GUZMAN Y GOMEZ US CLOSURES TRIGGER $500M MARKET SELLOFF
Loss of appetite is contagious. Guzman y Gomez US closures just vaporized 8% of the company's market value, wiping out half a billion dollars in a single trading session. The Australian burrito giant is folding its entire American expansion after burning through $200M without turning a profit on U.S. soil. CEO Steven Marks cited "untenable unit economics" in a midnight memo to the board, blaming labor costs and supply chain fragmentation. Competitors Chipotle and Qdoba are already circling the 17 shuttered locations. The move signals a broader retreat from the Americas as the brand re-focuses on Asia-Pacific dominance.