First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO - Free Report) by 54.0% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 453,422 shares of the restaurant operator's stock after purchasing an additional 159,000 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC owned 1.51% of El Pollo Loco worth $5,232,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in LOCO. Biglari Sardar increased its position in shares of El Pollo Loco by 307.7% during the third quarter. Biglari Sardar now owns 489,247 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $6,703,000 after purchasing an additional 369,247 shares in the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of El Pollo Loco during the fourth quarter worth $1,142,000. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its position in shares of El Pollo Loco by 22.5% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 411,298 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $5,635,000 after purchasing an additional 75,542 shares in the last quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its position in shares of El Pollo Loco by 372.6% during the third quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 70,409 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $951,000 after purchasing an additional 55,510 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Janney Montgomery Scott LLC increased its position in shares of El Pollo Loco by 89.6% during the fourth quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 84,247 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $972,000 after purchasing an additional 39,824 shares in the last quarter. 81.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
El Pollo Loco Stock Performance
Shares of NASDAQ LOCO traded up $0.04 during mid-day trading on Thursday, hitting $10.45. The stock had a trading volume of 181,233 shares, compared to its average volume of 267,937. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a twelve month low of $8.17 and a twelve month high of $14.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.31. The firm has a market cap of $311.17 million, a PE ratio of 13.23 and a beta of 1.50. The company has a 50 day moving average of $11.46 and a two-hundred day moving average of $12.28.
El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, March 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate 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 company had revenue of $114.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.19 million. Research analysts predict that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
Several research firms recently issued reports on LOCO. Craig Hallum began coverage on El Pollo Loco in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock. Benchmark reissued a "hold" rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, StockNews.com raised El Pollo Loco from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 11th.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on LOCO
El Pollo Loco Company Profile
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Free Report)
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.
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