El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) — Stock Score Summary

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) has a MoatMap StockRank of 83/100 based on Quality (44/100), Value (50/100), and Momentum (72/100) factor scores. The current signal is STRONG BUY. El Pollo Loco is a regional consumer cyclical with limited national scale and lacks the global tenbagger potential or structural moat required by our investment lenses.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. operates and franchises quick-service restaurants specializing in fire-grilled, citrus-marinated chicken. The company offers a distinctive menu focused on healthier, freshly prepared Mexican-inspired food in the competitive fast-casual segment. El Pollo Loco is a niche restaurant chain with a unique product offering and regional concentration in the Southwestern US.

Key Financial Metrics

Price$13.88
Market Cap$425M
P/E (TTM)14.12
P/E (Forward)12.77
Price/Book1.39
Return on Equity10.3%
Return on Invested Capital8.0%
Debt/Equity77.02
Gross Margin22.9%
Operating Margin9.8%
Revenue Growth5.9%
Free Cash Flow$25M

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. operates in the Restaurants industry, part of the Consumer Cyclical sector (United States).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.’s (LOCO) StockRank?
MoatMap’s StockRank for El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) is 83/100, with a Strong Buy signal. It is a composite of Quality (44), Value (50), and Momentum (72) factor ranks across MoatMap’s 19,000+ stock universe.
Does El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. have an economic moat?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) has a Quality factor score of 44/100. The Quality factor combines ROIC, Piotroski F-Score, and leverage — the financial fingerprints of a durable competitive advantage. A Quality score above 70 typically indicates a company with the characteristics of a moated business.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. a buy, hold, or sell?
MoatMap’s current signal for El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) is Strong Buy, based on a StockRank of 83/100. Signals are derived mechanically from the StockRank composite and should be one input among many — combine with your own thesis on management, competitive position, and valuation.
What sector is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. in?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector, specifically the Restaurants industry (United States).
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