STOCK TITAN

El Pollo Loco (NASDAQ: LOCO) CEO has shares withheld for taxes on stock vesting

Filing Impact
(High)
Filing Sentiment
(Neutral)
Form Type
4

Rhea-AI Filing Summary

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. CEO Elizabeth Goodman Williams reported a routine tax-related share disposition tied to restricted stock vesting. On May 29, 10,523 shares of common stock were withheld by the company at a price of $13.95 per share to cover her tax obligations.

The footnote explains that 21,510 restricted shares vested, and part of these were retained by the issuer for taxes rather than sold in the market. After this transaction, Williams directly holds 248,091 common shares, so the event primarily reflects compensation and tax treatment rather than a discretionary trade.

Positive

  • None.

Negative

  • None.
Insider Williams Elizabeth Goodman
Role Chief Executive Officer
Type Security Shares Price Value
Tax Withholding Common Stock 10,523 $13.95 $147K
Holdings After Transaction: Common Stock — 248,091 shares (Direct, null)
Footnotes (1)
  1. [object Object]
Shares withheld for taxes 10,523 shares Common stock withheld on May 29, 2026 for tax obligation
Restricted shares vested 21,510 shares Restricted stock award vesting referenced in footnote
Price per share for withholding $13.95 per share Issuer’s closing share price on May 28, 2026
Shares held after transaction 248,091 shares CEO’s direct ownership following tax-withholding disposition
restricted stock award financial
"upon vesting of the restricted stock award. The price quoted"
A restricted stock award is company shares given to an employee or executive that cannot be sold or fully owned until certain conditions—like staying with the company for a set time or hitting performance targets—are met. Think of it as a gift that only becomes yours after you fulfill specific obligations; for investors, these awards matter because they can increase the total shares outstanding when they vest, reveal how management is being paid and motivated, and create potential selling pressure when restrictions lift.
tax obligation financial
"retained 10,523 shares to satisfy the reporting person's tax obligation upon vesting"
common stock financial
"The reporting person vested in 21,510 shares of common stock, of which"
Common stock represents ownership shares in a company, giving investors a stake in its success and a say in important decisions through voting rights. It is the most common type of stock traded on markets and can provide income through dividends, as well as potential for value growth. For investors, holding common stock means sharing in the company’s profits and risks.
closing share price financial
"The price quoted in column 4 is the issuer's closing share price on May 28, 2026."
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SEC Form 4
FORM 4UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549

STATEMENT OF CHANGES IN BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP

Filed pursuant to Section 16(a) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
or Section 30(h) of the Investment Company Act of 1940
OMB APPROVAL
OMB Number:3235-0287
Estimated average burden
hours per response:0.5
Check this box if no longer subject to Section 16. Form 4 or Form 5 obligations may continue. See Instruction 1(b).
Check this box to indicate that a transaction was made pursuant to a contract, instruction or written plan for the purchase or sale of equity securities of the issuer that is intended to satisfy the affirmative defense conditions of Rule 10b5-1(c). See Instruction 10.
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person*
Williams Elizabeth Goodman

(Last)(First)(Middle)
C/O EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS. INC.
575 ANTON BLVD., SUITE 1100

(Street)
COSTA MESA CALIFORNIA 92626

(City)(State)(Zip)

UNITED STATES

(Country)
2. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. [ LOCO ]
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer
(Check all applicable)
XDirector10% Owner
XOfficer (give title below)Other (specify below)
Chief Executive Officer
2a. Foreign Trading Symbol
3. Date of Earliest Transaction (Month/Day/Year)
05/29/2026
6. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
XForm filed by One Reporting Person
Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
4. If Amendment, Date of Original Filed (Month/Day/Year)

Table I - Non-Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
1. Title of Security (Instr. 3) 2. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)2A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)3. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 4. Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed Of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 5. Amount of Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 3 and 4) 6. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 7. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeVAmount(A) or (D)Price
Common Stock05/29/2026F10,523D$13.95(1)248,091D
Table II - Derivative Securities Acquired, Disposed of, or Beneficially Owned
(e.g., puts, calls, warrants, options, convertible securities)
1. Title of Derivative Security (Instr. 3) 2. Conversion or Exercise Price of Derivative Security 3. Transaction Date (Month/Day/Year)3A. Deemed Execution Date, if any (Month/Day/Year)4. Transaction Code (Instr. 8) 5. Number of Derivative Securities Acquired (A) or Disposed of (D) (Instr. 3, 4 and 5) 6. Date Exercisable and Expiration Date (Month/Day/Year)7. Title and Amount of Securities Underlying Derivative Security (Instr. 3 and 4) 8. Price of Derivative Security (Instr. 5) 9. Number of derivative Securities Beneficially Owned Following Reported Transaction(s) (Instr. 4) 10. Ownership Form: Direct (D) or Indirect (I) (Instr. 4) 11. Nature of Indirect Beneficial Ownership (Instr. 4)
CodeV(A)(D)Date ExercisableExpiration DateTitleAmount or Number of Shares
Explanation of Responses:
1. The reporting person vested in 21,510 shares of common stock, of which the issuer retained 10,523 shares to satisfy the reporting person's tax obligation upon vesting of the restricted stock award. The price quoted in column 4 is the issuer's closing share price on May 28, 2026.
/s/ Jason Weintraub, Attorney-in-Fact06/01/2026
** Signature of Reporting PersonDate
Reminder: Report on a separate line for each class of securities beneficially owned directly or indirectly.
* If the form is filed by more than one reporting person, see Instruction 4 (b)(v).
** Intentional misstatements or omissions of facts constitute Federal Criminal Violations See 18 U.S.C. 1001 and 15 U.S.C. 78ff(a).
Note: File three copies of this Form, one of which must be manually signed. If space is insufficient, see Instruction 6 for procedure.
Persons who respond to the collection of information contained in this form are not required to respond unless the form displays a currently valid OMB Number.
* Form 4: SEC 1474 (03-26)

FAQ

What insider transaction did El Pollo Loco (LOCO) disclose for its CEO?

El Pollo Loco disclosed that CEO Elizabeth Goodman Williams had 10,523 common shares withheld to pay taxes on a restricted stock vesting. These shares were retained by the company, not sold on the open market, and arose from a 21,510-share restricted stock award vesting.

Was the El Pollo Loco (LOCO) CEO’s Form 4 transaction a market sale of shares?

The Form 4 does not show an open-market sale. Instead, 10,523 shares were retained by El Pollo Loco to satisfy the CEO’s tax obligation on 21,510 vested restricted shares, a standard compensation-related withholding rather than a discretionary sale into the market.

How many El Pollo Loco (LOCO) shares did the CEO hold after this Form 4 event?

After the tax-withholding disposition, CEO Elizabeth Goodman Williams directly held 248,091 shares of El Pollo Loco common stock. The Form 4 indicates this post-transaction ownership figure, showing she retains a substantial equity position following the restricted stock vesting and related tax withholding.

What triggered the tax withholding reported in El Pollo Loco (LOCO) CEO’s Form 4?

The withholding was triggered when 21,510 restricted shares of El Pollo Loco common stock vested for the CEO. To cover the resulting tax obligation, the issuer retained 10,523 of those vested shares, using the company’s May 28, 2026 closing share price as the valuation reference.

How was the share price determined for the El Pollo Loco (LOCO) CEO’s tax withholding?

The price used was $13.95 per share, which the footnote states is El Pollo Loco’s closing share price on May 28, 2026. This price was applied to the 10,523 shares retained by the issuer to satisfy the CEO’s tax obligation upon vesting.