William Blair Investment Management LLC Has $16.23 Million Stock Holdings in El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO)

William Blair Investment Management LLC increased its position in El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO - Free Report) by 2.5% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,406,454 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after buying an additional 34,399 shares during the period. William Blair Investment Management LLC owned 4.70% of El Pollo Loco worth $16,230,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Point72 DIFC Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco in the third quarter worth about $27,000. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. lifted its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 91.8% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asia Singapore Pte. Ltd. now owns 2,094 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 1,002 shares during the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC boosted its position in El Pollo Loco by 22.3% during the fourth quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 10,713 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 1,954 shares during the period. Centiva Capital LP acquired a new position in El Pollo Loco during the third quarter valued at approximately $153,000. Finally, Olympiad Research LP bought a new position in shares of El Pollo Loco in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $130,000. Institutional investors own 81.28% of the company's stock.

El Pollo Loco Stock Performance

Shares of El Pollo Loco stock traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Monday, hitting $10.52. The company had a trading volume of 202,780 shares, compared to its average volume of 267,731. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $8.17 and a 1-year high of $14.25. The business's 50 day simple moving average is $11.43 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $12.22. The stock has a market cap of $313.25 million, a PE ratio of 13.32 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a current ratio of 0.31 and a quick ratio of 0.29.

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El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.20 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.06. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 5.11% and a return on equity of 10.34%. The firm had revenue of $114.28 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $113.19 million. As a group, equities analysts predict that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Benchmark reaffirmed a "hold" rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a report on Monday, March 10th. Craig Hallum initiated coverage on shares of El Pollo Loco in a report on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $18.00 price target for the company. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded El Pollo Loco from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th.

El Pollo Loco Company Profile

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.