Topic: How To Invest

Pat: What do you think about the new El Pollo Loco IPO?

Article Excerpt

El Pollo Loco, $33.22, symbol LOCO on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 35.9 million; Market cap: $1.3 billion; www.elpolloloco.com), specializes in Mexican-style grilled chicken. El Pollo Loco means “the crazy chicken” in Spanish. The company fire-grills citrus-marinated chicken in front of its customers. El Pollo Loco first sold shares to the public and began trading on the Nasdaq exchange on Friday, July 25, 2014. The quick-serve restaurant chain raised $100 million in an initial public offering (IPO) of 7.1 million shares priced at $15 each. The stock has more than doubled since its initial listing, and it continues to hit new highs. El Pollo Loco has 401 locations in five U.S. states, including Texas and Arizona, but the majority of its restaurants are in California; last year, the company generated 80% of its revenue from the greater Los Angeles area. El Pollo Loco has ambitious plans to expand and believes it has the potential to one day operate 2,300 locations in the U.S. In the three…