El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 5,984 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, November 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total transaction of $98,736.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,494,252 shares in the company, valued at $57,655,158. This represents a 0.17% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Large 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 Wednesday, November 4th, Sardar Biglari sold 13,169 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total transaction of $217,288.50.
- On Friday, October 16th, Sardar Biglari sold 25,556 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total transaction of $421,674.00.
El Pollo Loco Trading Down 9.6%
LOCO stock traded down $1.58 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $14.88. The company had a trading volume of 703,258 shares, compared to its average volume of 253,575. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10, a current ratio of 0.41 and a quick ratio of 0.38. The company has a market capitalization of $452.80 million, a PE ratio of 12.94 and a beta of 0.85. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $15.01 and a 200 day moving average of $14.19. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 12 month low of $9.99 and a 12 month high of $17.40.
El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 EPS for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.24. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 6.96% and a return on equity of 10.87%. The business had revenue of $126.31 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.03 million. On average, equities analysts predict that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOCO. Signaturefd LLC increased its position in El Pollo Loco by 419.9% during the 3rd quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,563 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 2,070 shares in the last quarter. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in El Pollo Loco in the second quarter worth about $48,000. State of Wyoming acquired a new stake in El Pollo Loco in the first quarter worth about $88,000. Hsbc Holdings PLC purchased a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco during the second quarter worth about $200,000. Finally, Man Group plc purchased a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco during the second quarter worth about $253,000. 81.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on LOCO shares. Wall Street Zen downgraded El Pollo Loco from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings upgraded El Pollo Loco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. DA Davidson upped their price objective on shares of El Pollo Loco from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Benchmark upped their price objective on shares of El Pollo Loco from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Roth Capital assumed coverage on shares of El Pollo Loco in a report on Friday, October 9th. They set a "buy" rating and a $22.00 target price on the stock. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $17.30.
Read Our Latest Stock Report on LOCO
More El Pollo Loco News
Here are the key news stories impacting El Pollo Loco this week:
- Positive Sentiment: System-wide same-store sales grew 5% in Q3, while digital sales accounted for 31% of system sales—signs of continued customer demand and digital-channel traction. El Pollo Loco: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
- Positive Sentiment: Management plans to open 25–30 restaurants in 2027 and projects approximately 4.5% comparable-sales growth for 2026, indicating continued expansion and sales momentum. El Pollo Loco expansion and sales outlook
- Neutral Sentiment: Q3 adjusted earnings were $0.24 per share, matching analysts’ consensus. El Pollo Loco Q3 earnings match estimates
- Negative Sentiment: Revenue was $126.31 million, slightly below the $127.03 million analyst estimate. EPS also fell from $0.27 in the year-ago quarter to $0.24, which may weigh on sentiment despite meeting expectations. El Pollo Loco Q3 earnings report
El Pollo Loco Company Profile
(
Get Free Report)
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: LOCO) operates and franchises quick-service restaurants specializing in Mexican-inspired food and citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken. Its menu includes chicken meals, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, salads, bowls and family meals, along with a variety of sides, beverages and desserts.
The company was founded in 1975 in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, and expanded into the United States in 1980 with its first restaurant in Los Angeles. El Pollo Loco primarily serves customers through restaurants in the western and southwestern United States, particularly in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Texas.
Featured Articles

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from InsiderTrades.com in order to provide readers with the fastest and most accurate reporting. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].