Portillo’s Inc. (NASDAQ:PTLO) Given Average Rating of “Hold” by Analysts

Portillo’s Inc. (NASDAQ:PTLO) has been given a consensus rating of “Hold” by the twelve ratings firms that are covering the firm, MarketBeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, eight have issued a hold rating and three have given a buy rating to the company. The average 12 month price target among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $7.9444.

Several equities research analysts recently commented on PTLO shares. Bank of America restated a “neutral” rating and set a $7.00 target price (down previously from $14.00) on shares of Portillo’s in a research report on Monday, October 6th. UBS Group cut their price target on Portillo’s from $6.00 to $5.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Stephens reduced their price objective on shares of Portillo’s from $8.00 to $6.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Morgan Stanley set a $9.00 target price on shares of Portillo’s in a research report on Tuesday, October 21st. Finally, Stifel Nicolaus reissued a “hold” rating and set a $6.00 target price (down from $8.00) on shares of Portillo’s in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th.

Institutional Trading of Portillo’s

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Portillo’s by 135.8% in the second quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 2,596 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 1,495 shares in the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP acquired a new position in shares of Portillo’s during the second quarter worth approximately $32,000. State of Wyoming lifted its holdings in shares of Portillo’s by 176.6% in the 3rd quarter. State of Wyoming now owns 4,531 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 2,893 shares in the last quarter. CWM LLC grew its position in Portillo’s by 84.5% in the 3rd quarter. CWM LLC now owns 5,243 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after purchasing an additional 2,401 shares during the period. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its stake in Portillo’s by 69.6% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,426 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 2,227 shares in the last quarter. 98.34% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Portillo’s Trading Up 4.7%

PTLO opened at $5.77 on Tuesday. Portillo’s has a twelve month low of $4.41 and a twelve month high of $15.78. The company has a fifty day moving average of $4.86 and a 200-day moving average of $6.57. The stock has a market cap of $434.94 million, a PE ratio of 16.03, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 6.92 and a beta of 1.74. The company has a quick ratio of 0.22, a current ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.49.

Portillo’s (NASDAQ:PTLO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, November 4th. The company reported $0.02 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.04 by ($0.02). Portillo’s had a net margin of 3.35% and a return on equity of 4.99%. The firm had revenue of $181.43 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $179.77 million. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Portillo’s will post 0.35 EPS for the current year.

About Portillo’s

Portillo’s, Inc operates a fast‐casual restaurant chain best known for its Chicago‐style menu, featuring Italian beef sandwiches, Chicago‐style hot dogs, char‐grilled burgers, salads, crinkle‐cut fries and hand‐spun milkshakes. In addition to its signature sandwiches and dogs, the company offers a selection of desserts—including its famous chocolate cake and frozen custard—as well as catering services designed to bring its Midwestern flavors to corporate and social events.

The company was founded in 1963 by Dick Portillo, who opened the first Portillo’s in Villa Park, Illinois.