El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) Now Covered by Analysts at DA Davidson

DA Davidson assumed coverage on shares of El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) in a research note released on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm issued a neutral rating and a $11.00 price objective on the restaurant operator’s stock.

LOCO has been the subject of a number of other reports. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Zacks Research cut shares of El Pollo Loco from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. Truist Financial upped their price objective on shares of El Pollo Loco from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their target price on shares of El Pollo Loco from $12.00 to $13.50 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, December 15th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, El Pollo Loco presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $13.63.

El Pollo Loco Trading Down 1.9%

LOCO stock traded down $0.21 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $11.00. The company had a trading volume of 323,297 shares, compared to its average volume of 152,129. The stock has a market cap of $329.45 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.50 and a beta of 1.00. El Pollo Loco has a 52 week low of $8.29 and a 52 week high of $11.74. 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 stock’s 50 day moving average price is $10.77 and its 200 day moving average price is $10.47.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Tieton Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of El Pollo Loco by 22.3% in the 2nd quarter. Tieton Capital Management LLC now owns 629,990 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $6,936,000 after acquiring an additional 114,850 shares in the last quarter. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP grew its stake in El Pollo Loco by 495.3% in the second quarter. Divisadero Street Capital Management LP now owns 1,231,087 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $13,554,000 after purchasing an additional 1,024,302 shares during the period. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 17.2% in the second quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 726,393 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $7,998,000 after purchasing an additional 106,500 shares in the last quarter. Carlson Capital L.P. bought a new position in El Pollo Loco in the second quarter worth $672,000. Finally, Boston Partners purchased a new position in El Pollo Loco during the second quarter valued at $551,000. 81.28% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.