CAVA vs SG Stock Comparison: AI Score, Valuation, Performance and Upside
CAVA has shown stronger recent growth momentum and an additional grocery products channel, while Sweetgreen offers a similarly health-focused fast-casual concept that has faced a more uneven path toward profitability.
Investors weighing CAVA against Sweetgreen are choosing between a currently faster-growing Mediterranean concept and a longer-established salad chain still working to prove consistent profitability.
CAVA holds the edge across 4 of 5 key metrics in this comparison. SG has delivered stronger 1-year price return (+41.33% vs -13.15%), though CAVA has the better forward P/E setup (83.47x vs -9.63x for SG). CAVA leads on both revenue growth (31.30%) and operating margin (7.62%), suggesting a stronger fundamental setup on both dimensions. Analyst consensus implies meaningfully more upside for CAVA (+37.34%) than for SG (-1.19%).
Human Wall Street analysts' price targets, typically implying a ~12-month view — a separate signal from this site's own AI Prediction Signal further down the page, which is a 5-/30-day machine-learning forecast based on price history alone.
- Want exposure to a fast-growing Mediterranean fast-casual concept
- Value a brand with an additional grocery products revenue stream
- Believe in continued new restaurant unit growth
- Can tolerate valuation and execution risk tied to rapid expansion
- Want exposure to the health-focused fast-casual dining niche
- Are watching for a turnaround toward consistent profitability
- Believe in the brand's technology-driven ordering approach
- Can tolerate historical earnings volatility
| Metric | CAVA | SG |
|---|---|---|
| AI scorei | 35.0 | 22.4 |
| AI ranki | #1656 | #4287 |
| Latest closei | $55.40 | $10.60 |
| 1M returni | +10.82% | +55.20% |
| 3M returni | -18.65% | +70.42% |
| 6M returni | -39.28% | +62.33% |
| 1Y returni | -13.15% | +41.33% |
How much would $10,000 be worth today if invested at the start of each period, with all dividends reinvested?
| Period | CAVA | SG |
|---|---|---|
| 1Y ago | $8.74K (-12.6%) started 2025-10-16 | $14.13K (+41.3%) started 2025-10-15 |
| 5Y ago | $14.52K (+45.2%) started 2023-06-16 | $2.14K (-78.6%) started 2021-11-18 |
| 10Y ago | $14.52K (+45.2%) started 2023-06-16 | $2.14K (-78.6%) started 2021-11-18 |
Hypothetical — past performance does not guarantee future results.
| Metric | CAVA | SG |
|---|---|---|
| Market capi | $7.21B | $801.15M |
| Trailing P/Ei | 110.25 | 74.78 |
| Forward P/Ei | 83.47 | -9.63 |
| Price/Salesi | N/A | N/A |
| EV/Revenuei | 5.25 | 1.44 |
| Analyst targeti | $84.79 | $6.65 |
| Target upsidei | +37.34% | -1.19% |
| Metric | CAVA | SG |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growthi | 31.30% | 3.80% |
| Earnings growthi | 19.80% | N/A |
| EPS growthi | +19.80% | N/A |
| FCF margini | -0.05% | -9.07% |
| Operating margini | 7.62% | -12.59% |
| Profit margini | 4.82% | 2.00% |
| ROIC proxyi | 8.32% | 3.07% |
| Return on equityi | 8.32% | 3.07% |
| Dividend yieldi | N/A | N/A |
| Payout ratioi | 0.00% | 0.00% |
| Dividend growth streaki | N/A | N/A |
| Betai | 1.75 | 2.20 |
| Debt/equityi | 61.90 | 76.00 |
| Current ratioi | 2.48 | 1.43 |
| Quick ratioi | 2.36 | 1.30 |
Over the past year, CAVA and SG have moved moderately in the same direction (correlation of 0.55), based on daily returns.
Lower drawdown and smaller single-period drops generally indicate a smoother ride, though they do not guarantee lower future risk.
| Period | Metric | CAVA | SG |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1Y | Growthi | -12.56% | +41.33% |
| CAGRi | -12.58% | +41.37% | |
| Volatilityi | 60.51% | 75.53% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | -0.00 | 0.78 | |
| Sortino ratioi | -0.01 | 1.16 | |
| Max drawdowni | 48.91% | 47.21% | |
| Current drawdowni | 43.12% | 0.00% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 19.27% | 22.10% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 23.82% | 25.03% | |
| Max daily dropi | 11.20% | 14.27% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 19.23% | 27.82% | |
| 5Y | Growthi | +45.22% | -78.59% |
| CAGRi | +11.84% | -26.96% | |
| Volatilityi | 58.70% | 79.43% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.40 | -0.06 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.61 | -0.09 | |
| Max drawdowni | 71.11% | 91.13% | |
| Current drawdowni | 63.28% | 80.00% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 32.88% | 67.90% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 39.65% | 70.49% | |
| Max daily dropi | 16.63% | 23.06% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 25.51% | 38.03% | |
| 10Y | Growthi | +45.22% | -78.59% |
| CAGRi | +11.84% | -26.96% | |
| Volatilityi | 58.70% | 79.43% | |
| Sharpe ratioi | 0.40 | -0.06 | |
| Sortino ratioi | 0.61 | -0.09 | |
| Max drawdowni | 71.11% | 91.13% | |
| Current drawdowni | 63.28% | 80.00% | |
| Avg drawdowni | 32.88% | 67.90% | |
| Ulcer Indexi | 39.65% | 70.49% | |
| Max daily dropi | 16.63% | 23.06% | |
| Max wkly dropi | 25.51% | 38.03% |
| Category | CAVA | SG |
|---|---|---|
| Company | CAVA Group, Inc. | Sweetgreen, Inc. |
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
| Industry | Restaurants | Restaurants |
| Core business | CAVA operates a fast-casual restaurant chain centered on Mediterranean-inspired bowls, pitas, and salads, alongside a packaged dips and spreads business sold in grocery stores. | Sweetgreen operates a fast-casual restaurant chain focused on customizable salads and warm bowls, emphasizing fresh, health-oriented ingredients and technology-driven ordering. |
| Investor focus | Watch same-restaurant sales growth and the pace of new unit openings as key indicators of the brand's expansion runway. | Watch progress toward consistent profitability and same-store sales trends as the company works to scale its restaurant base. |
- Strong same-restaurant sales growth and brand momentum in fast-casual dining
- Differentiated Mediterranean cuisine positioning versus more common fast-casual concepts
- Additional revenue channel through packaged grocery products carrying the CAVA brand
- Strong brand recognition in the health-focused fast-casual dining niche
- Investment in digital ordering and technology-driven store formats
- Loyal customer base concentrated in urban and suburban markets
- Restaurant expansion requires continued execution on new site selection and operations
- Fast-casual dining faces intense competition and shifting consumer spending patterns
- Profitability can be pressured by food and labor cost inflation
- History of inconsistent profitability compared to some fast-casual peers
- Higher price points can make the concept sensitive to consumer spending pullbacks
- Competition from other health-focused and traditional fast-casual chains
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