El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) Major Shareholder Sardar Biglari Sells 13,169 Shares of Company Stock

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 13,169 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, November 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total value of $217,288.50. Following the sale, the insider owned 3,500,236 shares in the company, valued at $57,753,894. The trade was a 0.37% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Sardar Biglari also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Thursday, November 5th, Sardar Biglari sold 5,984 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total value of $98,736.00.
• On Friday, October 16th, Sardar Biglari sold 25,556 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total value of $421,674.00.

El Pollo Loco Stock Performance

LOCO traded down $1.58 during trading on Friday, reaching $14.88. 703,258 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 285,072. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 52 week low of $9.99 and a 52 week high of $17.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.41, a quick ratio of 0.38 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.10. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $15.01 and a 200 day moving average of $14.17. The stock has a market cap of $452.80 million, a P/E ratio of 12.72 and a beta of 0.85.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.24. El Pollo Loco had a return on equity of 10.87% and a net margin of 6.96%. The company had revenue of $126.31 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $127.03 million. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.99 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Ratings Changes

LOCO has been the topic of several recent research reports. Roth Capital initiated coverage on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research report on Friday, October 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen cut shares of El Pollo Loco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. DA Davidson raised their price target on shares of El Pollo Loco from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, August 10th. Benchmark raised their price target on shares of El Pollo Loco from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised El Pollo Loco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, October 2nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and four have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $17.30.

El Pollo Loco News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: System-wide same-store sales grew 5% in Q3, while digital sales accounted for 31% of system sales—signs of continued customer demand and digital-channel traction. El Pollo Loco: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Management plans to open 25–30 restaurants in 2027 and projects approximately 4.5% comparable-sales growth for 2026, indicating continued expansion and sales momentum. El Pollo Loco expansion and sales outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Q3 adjusted earnings were $0.24 per share, matching analysts’ consensus. El Pollo Loco Q3 earnings match estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue was $126.31 million, slightly below the $127.03 million analyst estimate. EPS also fell from $0.27 in the year-ago quarter to $0.24, which may weigh on sentiment despite meeting expectations. El Pollo Loco Q3 earnings report

Institutional Trading of El Pollo Loco

A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LOCO. Signaturefd LLC boosted its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 419.9% in the third quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 2,563 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 2,070 shares in the last quarter. Ellsworth Advisors LLC bought a new stake in El Pollo Loco during the third quarter worth approximately $972,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. raised its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 0.3% during the third quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 302,399 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $4,339,000 after purchasing an additional 894 shares in the last quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC lifted its position in El Pollo Loco by 60.2% in the second quarter. Squarepoint Ops LLC now owns 18,927 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $321,000 after purchasing an additional 7,113 shares during the period. Finally, Headlands Technologies LLC acquired a new stake in El Pollo Loco in the second quarter worth approximately $486,000. 81.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

El Pollo Loco Company Profile

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc (NASDAQ: LOCO) operates and franchises quick-service restaurants specializing in Mexican-inspired food and citrus-marinated, fire-grilled chicken. Its menu includes chicken meals, burritos, tacos, quesadillas, salads, bowls and family meals, along with a variety of sides, beverages and desserts.

The company was founded in 1975 in Guasave, Sinaloa, Mexico, and expanded into the United States in 1980 with its first restaurant in Los Angeles. El Pollo Loco primarily serves customers through restaurants in the western and southwestern United States, particularly in California, Arizona, Nevada, Colorado and Texas.