StockNews.com Downgrades El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) to Hold

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday.

El Pollo Loco Trading Down 1.0 %

Shares of LOCO traded down $0.11 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $11.41. 155,577 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 164,329. El Pollo Loco has a 12 month low of $8.17 and a 12 month high of $14.25. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30. The company's fifty day moving average price is $11.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $12.48. The company has a market capitalization of $341.62 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.44 and a beta of 1.47.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 31st. The restaurant operator reported $0.21 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.17 by $0.04. El Pollo Loco had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 5.11%. The business had revenue of $120.40 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $121.03 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $0.19 EPS. The business's revenue was up .0% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that El Pollo Loco will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On El Pollo Loco

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. State Street Corp raised its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 2.5% in the third quarter. State Street Corp now owns 593,425 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $8,130,000 after buying an additional 14,692 shares during the last quarter. Biglari Sardar lifted its position in El Pollo Loco by 307.7% in the 3rd quarter. Biglari Sardar now owns 489,247 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $6,703,000 after acquiring an additional 369,247 shares in the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in El Pollo Loco by 22.5% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 411,298 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $5,635,000 after purchasing an additional 75,542 shares during the last quarter. Marshall Wace LLP increased its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 384.0% in the 2nd quarter. Marshall Wace LLP now owns 175,670 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $1,987,000 after purchasing an additional 139,375 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in El Pollo Loco by 5.3% during the 3rd quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 167,003 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $2,288,000 after acquiring an additional 8,442 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.28% of the company's stock.

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.

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