El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) Stock Price & Analysis
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) is trading at USD 15.35, up 2.27% today, as of October 29, 2026 at 13:47 UTC (US market open; quotes may be delayed), according to Nexqual market data.
LOCO last closed at USD 15.01; today's session has ranged USD 15.04–15.35 on volume of 5,727 shares. Market capitalization is $467.15M, with a 52-week range of USD 8.99–17.4 (NMS). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/LOCO.md
Key facts (LOCO)
- Last four reported quarters (through Jul 1, 2026): revenue $501M, net income $34.9M (7.0% margin), free cash flow $41.0M (SEC filings).
- Valuation: P/E 13.4x (avg 12.3x at the last 3 fiscal year-ends), EV/EBITDA 7.0x, net debt $16.7M.
- 2 of 80 tracked superinvestors hold LOCO (13F, Q2 2026): 0 new, 2 added, 0 reduced, 0 unchanged.
- Insider open-market sales, last ~7 months: 9 Form 4 filings, $10.0M; 9 not under a Rule 10b5-1 plan ($10.0M); 0 by opportunistic insiders, 0 by routine insiders (three-year test, Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski 2012).
- Analysts: Buy (mean 2.29 on a 1–5 scale) (7 analysts), mean target USD 20.58 (range 17–22.5).
- Total return with dividends: 1Y +61.4% vs S&P 500 +12.9%; 5Y +20.6% vs S&P 500 +78.7%.
- Next earnings: 2026-11-05, EPS estimate USD 0.24, revenue estimate $127M.
Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters) (LOCO)
| USD | FY2021 | FY2022 | FY2023 | FY2024 | FY2025 | TTM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $454M | $470M | $469M | $473M | $490M | $501M |
| Operating income | $41.3M | $30.1M | $39.8M | $41.2M | $42.0M | $52.7M |
| Net income | $29.1M | $20.8M | $25.6M | $25.7M | $26.5M | $34.9M |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.80 | $0.57 | $0.74 | $0.86 | $0.90 | — |
| Free cash flow | $35.1M | $18.6M | $19.4M | $27.7M | $25.4M | $41.0M |
| Operating margin | 9.1% | 6.4% | 8.5% | 8.7% | 8.6% | 10.5% |
| Net margin | 6.4% | 4.4% | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 7.0% |
| Revenue growth | +6.6% | +3.4% | -0.3% | +0.9% | +3.6% | — |
| Cash + short-term investments | $30.0M | $20.5M | $7.3M | $2.5M | $6.2M | — |
| Total debt | $40.0M | $66.0M | $84.0M | $71.0M | $51.0M | — |
Fiscal years end Dec. EPS is split-adjusted.
Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Jul 1, 2026) (LOCO)
P/E 13.4x · P/S 0.9x · EV/EBITDA 7.0x · EV/Sales 1.0x · P/FCF 11.4x · P/B 1.5x · FCF yield 8.78% · Earnings yield 7.46% · Net debt $16.7M · EV $484M
P/E at fiscal year-ends: Dec 2025 11.6x, Dec 2024 13.5x, Dec 2023 11.9x.
Superinvestors (SEC 13F-HR, Q2 2026) (LOCO)
2 of 80 tracked investors hold LOCO. Each row is the investor's latest 13F; change is vs their prior-quarter share count.
| Investor | Firm | % of portfolio | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| First Eagle Investment | First Eagle Investment Management | 0.03% | $16.9M | Added +73.1% |
| Polen Capital | Polen Capital Management | 0.01% | $787K | Added +253.5% |
Insider sales (SEC Form 4, open-market, last ~7 months) (LOCO)
0 of 9 under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan (scheduled in advance). Unplanned sales were timed by the insider.
