EL POLLO LOCO HOLDINGS INC (LOCO) Fundamental Analysis & Valuation
NASDAQ:LOCO • US2686031079
Current stock price
13.99 USD
+0.2 (+1.45%)
At close:
13.99 USD
0 (0%)
After Hours:
This LOCO fundamental analysis includes valuation metrics, fair value assessment, financial health analysis, profitability trends, growth metrics and dividend sustainability analysis.
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.
- LOCO had positive earnings in each of the past 5 years.
- Each year in the past 5 years LOCO had a positive operating cash flow.
1.2 Ratios
- LOCO has a better Return On Assets (4.37%) than 62.70% of its industry peers.
- Looking at the Return On Equity, with a value of 9.10%, LOCO is in the better half of the industry, outperforming 66.67% of the companies in the same industry.
- LOCO has a Return On Invested Capital (5.77%) which is in line with its industry peers.
- Measured over the past 3 years, the Average Return On Invested Capital for LOCO is significantly below the industry average of 10.55%.
- 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 Rank | Sector 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%
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 has a Operating Margin (8.66%) which is in line with its industry peers.
- In the last couple of years the Operating Margin of LOCO has remained more or less at the same level.
- With a decent Gross Margin value of 53.61%, LOCO is doing good in the industry, outperforming 61.90% of the companies in the same industry.
- In the last couple of years the Gross Margin of LOCO has remained more or less at the same level.
| Industry Rank | Sector 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%
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.
- Compared to 1 year ago, LOCO has an improved debt to assets ratio.
2.2 Solvency
- LOCO has an Altman-Z score of 1.82. This is not the best score and indicates that LOCO is in the grey zone with still only limited risk for bankruptcy at the moment.
- LOCO has a Altman-Z score (1.82) which is comparable to the rest of the 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.
- LOCO has a better Debt to FCF ratio (2.07) than 84.13% of its industry peers.
- A Debt/Equity ratio of 0.18 indicates that LOCO is not too dependend on debt financing.
- The Debt to Equity ratio of LOCO (0.18) is better than 76.98% of its industry peers.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Debt/Equity | 0.18 | ||
| Debt/FCF | 2.07 | ||
| Altman-Z | 1.82 |
ROIC/WACC0.68
WACC8.43%
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.
- A Quick Ratio of 0.30 indicates that LOCO may have some problems paying its short term obligations.
- LOCO has a Quick ratio of 0.30. This is amonst the worse of the industry: LOCO underperforms 88.10% of its industry peers.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.32 | ||
| Quick Ratio | 0.3 |
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.
- The Earnings Per Share has been growing slightly by 4.35% on average over the past years.
- Looking at the last year, LOCO shows a small growth in Revenue. The Revenue has grown by 3.60% in the last year.
- LOCO shows a small growth in Revenue. Measured over the last years, the Revenue has been growing by 2.84% yearly.
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.
4. LOCO Valuation Analysis
4.1 Price/Earnings Ratio
- The Price/Earnings ratio is 14.13, which indicates a correct valuation of LOCO.
- 81.75% of the companies in the same industry are more expensive than LOCO, based on the Price/Earnings ratio.
- Compared to an average S&P500 Price/Earnings ratio of 27.79, LOCO is valued a bit cheaper.
- A Price/Forward Earnings ratio of 14.13 indicates a correct valuation of LOCO.
- Based on the Price/Forward Earnings ratio, LOCO is valued a bit cheaper than the industry average as 79.37% of the companies are valued more expensively.
- LOCO's Price/Forward Earnings ratio indicates a rather cheap valuation when compared to the S&P500 average which is at 38.88.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 14.13 | ||
| Fwd PE | 14.13 |
4.2 Price Multiples
- Based on the Enterprise Value to EBITDA ratio, LOCO is valued cheaper than 81.75% of the companies in the same industry.
- Based on the Price/Free Cash Flow ratio, LOCO is valued cheaply inside the industry as 80.95% of the companies are valued more expensively.
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| P/FCF | 16.47 | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 7.86 |
4.3 Compensation for Growth
- The high PEG Ratio(NY), which compensates the Price/Earnings for growth, indicates an expensive valuation of the company.
- The decent profitability rating of LOCO may justify a higher PE ratio.
PEG (NY)11658.33
PEG (5Y)3.25
EPS Next 2Y6.62%
EPS Next 3YN/A
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
13.99
+0.2 (+1.45%)
Chartmill FA Rating
GICS SectorConsumer Discretionary
GICS IndustryGroupConsumer Services
GICS IndustryHotels, Restaurants & Leisure
Earnings (Last)03-12 2026-03-12/amc
Earnings (Next)04-30 2026-04-30
Inst Owners92.95%
Inst Owner Change-0.06%
Ins Owners2.36%
Ins Owner Change1.18%
Market Cap419.14M
Revenue(TTM)490.05M
Net Income(TTM)26.49M
Analysts80
Price Target15.43 (10.29%)
Short Float %6%
Short Ratio5.42
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)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)1.19%
EPS NQ rev (3m)11.31%
EPS NY rev (1m)2.17%
EPS NY rev (3m)4.37%
Revenue NQ rev (1m)0.03%
Revenue NQ rev (3m)0.35%
Revenue NY rev (1m)0.13%
Revenue NY rev (3m)0.14%
Valuation
| Industry Rank | Sector Rank | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| PE | 14.13 | ||
| Fwd PE | 14.13 | ||
| P/S | 0.86 | ||
| P/FCF | 16.47 | ||
| P/OCF | 8.72 | ||
| P/B | 1.44 | ||
| P/tB | N/A | ||
| EV/EBITDA | 7.86 |
EPS(TTM)0.99
EY7.08%
EPS(NY)0.99
Fwd EY7.08%
FCF(TTM)0.85
FCFY6.07%
OCF(TTM)1.6
OCFY11.47%
SpS16.36
BVpS9.72
TBVpS-0.65
PEG (NY)11658.33
PEG (5Y)3.25
Graham Number14.711 (5.15%)
Profitability
| Industry Rank | Sector 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 Rank | Sector 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
WACC8.43%
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%.