El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) Upgraded by StockNews.com to “Buy”

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) was upgraded by analysts at StockNews.com from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report issued on Monday.

Several other analysts have also issued reports on LOCO. Truist Financial upped their target price on El Pollo Loco from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, August 2nd. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd.

El Pollo Loco Stock Up 0.7 %

NASDAQ:LOCO traded up $0.09 during trading hours on Monday, reaching $13.69. 324,677 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 287,229. The stock has a market cap of $409.74 million, a PE ratio of 16.90 and a beta of 1.50. El Pollo Loco has a twelve month low of $8.11 and a twelve month high of $14.25. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $12.48 and a 200 day moving average of $10.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.35 and a quick ratio of 0.32.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, August 1st. The restaurant operator reported $0.26 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.05. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 5.76% and a return on equity of 10.33%. The business had revenue of $122.20 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $120.39 million. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $0.23 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities analysts expect that El Pollo Loco will post 0.8 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other El Pollo Loco news, major shareholder Sardar Biglari bought 62,362 shares of El Pollo Loco stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, August 14th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $12.47 per share, for a total transaction of $777,654.14. Following the purchase, the insider now owns 87,362 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,089,404.14. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In the last ninety days, insiders have bought 189,177 shares of company stock valued at $2,483,158. 1.90% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On El Pollo Loco

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of LOCO. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of El Pollo Loco in the second quarter valued at approximately $30,000. CWM LLC boosted its stake in El Pollo Loco by 34.1% in the 2nd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 3,808 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 969 shares during the period. Paloma Partners Management Co acquired a new position in El Pollo Loco in the 1st quarter valued at $106,000. Aigen Investment Management LP bought a new position in El Pollo Loco during the 4th quarter worth $111,000. Finally, Hsbc Holdings PLC lifted its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 7.5% during the second quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 15,606 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $172,000 after buying an additional 1,090 shares in the last quarter. 81.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiary, El Pollo Loco, Inc, develops, franchises, licenses, and operates quick-service restaurants under the El Pollo Loco name. It operates and franchises restaurants located in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Utah, and Louisiana. It also licenses its brand to restaurants in the Philippines.