Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC Invests $283,000 in El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO)

Integrated Quantitative Investments LLC acquired a new stake in El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund acquired 24,501 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock, valued at approximately $283,000.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Prudential Financial Inc. increased its stake in shares of El Pollo Loco by 332.2% in the 4th quarter. Prudential Financial Inc. now owns 289,739 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $3,344,000 after purchasing an additional 222,704 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC grew its position in El Pollo Loco by 54.0% in the fourth quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 453,422 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,232,000 after acquiring an additional 159,000 shares during the last quarter. Alberta Investment Management Corp bought a new position in El Pollo Loco in the fourth quarter valued at about $1,142,000. Monimus Capital Management LP acquired a new position in El Pollo Loco during the fourth quarter worth about $935,000. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 22.5% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 411,298 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $5,635,000 after acquiring an additional 75,542 shares during the last quarter. 81.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

El Pollo Loco Stock Down 7.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ:LOCO opened at $9.30 on Friday. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $11.19 and a 200 day simple moving average of $12.02. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 12-month low of $8.17 and a 12-month high of $14.25. The firm has a market cap of $276.93 million, a P/E ratio of 11.77 and a beta of 1.35. The company has a quick ratio of 0.29, a current ratio of 0.31 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, March 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.20 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.14 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $114.28 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.19 million. El Pollo Loco had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 5.11%. Analysts predict that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.83 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research firms have weighed in on LOCO. Benchmark reaffirmed a “hold” rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research note on Monday, March 10th. Craig Hallum started coverage on El Pollo Loco in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $18.00 price objective for the company. Finally, StockNews.com downgraded shares of El Pollo Loco from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 1st.

El Pollo Loco Company Profile

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc, through its subsidiary, El Pollo Loco, Inc, develops, franchises, licenses, and operates quick-service restaurants under the El Pollo Loco name. It operates and franchises restaurants located in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Utah, and Louisiana. It also licenses its brand to restaurants in the Philippines.