Portillo’s’ (PTLO) Equal Weight Rating Reaffirmed at Stephens

Portillo’s (NASDAQ:PTLO)‘s stock had its “equal weight” rating reiterated by equities researchers at Stephens in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $5.00 target price on the stock. Stephens’ target price suggests a potential upside of 7.07% from the company’s current price.

Several other research analysts have also weighed in on the company. Stifel Nicolaus lowered their price objective on Portillo’s from $6.00 to $5.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Portillo’s in a research report on Monday. Roth Capital set a $8.00 price target on Portillo’s in a research note on Wednesday, May 6th. Guggenheim cut Portillo’s from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price objective on Portillo’s from $8.00 to $6.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $5.92.

Portillo’s Stock Performance

NASDAQ:PTLO opened at $4.67 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.47, a current ratio of 0.26 and a quick ratio of 0.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $354.03 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.24, a PEG ratio of 0.84 and a beta of 1.56. The company’s 50-day moving average is $4.46 and its two-hundred day moving average is $5.04. Portillo’s has a 1-year low of $3.78 and a 1-year high of $8.21.

Portillo’s (NASDAQ:PTLO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.09 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.09. The business had revenue of $198.95 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $199.22 million. Portillo’s had a net margin of 2.12% and a return on equity of 3.17%. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.12 EPS. Analysts forecast that Portillo’s will post 0.23 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Portillo’s

In related news, Director Eugene I. Lee, Jr. bought 70,165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $4.28 per share, for a total transaction of $300,306.20. Following the acquisition, the director owned 486,415 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,081,856.20. This trade represents a 16.86% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Insiders own 6.34% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Engaged Capital LLC increased its stake in Portillo’s by 124.3% during the first quarter. Engaged Capital LLC now owns 3,442,990 shares of the company’s stock worth $18,213,000 after purchasing an additional 1,908,000 shares during the period. First National Bank Sioux Falls acquired a new stake in shares of Portillo’s during the first quarter worth about $56,000. Alpine Global Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Portillo’s in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $89,000. Aristides Capital LLC purchased a new stake in Portillo’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $197,000. Finally, AXQ Capital LP purchased a new stake in Portillo’s during the 4th quarter worth approximately $199,000. 98.34% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Portillo’s Company Profile

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.