LSV Asset Management Sells 71,000 Shares of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. $LOCO

LSV Asset Management trimmed its stake in shares of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) by 4.6% during the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,489,052 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock after selling 71,000 shares during the quarter. LSV Asset Management owned 4.97% of El Pollo Loco worth $14,444,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

A number of other hedge funds have also modified their holdings of the stock. AdvisorShares Investments LLC boosted its stake in El Pollo Loco by 236.1% in the 3rd quarter. AdvisorShares Investments LLC now owns 49,539 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $481,000 after buying an additional 34,800 shares in the last quarter. Carlson Capital L.P. raised its stake in El Pollo Loco by 50.8% during the third quarter. Carlson Capital L.P. now owns 92,000 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $892,000 after acquiring an additional 31,000 shares in the last quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC lifted its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 17.7% during the third quarter. Ballentine Partners LLC now owns 13,590 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $132,000 after acquiring an additional 2,048 shares during the period. SummerHaven Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco in the 3rd quarter valued at $741,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC bought a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco in the 3rd quarter worth about $107,000. 81.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

El Pollo Loco Price Performance

Shares of LOCO stock opened at $10.51 on Friday. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 1 year low of $8.29 and a 1 year high of $12.65. The company has a current ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $10.84 and its 200-day moving average is $10.42. The firm has a market capitalization of $314.77 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 11.94 and a beta of 1.01.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. Zacks Research lowered shares of El Pollo Loco from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on El Pollo Loco from $12.00 to $13.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 15th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price target on El Pollo Loco from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, El Pollo Loco currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $14.50.

About El Pollo Loco

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.