# El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (LOCO) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NASDAQ, United States. Sector: Consumer Cyclical / Hotels, Restaurants & Leisure. Price $15.37, market value $468 million.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 13.1×** (5-yr avg 14.0×, 3-yr avg 12.5×). El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. trades at 13.1× trailing earnings, close to its own five-year average of 14.0×. The Consumer Cyclical median in the September 2026 study was 19.5×. Forward P/E is 13.9×, higher than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to fall.
- **PEG: 2.99**. A PEG of 2.99 means the P/E is high relative to expected earnings growth; the price already assumes a lot.
- **Price / sales: 0.9×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.9×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 1.5×**. The shares trade at 1.5× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 7.4×**. Enterprise value is 7.4× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 8.8%** (5-yr avg 7.1%). Free cash flow equals 8.8% of the market value, above its five-year average of 7.1%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 7.6%**. The inverse of the P/E: 7.6% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 10.5%**. 10.5% of revenue is left after running the business.
- **Net margin: 5.4%**. 5.4% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 9.1%**. 9.1% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 12.4%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 12.4%.
- **Return on assets: 5.7%**. Each dollar of assets produces 5.7% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 3.6%** (3-yr 1.4%/yr, 5-yr 2.8%/yr). Revenue grew 3.6% over the last year, against 2.8% a year compounded over five years: growth is accelerating.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): 4.7%** (3-yr 16.4%/yr, 5-yr 5.8%/yr). Earnings per share rose 4.7%, roughly in step with revenue.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 10.9%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 10.9% a year over three years, lagging earnings: check whether profits are turning into cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.18**. Debt is 0.18 times equity: a conservative balance sheet.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 0.6×**. It would take 0.6 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 2.60**. A Z-score of 2.60 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 7/9**. 7 of 9 fundamental checks pass: strong and improving financials.

## Dividends
- **Dividend: none**. El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. does not currently pay a dividend.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): 47.9%** (YTD 46.9%, 3-mo 11.2%). The shares are up 47.9% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -11.7%** (71.1% above the low). Trading 12% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 47**. An RSI of 47 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.56** (volatility 37%). Beta of 0.56 against the S&P 500: the shares move much less than the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=LOCO · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/loco

Not investment advice.