El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) is projected to post its Q2 2026 results after the market closes on Thursday, August 6th. Analysts expect the company to post earnings of $0.30 per share and revenue of $130.2940 million for the quarter. Individuals may visit the the company's upcoming Q2 2026 earning overview page for the latest details on the call scheduled for Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 4:30 PM ET.
El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, May 7th. The restaurant operator reported $0.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.22 by $0.06. The business had revenue of $126.18 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $122.02 million. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 11.04%. On average, analysts expect El Pollo Loco to post $1 EPS for the current fiscal year and $1 EPS for the next fiscal year.
El Pollo Loco Price Performance
El Pollo Loco stock opened at $16.53 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $503.34 million, a P/E ratio of 16.87 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $15.62 and a 200-day simple moving average of $13.50. El Pollo Loco has a 12-month low of $8.98 and a 12-month high of $17.40. The company has a current ratio of 0.34, a quick ratio of 0.32 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.
El Pollo Loco declared that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Thursday, May 28th that allows the company to repurchase $40.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the restaurant operator to buy up to 9.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
A number of analysts have weighed in on LOCO shares. Benchmark raised their price target on El Pollo Loco from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. DA Davidson upped their price objective on El Pollo Loco from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Monday, May 11th. Freedom Capital upgraded El Pollo Loco to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, July 1st. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised El Pollo Loco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $14.88.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on LOCO
Insider Activity at El Pollo Loco
In related news, major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 132,421 shares of El Pollo Loco stock in a transaction on Wednesday, July 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.27, for a total transaction of $2,286,910.67. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 3,644,979 shares in the company, valued at $62,948,787.33. This trade represents a 3.51% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 450,546 shares of company stock valued at $7,602,550. Company insiders own 3.00% of the company's stock.
Hedge Funds Weigh In On El Pollo Loco
Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 85.0% in the 2nd quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,862 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 1,774 shares during the last quarter. Kestra Advisory Services LLC purchased a new position in El Pollo Loco during the 4th quarter worth approximately $50,000. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its position in El Pollo Loco by 89.5% during the third quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,277 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $51,000 after buying an additional 2,493 shares during the period. Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC acquired a new position in El Pollo Loco during the third quarter worth approximately $97,000. Finally, The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company purchased a new stake in El Pollo Loco in the second quarter valued at approximately $110,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 81.28% of the company's stock.
About El Pollo Loco
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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