El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO – Free Report) had its price objective raised by Benchmark from $14.00 to $18.00 in a research report sent to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a buy rating on the restaurant operator’s stock.
Several other research firms also recently commented on LOCO. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. William Blair restated a “market perform” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a report on Friday, March 13th. Wall Street Zen upgraded El Pollo Loco from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Saturday, March 21st. DA Davidson set a $11.00 price objective on El Pollo Loco in a report on Friday, March 13th. Finally, Truist Financial boosted their price objective on El Pollo Loco from $12.00 to $13.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a report on Friday, March 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.88.
View Our Latest Stock Report on El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco Trading Up 3.6%
El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $126.18 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $122.02 million. El Pollo Loco had a return on equity of 11.23% and a net margin of 5.87%. Research analysts forecast that El Pollo Loco will post 0.96 earnings per share for the current year.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On El Pollo Loco
Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of LOCO. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 93.9% during the fourth quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,037,293 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $10,850,000 after buying an additional 502,378 shares in the last quarter. Fund 1 Investments LLC grew its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 193.4% during the fourth quarter. Fund 1 Investments LLC now owns 745,140 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $7,794,000 after buying an additional 491,184 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC grew its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 197.4% during the first quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 680,391 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $7,008,000 after buying an additional 451,575 shares in the last quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. grew its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 59.0% during the fourth quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 571,296 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,976,000 after buying an additional 211,900 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Two Sigma Investments LP grew its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 788.2% during the third quarter. Two Sigma Investments LP now owns 214,123 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $2,077,000 after buying an additional 190,015 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 81.28% of the company’s stock.
More El Pollo Loco News
Here are the key news stories impacting El Pollo Loco this week:
- Positive Sentiment: El Pollo Loco beat Q1 expectations, reporting adjusted EPS of $0.28 versus the $0.22 consensus and revenue of $126.18 million versus $122.02 million expected. El Pollo Loco tops Q1 estimates, raises 2026 outlook
- Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 outlook, projecting adjusted EBITDA of $67.5 million to $69.5 million and targeting 2% to 4% comparable-store sales growth, which suggests management sees momentum continuing. El Pollo Loco projects 2026 adjusted EBITDA of $67.5M-$69.5M while targeting 2%-4% comp growth
- Positive Sentiment: Multiple earnings recaps highlighted the quarter as an upside surprise, with year-over-year EPS improving from $0.19, reinforcing the view that execution is improving. El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
- Neutral Sentiment: The company also released its Q1 2026 earnings call transcript and press release, which may provide additional detail on margins, traffic trends, and the outlook, but the main market-moving takeaway is the beat-and-raise report. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) Q1 2026 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.
Further Reading
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