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

NASDAQ:LOCO • US2686031079

Current stock price

13.07 USD
-0.45 (-3.33%)
At close:
12.81 USD
-0.26 (-1.99%)
After Hours:

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

  • In the past year LOCO was profitable.
  • LOCO had a positive operating cash flow in the past year.
  • In the past 5 years LOCO has always been profitable.
  • LOCO had a positive operating cash flow in each of the past 5 years.
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

  • Looking at the Return On Assets, with a value of 4.37%, LOCO is in the better half of the industry, outperforming 62.70% of the companies in the same industry.
  • LOCO's Return On Equity of 9.10% is fine compared to the rest of the industry. LOCO outperforms 66.67% of its industry peers.
  • The Return On Invested Capital of LOCO (5.77%) 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 10.92%.
  • The 3 year average ROIC (5.53%) for LOCO is below the current ROIC(5.77%), indicating increased profibility in the last year.
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 61.90% of its industry peers.
  • LOCO's Profit Margin has been stable in the last couple of years.
  • LOCO's Operating Margin of 8.66% is in line compared to the rest of the industry. LOCO outperforms 50.00% of its industry peers.
  • LOCO's Operating Margin has been stable in the last couple of years.
  • LOCO has a Gross Margin of 53.61%. This is in the better half of the industry: LOCO outperforms 61.90% of its industry peers.
  • LOCO's Gross Margin has been stable in the last couple of years.
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

  • The Return on Invested Capital (ROIC) is below the Cost of Capital (WACC), so LOCO is destroying value.
  • LOCO has more shares outstanding than it did 1 year ago.
  • The number of shares outstanding for LOCO has been reduced compared to 5 years ago.
  • The debt/assets ratio for LOCO has been reduced compared to a year ago.
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

  • Based on the Altman-Z score of 1.80, we must say that LOCO is in the distress zone and has some risk of bankruptcy.
  • Looking at the Altman-Z score, with a value of 1.80, LOCO is in line with its industry, outperforming 51.59% of the companies in the same industry.
  • The Debt to FCF ratio of LOCO is 2.07, which is a good value as it means it would take LOCO, 2.07 years of fcf income to pay off all of its debts.
  • Looking at the Debt to FCF ratio, with a value of 2.07, LOCO belongs to the top of the industry, outperforming 83.33% of the companies in the same industry.
  • LOCO has a Debt/Equity ratio of 0.18. This is a healthy value indicating a solid balance between debt and equity.
  • With a decent Debt to Equity ratio value of 0.18, LOCO is doing good in 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 1.8
ROIC/WACC0.68
WACC8.48%
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

  • LOCO has a Current 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.
  • LOCO has a Current ratio of 0.32. This is amonst the worse of the industry: LOCO underperforms 89.68% 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.
  • LOCO has a worse Quick ratio (0.30) than 88.10% of its industry peers.
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

  • LOCO shows a strong growth in Earnings Per Share. In the last year, the EPS has been growing by 11.24%, which is quite good.
  • 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 6.62% yearly.
  • The Revenue is expected to grow by 2.87% on average over the next years.
EPS Next Y0%
EPS Next 2Y6.62%
EPS Next 3YN/A
EPS Next 5YN/A
Revenue Next Year1.78%
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 accelerating.
  • The Revenue growth rate is stable: in the next years the growth will be about the same than in the last years.
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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6

4. LOCO Valuation Analysis

4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio

  • LOCO is valuated correctly with a Price/Earnings ratio of 13.20.
  • LOCO's Price/Earnings ratio is rather cheap when compared to the industry. LOCO is cheaper than 82.54% of the companies in the same industry.
  • LOCO's Price/Earnings ratio indicates a rather cheap valuation when compared to the S&P500 average which is at 26.64.
  • The Price/Forward Earnings ratio is 13.20, which indicates a correct valuation of LOCO.
  • 75.40% of the companies in the same industry are more expensive than LOCO, based on the Price/Forward Earnings ratio.
  • LOCO is valuated rather cheaply when we compare the Price/Forward Earnings ratio to 21.36, which is the current average of the S&P500 Index.
Industry RankSector Rank
PE 13.2
Fwd PE 13.2
LOCO Price Earnings VS Forward Price EarningsLOCO Price Earnings VS Forward Price Earnings ChartPrice Earnings - Forward Price Earnings PE FPE 10 20 30 40

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 cheaply inside the industry as 80.16% of the companies are valued more expensively.
Industry RankSector Rank
P/FCF 15.39
EV/EBITDA 7.73
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 high PEG Ratio(NY), which compensates the Price/Earnings for growth, indicates an expensive valuation of the company.
  • LOCO has a very decent profitability rating, which may justify a higher PE ratio.
PEG (NY)10891.67
PEG (5Y)3.03
EPS Next 2Y6.62%
EPS Next 3YN/A

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

0

5. LOCO Dividend Analysis

5.1 Amount

  • No dividends for LOCO!.
Industry RankSector Rank
Dividend Yield 0%

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LOCO Fundamentals: All Metrics, Ratios and Statistics

EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC

NASDAQ:LOCO (5/1/2026, 8:00:01 PM)

After market: 12.81 -0.26 (-1.99%)

13.07

-0.45 (-3.33%)

Chartmill FA Rating
GICS IndustryGroupConsumer Services
GICS IndustryHotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Industry Strength28.57
Industry Growth42.24
Earnings (Last)03-12
Earnings (Next)05-07
Inst Owners92.95%
Inst Owner Change0.37%
Ins Owners2.36%
Ins Owner Change1.18%
Market Cap391.58M
Revenue(TTM)490.05M
Net Income(TTM)26.49M
Analysts80
Price Target15.43 (18.06%)
Short Float %5.6%
Short Ratio5.05
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)0%
EPS NQ rev (1m)0%
EPS NQ rev (3m)2.48%
EPS NY rev (1m)2.17%
EPS NY rev (3m)1.63%
Revenue NQ rev (1m)0%
Revenue NQ rev (3m)0.35%
Revenue NY rev (1m)0.13%
Revenue NY rev (3m)0.14%
Valuation
Industry RankSector Rank
PE 13.2
Fwd PE 13.2
P/S 0.8
P/FCF 15.39
P/OCF 8.14
P/B 1.35
P/tB N/A
EV/EBITDA 7.73
EPS(TTM)0.99
EY7.57%
EPS(NY)0.99
Fwd EY7.57%
FCF(TTM)0.85
FCFY6.5%
OCF(TTM)1.6
OCFY12.28%
SpS16.36
BVpS9.72
TBVpS-0.65
PEG (NY)10891.67
PEG (5Y)3.03
Graham Number14.711 (12.56%)
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 1.8
F-Score9
WACC8.48%
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 Y0%
EPS Next 2Y6.62%
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 Year1.78%
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 Year55.66%
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.


How profitable is EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) stock?

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


How financially healthy is EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC?

The financial health rating of EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) is 4 / 10.


How sustainable is the dividend of EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) stock?

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