El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) Stock Fundamentals, Analysis & Risk Signals

Health score, price, valuation, risk signals, and key metrics at a glance.

El Pollo Loco Holdings

NasdaqGS•Consumer Cyclical•Restaurants

$15.18+0.12(0.01%)Pre-market

Market Cap

$425.70M

P/E

12.2x

P/S

0.9x

P/B

1.3x

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., through its subsidiary, El Pollo Loco, Inc., develops, franchises, licenses, and operates quick-service restaurants under the El Pollo Loco name. The company operates and franchises restaurants located in California, Nevada, Arizona, Texas, Colorado, Utah, Louisiana, New Mexico, and Washington. It also licenses its brand to restaurants in the Philippines. The company was formerly known as Chicken Acquisition Corp. and changed its name to El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. in April 2014. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1975 and is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.

How this company scores

ExcellentMetricSide Score: 86/100

Strongest: Cash & Earnings Quality (25/25); weakest: Growth (18/25).

Profitability21/25

Growth18/25

Balance Sheet & Red Flags22/25

Cash & Earnings Quality25/25

Strengths

Rising free cash flowRising earningsLow leverageInterest easily covered

Valuation vs. 5-year range

Today's multiple positioned against its own trailing range — a visual premium/discount check.

P/E · 12.2x5y range 11.2x – 24.3x

Currently below its 20-quarter median.

P/S · 0.9x5y range 0.6x – 1.1x

Currently near its 20-quarter median.

P/B · 1.3x5y range 1.0x – 1.8x

Watch items

Data-driven signals worth keeping an eye on across the last 8 quarters

Some Concerns

Earnings Quality

Watch

FCF/Net Income has dropped below 0.7x in 3 quarters — monitor for earnings quality deterioration.

Price & Volume

Market Cap $425.70M

Metrics at a Glance

as of July 2026

Revenue & Profit

Revenue, EBITDA, operating income, net income, EPS, and shares

TTM Revenue: $500.79M
Q. Revenue: $129.57M
TTM EBITDA: $69.30M
TTM Op. Income: $52.67M
Q. Op. Income: $18.68M
TTM Net Income: $34.86M
Q. Net Income: $12.81M
EPS: $0.43
Shares Out.: $29.73M

$500.79M in TTM revenue grew 4.4% YoY, reaching $129.57M last quarter. TTM EBITDA of $69.30M and TTM operating income of $52.67M show growth is flowing through to the bottom line. TTM net income of $34.86M means revenue is converting into profit. Across the last 8 quarters, TTM revenue has risen for 7 consecutive quarters — an improving trend.

Margins

Gross, EBITDA, operating, and net margin trends

EBITDA Margin: 17.6%
Op. Margin: 14.4%
Net Margin: 9.9%

Op. margin of 14.4% is up 5.4% YoY — cost efficiency is improving. Net margin at 9.9% Across the last 8 quarters, operating margin has risen for 2 consecutive quarters — an improving trend.

Price Ratios

P/E, P/S, P/B, EV/EBITDA, FCF yield, and earnings yield

P/E Ratio: 12.2x
P/S Ratio: 0.9x
P/B Ratio: 1.3x

At 12.2x P/E, the stock trades below typical market levels. P/S of 0.9x and P/B of 1.3x provide additional context. Use the growth and margin sections to judge whether the multiple is justified. Over the past year, P/E is down 6% — an improving trend.

Assets & Liabilities

Total assets, cash, debt, book value, and leverage

Total Assets: $618.79M
Cash: $13.28M
Long-Term Debt: $30.00M
Book Value: $317.04M
D/E Ratio: 0.1
Debt/EBITDA: 1.3

With $618.79M in assets and $30.00M in long-term debt, D/E is 0.1and book value is $317.04M — a conservative capital structure with a cushion to weather downturns. Across the last 8 quarters, debt/equity has fallen for 5 consecutive quarters — an improving trend.

Cash Flow

Operating cash flow, free cash flow, FCF margin, and earnings quality

Op. Cash Flow: $31.73M
TTM Free Cash Flow: $41.01M
FCF Margin: 8.2%
FCF / Net Income: 1.2

TTM FCF of $41.01M on $31.73M in operating cash flow. The FCF / Net Income ratio of 1.2x means free cash flow covers net income — earnings are backed by cash. Across the last 8 quarters, free cash flow has risen for 4 consecutive quarters — an improving trend.