El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) Given New $13.00 Price Target at Truist Financial

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) had its price objective upped by Truist Financial from $12.00 to $13.00 in a research note published on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a hold rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Benchmark raised El Pollo Loco from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $14.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Friday. DA Davidson set a $11.00 price target on El Pollo Loco in a report on Friday. Jefferies Financial Group lifted 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, William Blair reiterated a “market perform” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research note on Friday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $12.88.

El Pollo Loco Price Performance

Shares of LOCO opened at $12.72 on Friday. El Pollo Loco has a fifty-two week low of $8.29 and a fifty-two week high of $13.07. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $10.86 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $10.51. The stock has a market cap of $380.96 million, a PE ratio of 14.13 and a beta of 1.00. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.22, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a current ratio of 0.41.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) last released its earnings results on Thursday, March 12th. The restaurant operator reported $0.25 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.21 by $0.04. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 5.40% and a return on equity of 10.55%. The firm had revenue of $123.52 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $122.18 million. Analysts anticipate that El Pollo Loco will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On El Pollo Loco

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC grew its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 85.0% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,862 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 1,774 shares during the period. Kestra Advisory Services LLC bought a new position in El Pollo Loco in the fourth quarter valued at about $50,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets lifted its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 89.5% in the third 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 period. EMC Capital Management purchased a new position in El Pollo Loco in the second quarter worth about $72,000. Finally, Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC purchased a new position in El Pollo Loco in the third quarter worth about $97,000. 81.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

El Pollo Loco News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting El Pollo Loco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — LOCO reported $0.25 EPS vs. $0.21 consensus and revenue slightly above estimates; management emphasized improving margins and profitability. Press Release
• Positive Sentiment: Same-store sales growth of ~2.1% in Q4, signaling steady demand in existing restaurants — supports revenue momentum and franchise economics. OCBJ Article
• Positive Sentiment: Company guidance and commentary point to faster expansion and pipeline — targeting 18–20 new restaurants in 2026 and seeing strong demand in new markets, which implies growth leverage over time. MSN Expansion Article
• Positive Sentiment: Operational and culinary investments highlighted as paying off — improvements to menu and operations support same-store sales and margin expansion. Yahoo Finance Article
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade: Benchmark upgraded LOCO to Buy with a $14 target, signaling bullish broker sentiment and providing upside vs. recent levels. Benzinga Upgrade
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist raised its price target to $13 but maintained a Hold rating — a modestly constructive move but not a directional endorsement. Benzinga Truist Note
• Neutral Sentiment: Full earnings call transcript and analyst write-ups provide detail for investors to parse unit-level trends, margin drivers and capital allocation — useful for validating the sustainability of the beat. Earnings Call Transcript

El Pollo Loco Company 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.