| Trade date | Insider | Role | Shares | Value | % of holdings sold | 10b5-1 plan | Insider type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-10-16 | Biglari, Sardar | 25,556 | $422K | 0.7% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-08-07 | Biglari, Sardar | 1,100 | $19K | 0% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-08-03…2026-08-05 | Biglari, Sardar | 100,000 | $1.7M | 2.5% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-07-29…2026-07-30 | Biglari, Sardar | 7,157 | $120K | 0.2% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-07-17 | Biglari, Sardar | 11,000 | $184K | 0.3% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-07-14…2026-07-16 | Biglari, Sardar | 10,493 | $175K | 0.3% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-07-13 | Biglari, Sardar | 75,000 | $1.3M | 1.8% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-07-01…2026-07-02 | Biglari, Sardar | 141,946 | $2.4M | 3.3% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) | |
| 2026-06-26…2026-06-30 | Biglari, Sardar | 222,600 | $3.7M | 5% | No | Too little history (no open-market trades in 2025) |
% of holdings sold = shares sold ÷ (shares sold + all holdings the insider reported on that Form 4, direct and through trusts).
Insider type follows Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski (Journal of Finance, 2012). An insider who traded the stock in the same calendar month in each of the past three years is a routine trader; one who traded in each of those years without such a pattern is an opportunistic trader. In their study, trades by opportunistic insiders predicted future returns and trades by routine insiders did not. Counts open-market purchases and sales only (SEC Form 4 codes P and S) by that insider in that company. Not investment advice.
Analysts (LOCO)
Consensus Buy (mean 2.29 on a 1–5 scale), 7 analysts; mean target USD 20.58 (low 17, high 22.5).
Rating changes, last 120 days:
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Price target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-10 | DA Davidson | Target raised | Neutral | $15 → $17 |
| 2026-08-07 | Benchmark | Target raised | Buy | $18 → $21 |
Total return (dividends reinvested) (LOCO)
| 1Y (from 2025-10-29) | 5Y (from 2021-10-25) | |
|---|---|---|
| Total return | +61.4% | +20.6% |
| S&P 500 (SPY) | +12.9% | +78.7% |
| Per year | +61.5% | +3.8% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 36.7% | 33.3% |
| Max drawdown | -18.1% (Jul 2026→Sep 2026) | -44.2% (Nov 2021→Sep 2022) |
LOCO earnings history and stock reaction
| Results filed | Quarter | EPS | Consensus | Surprise | Stock reaction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | Quarter ended Jun 30, 2026 | $0.30 | $0.28 | Beat +7.1% | — |
| — | Quarter ended Mar 31, 2026 | $0.28 | $0.22 | Beat +27.3% | — |
| — | Quarter ended Dec 31, 2025 | $0.25 | $0.20 | Beat +25.0% | — |
| — | Quarter ended Sep 30, 2025 | $0.27 | $0.21 | Beat +28.6% | — |
EPS as reported against the analyst consensus before the release; surprise uses the cent-rounded figures shown (in dollars when EPS and consensus have opposite signs). Stock reaction = close before the results to close after (the first close following a release after the bell or before the open).
LOCO recent SEC filings (last 120 days)
| Filed | Form | What it says |
|---|---|---|
| Sep 25, 2026 | 8-K | Director or executive officer change, or pay arrangement “On September 21, 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") announced the appointment of Damon Thomas as Chief Operating Officer of the Company, effective September 21, 2026. He will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Elizabeth "Liz" Williams. Mr. Thomas, age 49, previously served as Senior Vice President, Operations at Shake Shack Enterprises, where he worked from August 2023 to September 2026. From June 2022 to August 2023, Mr. Thomas served as Vice President, Operations at Yoshinoya America.…” |
| Aug 7, 2026 | 10-Q | Quarterly report · period ended Jul 1, 2026 |
| Aug 6, 2026 | 8-K | Quarterly results |
| Jul 2, 2026 | Schedule 13D/A | BIGLARI, SARDAR, BIGLARI CAPITAL CORP.: 13.5% of shares, 5%+ holder that may seek to influence the company (amended) |
Source: SEC EDGAR. Quotes are the opening words of each item as filed; each form links to the filing. Insider Form 4 filings are listed in the insider sections.
LOCO suppliers, customers and competitors (named in its 10-K)
| Relationship | Company | Sentence in the filing |
|---|---|---|
| Customer | Apple (AAPL) | “Customers access the program on elpolloloco.com and the El Pollo Loco iOS Apple and Android app.” |
| Partner | Uber (UBER) | “We currently have partnerships with DoorDash, Postmates, Uber Eats, and Grubhub.” |
Quoted from the company's 10-K filed Mar 13, 2026.
