from last year’s revenue of $4.73 billion.

Analyst Ratings: Analysts are bullish on this stock with nine analysts rating it as a buy, none rating it as a sell and six rating it as a hold.

A Look Back: In the fourth quarter of the last fiscal year, profit rose more than fourfold to $188.6 million ($1.36 a share) from $42.8 million (31 cents a share) the year earlier, exceeding analyst expectations. Revenue fell 10.9% to $1.12 billion from $1.26 billion.

Key Stats:

Revenue has fallen for the past three quarters. Revenue fell 7.6% in third quarter of the last fiscal year from the year earlier and 2% in the second quarter of the last fiscal year.

Competitors to Watch: Career Education Corp. , DeVry Inc. , Corinthian Colleges, Inc. , Strayer Education, Inc. , Grand Canyon Education Inc , American Public Education, Inc. , ITT Educational Services, Inc. , National American Univ. Hldgs., Inc. , Bridgepoint Education, Inc. , and Education Management Corp .

Stock Price Performance: During October 5, 2011 to December 30, 2011, the stock price had risen $11.65 (27.6%) from $42.22 to $53.87. The stock price saw one of its best stretches over the last year between December 14, 2011 and December 27, 2011 when shares rose for nine-straight days, rising 10.3% (+$5.10) over that span. It saw one of its worst periods between September 15, 2011 and September 22, 2011 when shares fell for six-straight days, falling 14.8% (-$7.03) over that span.

(Company fundamentals by Xignite Financials. Earnings estimates provided by Zacks)

Investing Insights: Here’s Why Chipotle’s Stock Keeps Winning.