EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) Fundamental Analysis & Valuation

NASDAQ:LOCO • US2686031079

Current stock price

13.81 USD
-0.31 (-2.2%)
At close:
13.88 USD
+0.07 (+0.51%)
Pre-Market:

This LOCO fundamental analysis includes valuation metrics, fair value assessment, financial health analysis, profitability trends, growth metrics and dividend sustainability analysis.

6

1. LOCO Profitability Analysis

1.1 Basic Checks

  • LOCO had positive earnings in the past year.
  • In the past year LOCO had a positive cash flow from operations.
  • In the past 5 years LOCO has always been profitable.
  • In the past 5 years LOCO always reported a positive cash flow from operatings.
LOCO Yearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCFLOCO Yearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCFYearly Net Income VS EBIT VS OCF VS FCF 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 20M 40M

1.2 Ratios

  • The Return On Assets of LOCO (4.37%) is better than 63.49% of its industry peers.
  • LOCO has a Return On Equity of 9.10%. This is in the better half of the industry: LOCO outperforms 67.46% of its industry peers.
  • LOCO has a Return On Invested Capital (5.77%) which is comparable to the rest of the industry.
  • LOCO had an Average Return On Invested Capital over the past 3 years of 5.53%. This is significantly below the industry average of 10.68%.
  • The last Return On Invested Capital (5.77%) for LOCO is above the 3 year average (5.53%), which is a sign of increasing profitability.
Industry RankSector Rank
ROA 4.37%
ROE 9.1%
ROIC 5.77%
ROA(3y)4.34%
ROA(5y)4.25%
ROE(3y)9.72%
ROE(5y)9.18%
ROIC(3y)5.53%
ROIC(5y)5.33%
LOCO Yearly ROA, ROE, ROICLOCO Yearly ROA, ROE, ROICYearly ROA, ROE, ROIC 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 2 -2 4 6 8 10

1.3 Margins

  • The Profit Margin of LOCO (5.40%) is better than 61.11% of its industry peers.
  • In the last couple of years the Profit Margin of LOCO has remained more or less at the same level.
  • LOCO's Operating Margin of 8.66% is in line compared to the rest of the industry. LOCO outperforms 50.79% of its industry peers.
  • In the last couple of years the Operating Margin of LOCO has remained more or less at the same level.
  • LOCO has a better Gross Margin (53.61%) than 61.90% of its industry peers.
  • In the last couple of years the Gross Margin of LOCO has remained more or less at the same level.
Industry RankSector Rank
OM 8.66%
PM (TTM) 5.4%
GM 53.61%
OM growth 3Y10.11%
OM growth 5Y-1.14%
PM growth 3Y6.89%
PM growth 5Y-1.23%
GM growth 3Y4.4%
GM growth 5Y1.42%
LOCO Yearly Profit, Operating, Gross MarginsLOCO Yearly Profit, Operating, Gross MarginsYearly Profit, Operating, Gross Margins 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 0 10 20 30 40 50

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4

2. LOCO Health Analysis

2.1 Basic Checks

  • With a Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) below the Cost of Capital (WACC), LOCO is destroying value.
  • The number of shares outstanding for LOCO has been increased compared to 1 year ago.
  • Compared to 5 years ago, LOCO has less shares outstanding
  • Compared to 1 year ago, LOCO has an improved debt to assets ratio.
LOCO Yearly Shares OutstandingLOCO Yearly Shares OutstandingYearly Shares Outstanding 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 10M 20M 30M
LOCO Yearly Total Debt VS Total AssetsLOCO Yearly Total Debt VS Total AssetsYearly Total Debt VS Total Assets 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 200M 400M 600M

