EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) Fundamental Analysis & Valuation
NASDAQ:LOCO • US2686031079
11.05 USD
+0.05 (+0.45%)
At close: Mar 9, 2026
11.05 USD
0 (0%)
After Hours: 3/9/2026, 8:17:57 PM
This LOCO fundamental analysis includes valuation metrics, fair value assessment, financial health analysis, profitability trends, growth metrics and dividend sustainability analysis.
We assign a fundamental rating of 5 out of 10 to LOCO. LOCO was compared to 126 industry peers in the Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure industry. LOCO has an average financial health and profitability rating. A decent growth rate in combination with a cheap valuation! Better keep an eye on LOCO.
1. LOCO Profitability Analysis
1.1 Basic Checks
- In the past year LOCO was profitable.
- In the past year LOCO had a positive cash flow from operations.
- In the past 5 years LOCO has always been profitable.
- Each year in the past 5 years LOCO had a positive operating cash flow.
1.2 Ratios
- The Return On Assets of LOCO (4.30%) is better than 63.49% of its industry peers.
- LOCO has a Return On Equity of 9.15%. This is in the better half of the industry: LOCO outperforms 69.05% of its industry peers.
- LOCO's Return On Invested Capital of 5.65% is in line compared to the rest of the industry. LOCO outperforms 53.17% of its industry peers.
- The Average Return On Invested Capital over the past 3 years for LOCO is significantly below the industry average of 10.49%.
- The 3 year average ROIC (5.08%) for LOCO is below the current ROIC(5.65%), indicating increased profibility in the last year.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | 4.3% | ||
| ROE | 9.15% | ||
| ROIC | 5.65% |
ROA(3y)4.05%
ROA(5y)4.18%
ROE(3y)9.15%
ROE(5y)9.13%
ROIC(3y)5.08%
ROIC(5y)5.31%
1.3 Margins
- LOCO has a Profit Margin (5.39%) which is in line with its industry peers.
- In the last couple of years the Profit Margin of LOCO has remained more or less at the same level.
- With a Operating Margin value of 8.58%, LOCO perfoms like the industry average, outperforming 50.00% of the companies in the same industry.
- In the last couple of years the Operating Margin of LOCO has remained more or less at the same level.
- Looking at the Gross Margin, with a value of 53.19%, LOCO is in the better half of the industry, outperforming 61.90% of the companies in the same industry.
- LOCO's Gross Margin has been stable in the last couple of years.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| OM | 8.58% | ||
| PM (TTM) | 5.39% | ||
| GM | 53.19% |
OM growth 3Y-3.32%
OM growth 5Y0.33%
PM growth 3Y-5.35%
PM growth 5Y-0.72%
GM growth 3Y0.83%
GM growth 5Y1.16%
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.
- Compared to 1 year ago, LOCO has less shares outstanding
- Compared to 5 years ago, LOCO has less shares outstanding
- LOCO has a better debt/assets ratio than last year.
2.2 Solvency
- Based on the Altman-Z score of 1.65, we must say that LOCO is in the distress zone and has some risk of bankruptcy.
- LOCO has a Altman-Z score (1.65) which is in line with its industry peers.
- The Debt to FCF ratio of LOCO is 2.91, which is a good value as it means it would take LOCO, 2.91 years of fcf income to pay off all of its debts.
- LOCO has a better Debt to FCF ratio (2.91) than 80.95% of its industry peers.
- LOCO has a Debt/Equity ratio of 0.22. This is a healthy value indicating a solid balance between debt and equity.
- LOCO has a Debt to Equity ratio of 0.22. This is in the better half of the industry: LOCO outperforms 76.98% of its industry peers.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Equity | 0.22 | ||
| Debt/FCF | 2.91 | ||
| Altman-Z | 1.65 |
ROIC/WACC0.69
WACC8.14%
2.3 Liquidity
- LOCO has a Current Ratio of 0.41. This is a bad value and indicates that LOCO is not financially healthy enough and could expect problems in meeting its short term obligations.
- With a Current ratio value of 0.41, LOCO is not doing good in the industry: 84.92% of the companies in the same industry are doing better.
- A Quick Ratio of 0.38 indicates that LOCO may have some problems paying its short term obligations.
- Looking at the Quick ratio, with a value of 0.38, LOCO is doing worse than 82.54% of the companies in the same industry.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.41 | ||
| Quick Ratio | 0.38 |
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 10.59%, which is quite good.
