El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. 10-K

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES Market Information Our common stock has been listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol “LOCO” since July 25, 2014. As of March 3, 2023, there were approximately 59 holders of record of our common stock. The number of holders of record is based upon the actual number of holders registered at such date and does not include holders of shares in “street name” or persons, partnerships, associates, corporations, or other entities in security position listings maintained by depositories. 27 Table of Contents Dividends In fiscal 2022, the Board of Directors declared a special cash dividends of $1.50 per share on our common stock. T he special dividend was paid on November 9, 2022, to stockholders of record, including holders of restricted stock, at the close of business on October 24, 2022. Our dividend is subject to the discretion and approval of our Board of Directors and our compliance with applicable law, and depends upon, among other things, our results of operations, financial condition, level of indebtedness, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, and other factors that our Board of Directors may deem relevant. We do not anticipate paying any such dividends for the foreseeable future. Any determination to pay dividends in the future will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will depend upon our results of operations, financial condition, restrictions imposed by applicable law and our financing agreements and other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant. Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities During the quarterly period ended December 28, 2022, we acquired shares of our common stock held by our employees to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of previously issued restricted stock. The number of shares of common stock acquired and the average price paid per share for each month in the fourth quarter ended December 28, 2022 are as shown in the table below. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Total Number of ​ Average Price ​ ​ ​ Shares Purchased ​ Paid Per Share ​ September 29, 2022 to October 26, 2022 4,590 ​ $ 10.94 October 27, 2022 to November 23, 2022 2,637 ​ $ 10.95 November 24, 2022 to December 28, 2022 — ​ $ — Total 7,227 ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ 28 Table of Contents Stock Performance Graph The following graph and table illustrate the total cumulative shareholder return for (i) our common stock, (ii) the Nasdaq Composite Total Return Index and (iii) the Standard and Poor’s Composite 1500 Restaurants Index (formerly called the S&P Supercomposite Restaurants Index), for the five years ended December 28, 2022. The graph assumes the investment of $100 at the beginning of the period (at the closing price of our common stock on December 27, 2017) and the reinvestment of all dividends. Specifically, the graph assumes that the $1.50 per share special cash dividend paid to shareholders was reinvested in 2022. Stockholder returns over the indicated period should not be considered indicative of future stockholder returns. The stock performance graph shall not be deemed soliciting material or to be filed with the SEC or subject to Regulation 14A or 14C under the Exchange Act or to the liabilities of Section 18 of the Exchange Act, nor shall it be incorporated by reference into any past or future filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) or the Exchange Act, except to the extent we specifically request that it be treated as soliciting material or specifically incorporate it by reference into a filing under the Securities Act or the Exchange Act. ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ S&P Composite ​ ​ ​ ​ ​ Nasdaq ​ 1500 Date LOCO Composite Restaurants December 27, 2017 ​ $ 100.00 ​ $ 100.00 ​ $ 100.00 December 26, 2018 ​ $ 151.00 ​ $ 94.45 ​ $ 105.35 December 24, 2019 ​ $ 150.50 ​ $ 129.02 ​ $ 129.03 December 30, 2020 ​ $ 182.10 ​ $ 185.46 ​ $ 150.33 December 29, 2021 ​ $ 140.10 ​ $ 227.20 ​ $ 181.96 December 28, 2022 ​ $ 114.60 ​ $ 147.18 ​ $ 163.07 ​ ​ ​ ITEM 6. [RESERVED] ​