El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) Stock: Insider Sardar Biglari Sells 13,169 Shares

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 13,169 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, November 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.50, for a total value of $217,288.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 3,500,236 shares in the company, valued at approximately $57,753,894. The trade was a 0.37% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases 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 shares were 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 Down 9.6%

LOCO stock opened at $14.88 on Friday. 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 company’s 50 day moving average is $15.01 and its 200 day moving average is $14.19. The stock has a market cap of $452.84 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.94 and a beta of 0.85. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 1-year low of $9.99 and a 1-year high of $17.40.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The restaurant operator reported $0.24 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.24. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 6.80% and a return on equity of 10.51%. The business had revenue of $126.31 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $127.03 million. Sell-side analysts predict that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.97 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More El Pollo Loco News

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

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Roth Capital assumed coverage on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research report on Friday, October 9th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $22.00 target price for the company. Wall Street Zen downgraded El Pollo Loco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 15th. Weiss Ratings raised El Pollo Loco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, October 2nd. Benchmark lifted their price target on El Pollo Loco from $18.00 to $21.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Finally, DA Davidson upped their price objective on El Pollo Loco from $15.00 to $17.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, El Pollo Loco has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $17.30.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On El Pollo Loco

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Biglari Capital CORP. purchased a new position in El Pollo Loco in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $64,064,704. BlackRock Inc. bought a new position in shares of El Pollo Loco during the second quarter valued at about $41,716,000. Tieton Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco during the second quarter worth about $17,535,000. Biglari Sardar purchased a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco during the second quarter worth about $8,297,629. Finally, Sei Investments Co. boosted its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 203.8% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 635,468 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $8,808,000 after purchasing an additional 426,320 shares during the period. 81.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

About El Pollo Loco

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.