2.2 Solvency

  • An Altman-Z score of 1.82 indicates that LOCO is not a great score, but indicates only limited risk for bankruptcy at the moment.
  • LOCO's Altman-Z score of 1.82 is in line compared to the rest of the industry. LOCO outperforms 53.17% of its industry peers.
  • LOCO has a debt to FCF ratio of 2.07. This is a good value and a sign of high solvency as LOCO would need 2.07 years to pay back of all of its debts.
  • LOCO has a Debt to FCF ratio of 2.07. This is amongst the best in the industry. LOCO outperforms 83.33% of its industry peers.
  • A Debt/Equity ratio of 0.18 indicates that LOCO is not too dependend on debt financing.
  • Looking at the Debt to Equity ratio, with a value of 0.18, LOCO is in the better half of the industry, outperforming 76.98% of the companies in the same industry.
Industry RankSector Rank
Debt/Equity 0.18
Debt/FCF 2.07
Altman-Z 1.82
ROIC/WACC0.68
WACC8.54%
LOCO Yearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCFLOCO Yearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCFYearly LT Debt VS Equity VS FCF 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 100M 200M 300M

2.3 Liquidity

  • A Current Ratio of 0.32 indicates that LOCO may have some problems paying its short term obligations.
  • The Current ratio of LOCO (0.32) is worse than 90.48% of its industry peers.
  • LOCO has a Quick Ratio of 0.32. This is a bad value and indicates that LOCO is not financially healthy enough and could expect problems in meeting its short term obligations.
  • Looking at the Quick ratio, with a value of 0.30, LOCO is doing worse than 88.10% of the companies in the same industry.
Industry RankSector Rank
Current Ratio 0.32
Quick Ratio 0.3
LOCO Yearly Current Assets VS Current LiabilitesLOCO Yearly Current Assets VS Current LiabilitesYearly Current Assets VS Current Liabilites 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 20M 40M 60M 80M

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WACCDebt/EquityHow to determine the health of a companyAltman-Z scoreShow peers with great health

4

3. LOCO Growth Analysis

3.1 Past

  • The Earnings Per Share has grown by an nice 11.24% over the past year.
  • LOCO shows a small growth in Earnings Per Share. Measured over the last years, the EPS has been growing by 4.35% yearly.
  • The Revenue has been growing slightly by 3.60% in the past year.
  • The Revenue has been growing slightly by 2.84% on average over the past years.
EPS 1Y (TTM)11.24%
EPS 3Y19.51%
EPS 5Y4.35%
EPS Q2Q%25%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)3.6%
Revenue growth 3Y1.4%
Revenue growth 5Y2.84%
Sales Q2Q%8.08%

3.2 Future

  • LOCO is expected to show a small growth in Earnings Per Share. In the coming years, the EPS will grow by 3.51% yearly.
  • Based on estimates for the next years, LOCO will show a small growth in Revenue. The Revenue will grow by 2.87% on average per year.
EPS Next Y-2.12%
EPS Next 2Y3.51%
EPS Next 3YN/A
EPS Next 5YN/A
Revenue Next Year1.65%
Revenue Next 2Y2.87%
Revenue Next 3YN/A
Revenue Next 5YN/A

3.3 Evolution

  • When comparing the EPS growth rate of the last years to the growth rate of the upcoming years, we see that the growth is stable.
  • When comparing the Revenue growth rate of the last years to the growth rate of the upcoming years, we see that the growth is stable.
LOCO Yearly Revenue VS EstimatesLOCO Yearly Revenue VS EstimatesYearly Revenue VS Estimates 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 100M 200M 300M 400M 500M
LOCO Yearly EPS VS EstimatesLOCO Yearly EPS VS EstimatesYearly EPS VS Estimates 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1

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5

4. LOCO Valuation Analysis

4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio

  • A Price/Earnings ratio of 13.95 indicates a correct valuation of LOCO.
  • Compared to the rest of the industry, the Price/Earnings ratio of LOCO indicates a somewhat cheap valuation: LOCO is cheaper than 79.37% of the companies listed in the same industry.
  • Compared to an average S&P500 Price/Earnings ratio of 24.89, LOCO is valued a bit cheaper.
  • With a Price/Forward Earnings ratio of 14.25, LOCO is valued correctly.
  • LOCO's Price/Forward Earnings ratio is a bit cheaper when compared to the industry. LOCO is cheaper than 73.02% of the companies in the same industry.
  • Compared to an average S&P500 Price/Forward Earnings ratio of 22.19, LOCO is valued a bit cheaper.
Industry RankSector Rank
PE 13.95
Fwd PE 14.25
LOCO Price Earnings VS Forward Price EarningsLOCO Price Earnings VS Forward Price Earnings ChartPrice Earnings - Forward Price Earnings PE FPE 10 20 30

