El Pollo Loco Hldgs Inc (LOCO) Hedge Fund Ownership (Q2 2026)

El Pollo Loco Hldgs Inc (LOCO)

150 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in LOCO. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Smart Money Signals — LOCO

Based on 152 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q2 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q

For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds added LOCO than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

🏔️

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

100% of all-time peak

152 hedge funds hold LOCO right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.

📶

Steady growth — +13% more funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q

+17 new funds entered over the past year (+13% YoY). Gradual, steady growth in institutional ownership is generally a healthy signal — not a speculative rush, but consistent conviction.

🟢

More buyers than sellers — 62% buying

91 buying56 selling

Last quarter: 91 funds were net buyers (26 opened a brand new position + 65 added to an existing one). Only 56 were sellers (40 trimmed + 16 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.

➡️

Steady new buyers — ~26 new funds per quarter

new funds entering per quarter

Funds opening this position for the first time: 15 → 27 → 29 → 26. A stable flow of new institutional buyers suggests ongoing interest without signs of either acceleration or slowdown.

🔒

64% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 64% conviction (2yr+) ■ 20% medium ■ 16% new

97 out of 152 hedge funds have held LOCO for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

💰

Value +31% but shares only +7% — price-driven

Value

+31%

+6%

Last quarter: the total dollar value of institutional holdings rose +31%, but actual share count only changed +7%. The gap is explained by the stock's price rising — not new buying. Strong value growth with weak share growth means the rally is price momentum, not fresh institutional demand.

📈

Growing discovery — still being found

27 → 15 → 27 → 29 → 26 new funds/Q

New funds entering each quarter: 15 → 27 → 29 → 26. A growing number of institutions are discovering LOCO each quarter. The narrative is still spreading — leaving room for ongoing capital accumulation.

🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 71% veterans vs 18% newcomers

■ 71% veterans ■ 12% 1-2yr ■ 18% new

Entry-cohort mix of 153 holders: 108 (71%) are 2+ year veterans, 18 entered 1–2 years ago, and 27 (18%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.

🏆

Elite ownership — 45% AUM from top-100 funds

45% from top-100 AUM funds

43 of 152 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 45% of total institutional value in LOCO. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

3.6

out of 10

Low Exit Risk

Exit risk score 3.6/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Metric	All 13F Filers (2026 Q2)	Prior (2026 Q1)	Change
Funds Holding	150	142	5.63%
13F Shares	28M	27M	6.73%
Total Value	$456M	$347M	31.26%
New Positions	26	29	-3
Increased Positions	64	46	+18
Closed Positions	18	29	-11
Reduced Positions	40	43	-3
Total Calls	1	1	-
Total Puts	0	0	-
PUT/CALL Ratio	0.0	0.0	Bullish

Metric

All 13F Filers (2026 Q2)

Prior (2026 Q1)

Change

Funds Holding

150

142

5.63%

13F Shares

28M

27M

6.73%

Total Value

$456M

$347M

31.26%

New Positions

-3

Increased Positions

+18

Closed Positions

-11

Reduced Positions

-3

Total Calls

Total Puts

PUT/CALL Ratio

0.0

Bullish

Institutional Holders (2026 Q3)

150 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in LOCO. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:

2026 Q3 filings are still coming in. Only funds that have filed so far are shown — top holders may not have reported yet. Full 13F data typically settles by ~50 days after quarter-end.

FILTER:All New Added To Reduced No Change | Overweight >5%

Top 25 LOCO holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q2 · Source: SEC Form 13F
#	Investor	% of Portfolio	Shares	Mkt Value
1	Semanteon Capital Management, LP	0.95%	17,954	$258K
2	Hillsdale Investment Management Inc.	0.16%	492,696	$7.1M
3	Ellsworth Advisors, LLC	0.16%	67,766	$972K
4	Western Standard LLC	0.09%	27,493	$395K
5	First Eagle Investment Management, LLC	0.03%	1,299,999	$18.7M
6	Campbell & CO Investment Adviser LLC	0.02%	37,477	$538K
7	State of Wyoming	0.02%	19,921	$286K
8	Empowered Funds, LLC	0.02%	278,621	$4.0M
9	Northwest & Ethical Investments L.P.	0.02%	50,200	$720K
10	Y-Intercept (Hong Kong) Ltd	0.02%	48,227	$692K
11	Renaissance Technologies LLC	0.01%	410,700	$5.9M
12	Quinn Opportunity Partners LLC	0.01%	10,000	$144K
13	Polen Capital Management LLC	0.01%	45,859	$658K
14	Qube Research & Technologies Ltd	0.01%	566,473	$8.1M
15	Gabelli Funds LLC	0.01%	65,000	$933K
16	Bailard, INC.	0.01%	20,500	$294K
17	Magnetar Financial LLC	0.01%	36,477	$523K
18	Level Four Advisory Services, LLC	0.00%	11,689	$168K
19	Assenagon Asset Management S.A.	0.00%	302,399	$4.3M
20	Arrowstreet Capital, Limited Partnership	0.00%	638,720	$9.2M
21	Sei Investments Co	0.00%	278,726	$4.0M
22	Achmea Investment Management B.V.	0.00%	30,800	$442K
23	Sanctuary Advisors, LLC	0.00%	55,419	$795K
24	Quantbot Technologies LP	0.00%	6,359	$91K
25	Universal- Beteiligungs- und Servicegesellschaft mbH	0.00%	143,900	$2.1M

Investor	Ownership History	% of Portfolio	Prev %	Rank	Conviction	Avg Buy Price	13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y	Sell Timing	Shares	Mkt Value	Change	Change %	Source	Quarter	Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — El Pollo Loco Hldgs Inc (LOCO)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for LOCO?

Buying streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds added LOCO than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for LOCO?

More buyers than sellers — 62% buying: Last quarter: 91 funds were net buyers (26 opened a brand new position + 65 added to an existing one). Only 56 were sellers (40 trimmed + 16 sold completely). A clear majority buying is a strong confirmation signal.

What is the fund quality score for LOCO holders?

Elite ownership — 45% AUM from top-100 funds: 43 of 152 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 45% of total institutional value in LOCO. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

How long have hedge funds held LOCO?

64% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 97 out of 152 hedge funds have held LOCO for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

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El Pollo Loco Hldgs Inc (LOCO)

Smart Money Signals — LOCO

Buying streak — 1 quarter in a row

At the ownership peak (100% of max)

Steady growth — +13% more funds vs a year ago

More buyers than sellers — 62% buying

Steady new buyers — ~26 new funds per quarter

64% of holders stayed for 2+ years

Value +31% but shares only +7% — price-driven

Growing discovery — still being found

Veteran-anchored — 71% veterans vs 18% newcomers

Elite ownership — 45% AUM from top-100 funds

Institutional Sentiment Summary — LOCO

Hedge Fund Ownership: LOCO

Market Analysis: LOCO

Analyst Price Targets

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Company Profile: LOCO

Hedge Fund Positioning: LOCO

Statistics: LOCO

Valuation Measures Data as of: --

Financial Highlights

Institutional Holders (2026 Q3)

Frequently Asked Questions — El Pollo Loco Hldgs Inc (LOCO)

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