Key Points
- Major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 25,556 El Pollo Loco shares at an average price of $16.50, generating $421,674. He retained 3,513,405 shares valued at approximately $58.0 million, a 0.72% reduction in ownership.
- El Pollo Loco reported quarterly earnings of $0.30 per share, exceeding analysts’ $0.28 estimate, while revenue of $129.57 million fell slightly short of expectations.
- Analyst sentiment remains positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $17.30; Roth Capital and Benchmark set targets of $22 and $21, respectively.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 25,556 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, October 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total value of $421,674.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 3,513,405 shares in the company, valued at $57,971,182.50. This represents a 0.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Major shareholders that own 10% or more of a company's stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.
Sardar Biglari also recently made the following trade(s):
- On Friday, August 7th, Sardar Biglari sold 1,100 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.06, for a total value of $18,766.00.
- On Wednesday, August 5th, Sardar Biglari sold 80,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.90, for a total value of $1,352,000.00.
- On Monday, August 3rd, Sardar Biglari sold 20,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.73, for a total value of $334,600.00.
- On Thursday, July 30th, Sardar Biglari sold 546 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.70, for a total value of $9,118.20.
- On Wednesday, July 29th, Sardar Biglari sold 6,611 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.71, for a total value of $110,469.81.
El Pollo Loco Stock Performance
Shares of El Pollo Loco stock opened at $15.70 on Wednesday. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $8.98 and a 52 week high of $17.40. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $15.07 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.02. The firm has a market cap of $477.80 million, a PE ratio of 13.42 and a beta of 0.77. The company has a quick ratio of 0.38, a current ratio of 0.41 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10.
El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $129.57 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $130.29 million. El Pollo Loco had a return on equity of 10.87% and a net margin of 6.96%. Equities analysts forecast that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.
Analysts Set New Price Targets
LOCO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Weiss Ratings raised shares of El Pollo Loco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Friday, October 2nd. Roth Capital began coverage on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research report on Friday, October 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $22.00 price target for the company. Freedom Capital upgraded shares of El Pollo Loco to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of El Pollo Loco from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Benchmark boosted their price target on shares of El Pollo Loco from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, El Pollo Loco presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $17.30.
Get Our Latest Analysis on El Pollo Loco
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. boosted its position in shares of El Pollo Loco by 0.3% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 302,399 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $4,339,000 after buying an additional 894 shares during the period. Lazard Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of El Pollo Loco by 0.8% in the first quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 110,667 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $1,534,000 after buying an additional 895 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco in the 2nd quarter valued at $48,000. Algert Global LLC raised its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 30.3% in the 2nd quarter. Algert Global LLC now owns 27,100 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $460,000 after buying an additional 6,300 shares during the period. Finally, State of Wyoming purchased a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco in the 1st quarter valued at $88,000. 81.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
El Pollo Loco Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc operates and franchises quick-service restaurants under the El Pollo Loco brand. The company specializes in Mexican-inspired meals centered on citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken, prepared using traditional cooking methods. Its menu includes chicken meals, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, salads, bowls, family meals and a variety of side dishes, beverages and desserts.
El Pollo Loco was founded in 1975 in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, and opened its first restaurant in the United States in 1980.
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