- The Earnings Per Share has been growing slightly by 3.21% on average over the past years.
- The Revenue has been growing slightly by 2.09% in the past year.
- LOCO shows a small growth in Revenue. Measured over the last years, the Revenue has been growing by 1.35% yearly.
EPS 1Y (TTM)10.59%
EPS 3Y1.15%
EPS 5Y3.21%
EPS Q2Q%28.57%
Revenue 1Y (TTM)2.09%
Revenue growth 3Y1.35%
Revenue growth 5Y1.35%
Sales Q2Q%0.93%
3.2 Future
- LOCO is expected to show a small growth in Earnings Per Share. In the coming years, the EPS will grow by 6.03% yearly.
- LOCO is expected to show a small growth in Revenue. In the coming years, the Revenue will grow by 2.45% yearly.
EPS Next Y6.58%
EPS Next 2Y4.34%
EPS Next 3Y6.03%
EPS Next 5YN/A
Revenue Next Year3.59%
Revenue Next 2Y2.63%
Revenue Next 3Y2.45%
Revenue Next 5YN/A
3.3 Evolution
- The EPS growth rate is accelerating: in the next years the growth will be better than in the last years.
- When comparing the Revenue growth rate of the last years to the growth rate of the upcoming years, we see that the growth is accelerating.
4. LOCO Valuation Analysis
4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio
- With a Price/Earnings ratio of 11.76, the valuation of LOCO can be described as very reasonable.
- 84.92% of the companies in the same industry are more expensive than LOCO, based on the Price/Earnings ratio.
- LOCO's Price/Earnings ratio indicates a rather cheap valuation when compared to the S&P500 average which is at 26.46.
- A Price/Forward Earnings ratio of 11.40 indicates a reasonable valuation of LOCO.
- 83.33% of the companies in the same industry are more expensive than LOCO, based on the Price/Forward Earnings ratio.
- LOCO is valuated cheaply when we compare the Price/Forward Earnings ratio to 24.65, which is the current average of the S&P500 Index.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 11.76 | ||
| Fwd PE | 11.4 |
4.2 Price Multiples
- Based on the Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio, LOCO is valued cheaply inside the industry as 84.92% of the companies are valued more expensively.
- Based on the Price/Free Cash Flow ratio, LOCO is valued a bit cheaper than the industry average as 79.37% of the companies are valued more expensively.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| P/FCF | 15.4 | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 6.69 |
4.3 Compensation for Growth
- The PEG Ratio(NY), which compensates the Price/Earnings for growth, indicates a correct valuation of the company.
- LOCO has a very decent profitability rating, which may justify a higher PE ratio.
PEG (NY)1.79
PEG (5Y)3.66
EPS Next 2Y4.34%
EPS Next 3Y6.03%
5. LOCO Dividend Analysis
5.1 Amount
- No dividends for LOCO!.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 0% |
LOCO Fundamentals: All Metrics, Ratios and Statistics
11.05
+0.05 (+0.45%)
Chartmill FA Rating
GICS SectorConsumer Discretionary
GICS IndustryGroupConsumer Services
GICS IndustryHotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Earnings (Last)10-30 2025-10-30/amc
Earnings (Next)03-12 2026-03-12/amc
Inst Owners92.39%
Inst Owner Change1.17%
Ins Owners1.97%
Ins Owner Change0.27%
Market Cap330.95M
Revenue(TTM)480.81M
Net Income(TTM)25.90M
Analysts78.18
Price Target15.43 (39.64%)
Short Float %5.86%
Short Ratio8.46
Dividend