4.2 Price Multiples

  • Based on the Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio, LOCO is valued cheaper than 80.95% of the companies in the same industry.
  • Based on the Price/Free Cash Flow ratio, LOCO is valued a bit cheaper than 78.57% of the companies in the same industry.
Industry RankSector Rank
P/FCF 16.26
EV/EBITDA 7.88
LOCO Per share dataLOCO EPS, Sales, OCF, FCF, BookValue per sharePer Share Data Per Share 0 5 10 15

4.3 Compensation for Growth

  • The decent profitability rating of LOCO may justify a higher PE ratio.
PEG (NY)N/A
PEG (5Y)3.2
EPS Next 2Y3.51%
EPS Next 3YN/A

More info and screens

Price/EarningsPrice/FCFFCF per shareEV/EBITDAPEG RATIOShow best valued peers

0

5. LOCO Dividend Analysis

5.1 Amount

  • LOCO does not give a dividend.
Industry RankSector Rank
Dividend Yield 0%

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LOCO Fundamentals: All Metrics, Ratios and Statistics

EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC

NASDAQ:LOCO (3/27/2026, 8:00:00 PM)

Premarket: 13.88 +0.07 (+0.51%)

13.81

-0.31 (-2.2%)

Chartmill FA Rating
GICS IndustryGroupConsumer Services
GICS IndustryHotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Earnings (Last)03-12
Earnings (Next)04-29
Inst Owners92.39%
Inst Owner Change1.41%
Ins Owners1.97%
Ins Owner Change1.18%
Market Cap413.75M
Revenue(TTM)490.05M
Net Income(TTM)26.49M
Analysts78.18
Price Target15.43 (11.73%)
Short Float %5.99%
Short Ratio7.2
Dividend
Industry RankSector Rank
Dividend Yield 0%
Yearly DividendN/A
Dividend Growth(5Y)N/A
DP0%
Div Incr Years0
Div Non Decr Years0
Ex-DateN/A
Surprises & Revisions
EPS beat(2)2
Avg EPS beat(2)24.37%
Min EPS beat(2)23.69%
Max EPS beat(2)25.05%
EPS beat(4)3
Avg EPS beat(4)13.2%
Min EPS beat(4)-9.13%
Max EPS beat(4)25.05%
EPS beat(8)7
Avg EPS beat(8)24.73%
EPS beat(12)10
Avg EPS beat(12)19.3%
EPS beat(16)13
Avg EPS beat(16)16.62%
Revenue beat(2)0
Avg Revenue beat(2)-2.34%
Min Revenue beat(2)-3.46%
Max Revenue beat(2)-1.21%
Revenue beat(4)0
Avg Revenue beat(4)-1.63%
Min Revenue beat(4)-3.46%
Max Revenue beat(4)-0.7%
Revenue beat(8)1
Avg Revenue beat(8)-1%
Revenue beat(12)2
Avg Revenue beat(12)-1.25%
Revenue beat(16)3
Avg Revenue beat(16)-1.07%
PT rev (1m)0%
PT rev (3m)1.68%
EPS NQ rev (1m)4.13%
EPS NQ rev (3m)11.31%
EPS NY rev (1m)0%
EPS NY rev (3m)2.15%
Revenue NQ rev (1m)0.63%
Revenue NQ rev (3m)0.35%
Revenue NY rev (1m)0.01%
Revenue NY rev (3m)0.02%
Valuation
Industry RankSector Rank
PE 13.95
Fwd PE 14.25
P/S 0.84
P/FCF 16.26
P/OCF 8.61
P/B 1.42
P/tB N/A
EV/EBITDA 7.88
EPS(TTM)0.99
EY7.17%
EPS(NY)0.97
Fwd EY7.02%
FCF(TTM)0.85
FCFY6.15%
