Sardar Biglari Sells 20,000 Shares of El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) Stock

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) major shareholder Sardar Biglari sold 20,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.73, for a total transaction of $334,600.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 106,422 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,780,440.06. This represents a 15.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Sardar Biglari also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Wednesday, August 5th, Sardar Biglari sold 80,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.90, for a total transaction of $1,352,000.00.
• On Thursday, July 30th, Sardar Biglari sold 546 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.70, for a total value of $9,118.20.
• On Wednesday, July 29th, Sardar Biglari sold 6,611 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.71, for a total value of $110,469.81.
• On Friday, July 17th, Sardar Biglari sold 11,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.71, for a total value of $183,810.00.
• On Monday, July 13th, Sardar Biglari sold 75,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.74, for a total value of $1,255,500.00.
• On Thursday, July 2nd, Sardar Biglari sold 9,525 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.92, for a total value of $161,163.00.
• On Wednesday, July 1st, Sardar Biglari sold 132,421 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.27, for a total value of $2,286,910.67.
• On Tuesday, June 30th, Sardar Biglari sold 22,600 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.91, for a total transaction of $382,166.00.
• On Monday, June 29th, Sardar Biglari sold 100,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.58, for a total transaction of $1,658,000.00.
• On Friday, June 26th, Sardar Biglari sold 100,000 shares of El Pollo Loco stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.75, for a total transaction of $1,675,000.00.

El Pollo Loco Stock Performance

Shares of LOCO opened at $16.37 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $498.47 million, a PE ratio of 16.70 and a beta of 0.78. The company has a quick ratio of 0.32, a current ratio of 0.34 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $15.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $13.73. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a 52-week low of $8.98 and a 52-week high of $17.40.

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ:LOCO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The restaurant operator reported $0.30 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.28 by $0.02. The company had revenue of $129.57 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $130.29 million. El Pollo Loco had a net margin of 5.87% and a return on equity of 11.04%. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. will post 0.95 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

El Pollo Loco declared that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, May 28th that authorizes the company to buyback $40.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the restaurant operator to buy up to 9.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Trending Headlines about El Pollo Loco

Here are the key news stories impacting El Pollo Loco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Adjusted earnings exceeded expectations. El Pollo Loco reported second-quarter EPS of $0.30, ahead of analyst estimates ranging from $0.28 to $0.29 and up from $0.28 a year earlier. The result indicates some earnings resilience despite ongoing operating pressures. El Pollo Loco Holdings Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue slightly missed forecasts. Quarterly revenue was $129.57 million versus the $130.29 million consensus estimate. El Pollo Loco posted a 5.87% net margin and 11.04% return on equity, while full-year analyst expectations remain approximately $0.95 in EPS. El Pollo Loco Announces Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation and analyst views are mixed. El Pollo Loco has a “Moderate Buy” consensus rating, but the reported average price target of $14.88 is below the stock’s recent trading level. Prior targets range from $15 to $18, suggesting limited upside at the current valuation for some analysts. El Pollo Loco analyst data
• Negative Sentiment: Major shareholder Sardar Biglari continued to reduce his position. Biglari sold 80,000 shares for approximately $1.35 million on August 5 and another 20,000 shares for about $335,000 on August 3. The transactions add to a series of recent sales and may pressure investor sentiment by signaling reduced insider conviction or creating additional share supply. El Pollo Loco major shareholder sales

Institutional Trading of El Pollo Loco

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in LOCO. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of El Pollo Loco by 93.9% in the 4th quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 1,037,293 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $10,850,000 after acquiring an additional 502,378 shares during the last quarter. Fund 1 Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of El Pollo Loco by 193.4% in the 4th quarter. Fund 1 Investments LLC now owns 745,140 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $7,794,000 after purchasing an additional 491,184 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC increased its stake in El Pollo Loco by 197.4% in the 1st quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 680,391 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $7,008,000 after purchasing an additional 451,575 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. raised its holdings in El Pollo Loco by 203.8% during the 1st quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 635,468 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock worth $8,808,000 after buying an additional 426,320 shares during the period. Finally, Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. lifted its stake in El Pollo Loco by 59.0% during the fourth quarter. Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. now owns 571,296 shares of the restaurant operator’s stock valued at $5,976,000 after buying an additional 211,900 shares in the last quarter. 81.28% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

LOCO has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Benchmark upped their target price on El Pollo Loco from $14.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Freedom Capital raised El Pollo Loco to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, July 1st. Weiss Ratings upgraded El Pollo Loco from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their target price on El Pollo Loco from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $14.88.

About El Pollo Loco

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.