| Industry Rank | Sector 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)18.45%
Min EPS beat(2)13.2%
Max EPS beat(2)23.69%
EPS beat(4)3
Avg EPS beat(4)18.25%
Min EPS beat(4)-9.13%
Max EPS beat(4)45.24%
EPS beat(8)6
Avg EPS beat(8)21.17%
EPS beat(12)10
Avg EPS beat(12)18.49%
EPS beat(16)13
Avg EPS beat(16)17.2%
Revenue beat(2)0
Avg Revenue beat(2)-2.08%
Min Revenue beat(2)-3.46%
Max Revenue beat(2)-0.7%
Revenue beat(4)0
Avg Revenue beat(4)-1.58%
Min Revenue beat(4)-3.46%
Max Revenue beat(4)-0.7%
Revenue beat(8)2
Avg Revenue beat(8)-0.73%
Revenue beat(12)2
Avg Revenue beat(12)-1.27%
Revenue beat(16)3
Avg Revenue beat(16)-1.1%
PT rev (1m)0%
PT rev (3m)4.31%
EPS NQ rev (1m)0%
EPS NQ rev (3m)-4.88%
EPS NY rev (1m)0%
EPS NY rev (3m)-1.59%
Revenue NQ rev (1m)0%
Revenue NQ rev (3m)-0.95%
Revenue NY rev (1m)0%
Revenue NY rev (3m)-0.24%
Valuation
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 11.76 | ||
| Fwd PE | 11.4 | ||
| P/S | 0.69 | ||
| P/FCF | 15.4 | ||
| P/OCF | 8.32 | ||
| P/B | 1.17 | ||
| P/tB | N/A | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 6.69 |
EPS(TTM)0.94
EY8.51%
EPS(NY)0.97
Fwd EY8.77%
FCF(TTM)0.72
FCFY6.49%
OCF(TTM)1.33
OCFY12.03%
SpS16.05
BVpS9.45
TBVpS-0.92
PEG (NY)1.79
PEG (5Y)3.66
Graham Number14.14
Profitability
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| ROA | 4.3% | ||
| ROE | 9.15% | ||
| ROCE | 7.74% | ||
| ROIC | 5.65% | ||
| ROICexc | 5.77% | ||
| ROICexgc | 14.24% | ||
| OM | 8.58% | ||
| PM (TTM) | 5.39% | ||
| GM | 53.19% | ||
| FCFM | 4.47% |
ROA(3y)4.05%
ROA(5y)4.18%
ROE(3y)9.15%
ROE(5y)9.13%
ROIC(3y)5.08%
ROIC(5y)5.31%
ROICexc(3y)5.17%
ROICexc(5y)5.47%
ROICexgc(3y)13.16%
ROICexgc(5y)13.82%
ROCE(3y)6.96%
ROCE(5y)7.28%
ROICexgc growth 3Y-2.78%
ROICexgc growth 5Y4.42%
ROICexc growth 3Y-2.31%
ROICexc growth 5Y2.81%
OM growth 3Y-3.32%
OM growth 5Y0.33%
PM growth 3Y-5.35%
PM growth 5Y-0.72%
GM growth 3Y0.83%
GM growth 5Y1.16%
F-Score8
Asset Turnover0.8
Health
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Equity | 0.22 | ||
| Debt/FCF | 2.91 | ||
| Debt/EBITDA | 1.1 | ||
| Cap/Depr | 116.27% | ||
| Cap/Sales | 3.81% | ||
| Interest Coverage | 9.06 | ||
| Cash Conversion | 69.85% | ||
| Profit Quality | 82.96% | ||
| Current Ratio | 0.41 | ||
| Quick Ratio | 0.38 | ||
| Altman-Z | 1.65 |
F-Score8
WACC8.14%
ROIC/WACC0.69
Cap/Depr(3y)133.19%
Cap/Depr(5y)110.29%
Cap/Sales(3y)4.27%
Cap/Sales(5y)3.63%
Profit Quality(3y)91.05%
Profit Quality(5y)106.37%
High Growth Momentum
Growth
EPS 1Y (TTM)10.59%
EPS 3Y1.15%
EPS 5Y3.21%
EPS Q2Q%28.57%
EPS Next Y6.58%
EPS Next 2Y4.34%
EPS Next 3Y6.03%
EPS Next 5YN/A
Revenue 1Y (TTM)2.09%
Revenue growth 3Y1.35%
Revenue growth 5Y1.35%
Sales Q2Q%0.93%
Revenue Next Year3.59%
Revenue Next 2Y2.63%
Revenue Next 3Y2.45%
Revenue Next 5YN/A
EBIT growth 1Y1.36%
EBIT growth 3Y-2.01%
EBIT growth 5Y1.69%
EBIT Next Year57.75%
EBIT Next 3Y18.23%
EBIT Next 5YN/A
FCF growth 1Y-20.27%
FCF growth 3Y-7.55%
FCF growth 5Y6%
OCF growth 1Y-19.02%
OCF growth 3Y-3.53%
OCF growth 5Y5.3%
EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC / LOCO 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 7 / 10 to EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO). This can be considered as Undervalued.
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 11.76 and the Price/Book (PB) ratio is 1.17.
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%.