William Blair Predicts Weaker Earnings for El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO - Free Report) - Investment analysts at William Blair lowered their Q2 2025 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for El Pollo Loco in a note issued to investors on Thursday, May 1st. William Blair analyst S. Zackfia now expects that the restaurant operator will post earnings per share of $0.26 for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $0.27. The consensus estimate for El Pollo Loco's current full-year earnings is $0.83 per share. William Blair also issued estimates for El Pollo Loco's Q3 2025 earnings at $0.24 EPS, Q4 2025 earnings at $0.20 EPS, FY2025 earnings at $0.89 EPS and FY2026 earnings at $0.91 EPS.

A number of other brokerages also recently weighed in on LOCO. StockNews.com downgraded El Pollo Loco from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday. Benchmark reiterated a "hold" rating on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Finally, Craig Hallum assumed coverage on shares of El Pollo Loco in a research note on Tuesday, March 11th. They set a "buy" rating and a $18.00 target price on the stock.

El Pollo Loco Trading Up 1.1 %

Shares of LOCO stock traded up $0.10 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $8.99. The company's stock had a trading volume of 459,889 shares, compared to its average volume of 254,763. The company has a market cap of $270.06 million, a PE ratio of 11.37 and a beta of 1.11. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.30, a quick ratio of 0.29 and a current ratio of 0.31. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $10.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $11.38. El Pollo Loco has a 52 week low of $8.29 and a 52 week high of $14.25.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The restaurant operator reported $0.19 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.01). El Pollo Loco had a return on equity of 10.34% and a net margin of 5.11%. The business had revenue of $119.18 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $118.20 million. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $0.22 earnings per share. The company's revenue was up 2.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On El Pollo Loco

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of LOCO. Quantbot Technologies LP acquired a new position in El Pollo Loco during the fourth quarter worth $70,000. Quarry LP lifted its position in El Pollo Loco by 235.6% in the 4th quarter. Quarry LP now owns 7,389 shares of the restaurant operator's stock valued at $85,000 after acquiring an additional 5,187 shares in the last quarter. Aquatic Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in El Pollo Loco during the 4th quarter valued at about $107,000. SG Americas Securities LLC increased its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 22.3% during the 4th quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC now owns 10,713 shares of the restaurant operator's stock worth $124,000 after purchasing an additional 1,954 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Olympiad Research LP purchased a new stake in shares of El Pollo Loco in the fourth quarter worth approximately $130,000. 81.28% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.