Tieton Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO – Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 1,033,917 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $17,535,000. El Pollo Loco comprises approximately 5.0% of Tieton Capital Management LLC’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 3rd largest holding. Tieton Capital Management LLC owned 3.40% of El Pollo Loco at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of LOCO. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its stake in shares of El Pollo Loco by 85.0% during the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,862 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $43,000 after buying an additional 1,774 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new stake in El Pollo Loco in the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 89.5% in the 3rd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,277 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $51,000 after acquiring an additional 2,493 shares during the last quarter. State of Wyoming acquired a new position in El Pollo Loco in the 1st quarter valued at $88,000. Finally, Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of El Pollo Loco during the 3rd quarter worth $97,000. 81.28% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insider Activity at El Pollo Loco
In related news, major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 80,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, August 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.90, for a total transaction of $1,352,000.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 66,422 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,122,531.80. The trade was a 54.64% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. In the last quarter, insiders sold 558,803 shares of company stock worth $9,427,504. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company’s stock.
El Pollo Loco Stock Up 0.3%
El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO – Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.30 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.02. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 6.96% and a return on equity of 10.87%. The business had revenue of $129.57 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $130.29 million. Sell-side analysts expect that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.99 earnings per share for the current year.
El Pollo Loco announced that its board has initiated a stock buyback program on Thursday, May 28th that permits the company to buyback $40.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the restaurant operator to buy up to 9.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are often a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Freedom Capital raised El Pollo Loco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 1st. Benchmark raised their price target on El Pollo Loco from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. DA Davidson lifted their price target on El Pollo Loco from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of El Pollo Loco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, August 15th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised shares of El Pollo Loco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, El Pollo Loco has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $16.12.
Read Our Latest Report on El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco Profile
El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO) is a fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Mexican-style fire-grilled chicken and complementary menu offerings. The company’s signature product is its marinated, flame-grilled chicken, which is prepared in an open-flame rotisserie and served in a variety of formats including tacos, burritos, bowls and salads. In addition to its core chicken offerings, El Pollo Loco menu items feature fresh-made salsas, guacamole, sides such as charro beans and fresh tortillas, as well as a selection of beverages and desserts.
Founded in 1975 in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, by Juan Francisco Ochoa, the concept expanded into the United States in 1980 with its first U.S.
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