OCF(TTM)1.6
OCFY11.62%
SpS16.36
BVpS9.72
TBVpS-0.65
PEG (NY)N/A
PEG (5Y)3.2
Graham Number14.71
Profitability
Industry RankSector Rank
ROA 4.37%
ROE 9.1%
ROCE 8.05%
ROIC 5.77%
ROICexc 5.83%
ROICexgc 14.43%
OM 8.66%
PM (TTM) 5.4%
GM 53.61%
FCFM 5.19%
ROA(3y)4.34%
ROA(5y)4.25%
ROE(3y)9.72%
ROE(5y)9.18%
ROIC(3y)5.53%
ROIC(5y)5.33%
ROICexc(3y)5.59%
ROICexc(5y)5.46%
ROICexgc(3y)14.03%
ROICexgc(5y)13.84%
ROCE(3y)7.72%
ROCE(5y)7.44%
ROICexgc growth 3Y9.28%
ROICexgc growth 5Y2.07%
ROICexc growth 3Y10.71%
ROICexc growth 5Y1.83%
OM growth 3Y10.11%
OM growth 5Y-1.14%
PM growth 3Y6.89%
PM growth 5Y-1.23%
GM growth 3Y4.4%
GM growth 5Y1.42%
F-Score9
Asset Turnover0.81
Health
Industry RankSector Rank
Debt/Equity 0.18
Debt/FCF 2.07
Debt/EBITDA 0.9
Cap/Depr 141.77%
Cap/Sales 4.62%
Interest Coverage 9.69
Cash Conversion 82.29%
Profit Quality 96.05%
Current Ratio 0.32
Quick Ratio 0.3
Altman-Z 1.82
F-Score9
WACC8.54%
ROIC/WACC0.68
Cap/Depr(3y)134.4%
Cap/Depr(5y)130.72%
Cap/Sales(3y)4.4%
Cap/Sales(5y)4.24%
Profit Quality(3y)93.22%
Profit Quality(5y)97.94%
High Growth Momentum
Growth
EPS 1Y (TTM)11.24%
EPS 3Y19.51%
EPS 5Y4.35%
EPS Q2Q%25%
EPS Next Y-2.12%
EPS Next 2Y3.51%
EPS Next 3YN/A
EPS Next 5YN/A
Revenue 1Y (TTM)3.6%
Revenue growth 3Y1.4%
Revenue growth 5Y2.84%
Sales Q2Q%8.08%
Revenue Next Year1.65%
Revenue Next 2Y2.87%
Revenue Next 3YN/A
Revenue Next 5YN/A
EBIT growth 1Y1.42%
EBIT growth 3Y11.66%
EBIT growth 5Y1.66%
EBIT Next Year52.4%
EBIT Next 3YN/A
EBIT Next 5YN/A
FCF growth 1Y-8.16%
FCF growth 3Y10.94%
FCF growth 5Y-5.56%
OCF growth 1Y2.77%
OCF growth 3Y7.64%
OCF growth 5Y3.46%

EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC / LOCO Fundamental Analysis FAQ

What is the ChartMill fundamental rating of EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) stock?

ChartMill assigns a fundamental rating of 5 / 10 to LOCO.


What is the valuation status of EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) stock?

ChartMill assigns a valuation rating of 6 / 10 to EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO). This can be considered as Fairly Valued.


What is the profitability of LOCO stock?

EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) has a profitability rating of 6 / 10.


Can you provide the PE and PB ratios for LOCO stock?

The Price/Earnings (PE) ratio for EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) is 13.95 and the Price/Book (PB) ratio is 1.42.


Can you provide the dividend sustainability for LOCO stock?

The dividend rating of EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) is 0 / 10 and the dividend payout ratio is 0%.