Portillo’s (NASDAQ:PTLO) Share Price Crosses Above 200 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Portillo’s Inc. (NASDAQ:PTLO) passed above its 200-day moving average during trading on Thursday. The stock has a 200-day moving average of $4.82 and traded as high as $4.97. Portillo’s shares last traded at $4.96, with a volume of 2,385,265 shares trading hands.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

PTLO has been the subject of several research reports. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Portillo’s in a report on Monday, August 3rd. UBS Group reduced their target price on Portillo’s from $5.50 to $4.50 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 9th. Stephens reaffirmed an “equal weight” rating and issued a $5.00 target price on shares of Portillo’s in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Robert W. Baird upgraded Portillo’s to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, August 24th. Finally, Wall Street Zen lowered Portillo’s from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eight have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $5.66.

Portillo’s Trading Down 1.8%

The company has a market cap of $369.84 million, a PE ratio of 27.06, a P/E/G ratio of 4.38 and a beta of 1.58. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $4.20 and its 200-day moving average is $4.82. The company has a quick ratio of 0.20, a current ratio of 0.26 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Portillo’s (NASDAQ:PTLO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.09 EPS for the quarter, meeting the consensus estimate of $0.09. Portillo’s had a net margin of 1.85% and a return on equity of 2.78%. The business had revenue of $198.95 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $199.22 million. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.12 earnings per share. Portillo’s’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Portillo’s Inc. will post 0.19 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director I Jr acquired 65,355 shares of Portillo’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, August 12th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $4.59 per share, with a total value of $299,979.45. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 551,770 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,532,624.30. The trade was a 13.44% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 6.34% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Portillo’s

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Essential Partners LLC lifted its stake in Portillo’s by 83,350.0% in the first quarter. Essential Partners LLC now owns 5,007 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 5,001 shares during the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Portillo’s by 283.1% during the second quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 36,556 shares of the company’s stock valued at $173,000 after buying an additional 27,014 shares during the period. Deutsche Bank AG boosted its position in shares of Portillo’s by 29.5% during the second quarter. Deutsche Bank AG now owns 65,667 shares of the company’s stock valued at $311,000 after buying an additional 14,973 shares during the period. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. grew its stake in shares of Portillo’s by 34.0% during the second quarter. Capstone Financial Advisors Inc. now owns 78,745 shares of the company’s stock valued at $373,000 after buying an additional 20,000 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sei Investments Co. grew its stake in shares of Portillo’s by 132.1% during the first quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 70,622 shares of the company’s stock valued at $374,000 after buying an additional 40,200 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 98.34% of the company’s stock.

About Portillo’s

Portillo’s, Inc operates a chain of fast-casual restaurants known for Chicago-style food. Its menu features Italian beef and Italian sausage sandwiches, Chicago-style hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, salads, french fries, shakes and other desserts.

The company traces its origins to 1963, when Dick Portillo opened a small hot dog stand called The Dog House in Villa Park, Illinois. Portillo’s has since expanded from its Chicago-area roots into a multi-state restaurant business, with locations primarily in the United States.