LOCO analyst estimates and revisions
| Period | EPS estimate | 90 days ago | Change | Revenue estimate | Analysts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current quarter (ends Sep 2026) | $0.24 | $0.24 | -2.1% | $127.0M | 6 |
| Next quarter (ends Dec 2026) | $0.18 | $0.17 | +1.0% | $121.3M | 6 |
| Current fiscal year (ends Dec 2026) | $1.03 | $0.97 | +5.5% | $504.1M | 6 |
| Next fiscal year (ends Dec 2027) | $1.11 | $1.08 | +2.5% | $525.2M | 6 |
Key Statistics (as of October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC)
| Price | USD 15.35 |
|---|---|
| Change | ▲ 2.27% (up) |
| Previous Close | USD 15.01 |
| Open | USD 15.13 |
| Day Range | USD 15.04 – 15.35 |
| 52-Week Range | USD 8.99 – 17.4 |
| Volume | 5,727 shares |
| Market Cap | $467.15M |
| Exchange | NMS |
Technical Analysis (LOCO)
Nexqual's technical model rates LOCO "STRONG BUY" based on 5 bullish and 0 bearish signals across 128 daily candles, as of October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
| Overall Signal | STRONG BUY |
|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 52.33 (neutral) |
| vs SMA50 | Above (USD 15) |
| MACD | 0.03 (positive) |
Analyst Ratings (LOCO)
Wall Street analysts rate LOCO "Buy" based on 7 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 20.58 (range USD 17–22.5), per Nexqual as of October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
| Consensus Rating | Buy |
|---|---|
| Analyst Count | 7 |
| Mean Target | USD 20.58 |
| High Target | USD 22.5 |
| Low Target | USD 17 |
| Buy / Hold / Sell | 5 / 2 / 0 |
Earnings (LOCO)
| Next Earnings Date | 2026-11-05 |
|---|---|
| EPS Estimate | USD 0.24 |
| Revenue Estimate | $127.03M |
Recent Earnings History
| Quarter | Actual vs Estimate |
|---|---|
| 2026-06-30 | USD 0.3 vs est 0.28 ▲ beat |
| 2026-03-31 | USD 0.28 vs est 0.22 ▲ beat |
| 2025-12-31 | USD 0.25 vs est 0.2 ▲ beat |
| 2025-09-30 | USD 0.27 vs est 0.21 ▲ beat |
Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
Financials & Fundamentals (LOCO)
| Total Revenue | $500.79M |
|---|---|
| Revenue Growth (latest quarter, YoY) | +3.00% |
| Gross Margin | +23.10% |
| Operating Margin | +9.94% |
| Profit Margin | +6.96% |
| ROE | +11.79% |
| Debt / Equity | 0.69 |
| Current Ratio | 0.41 |
| Total Cash | $13.28M |
| Total Debt | $219.40M |
| Free Cash Flow (last four quarters to Jul 2026, SEC 10-Q / 10-K) | $41.01M (8.2% of revenue) |
Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
Financial Health Score (LOCO)
Nexqual rates El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s overall financial health "Mixed" across five dimensions, as of October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
| Growth | Mixed — Revenue +3.6% YoY (annual), slow |
|---|---|
| Profitability | Mixed — Gross margin 23%, operating 11% (last 12 months) |
| Balance Sheet | Mixed — $13M cash and investments vs $30M debt (Jul 2026, SEC) |
| Cash Flow | Solid — FCF $41M (last 4 quarters to Jul 2026, SEC), 8% margin |
| Efficiency | Mixed — ROE 11%, ROA 5.6% (last 4 quarters, SEC) |
Ownership (LOCO)
| Insider Ownership | +2.45% |
|---|---|
| Institutional Ownership | +99.31% |
| Shares Outstanding | 30.43M |
| Float | 25.66M |
| Short % of Float | +7.14% |
Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
Leadership (LOCO)
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is led by Elizabeth Goodwin Williams, CEO & Director, per Nexqual as of October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
| CEO & Director | Elizabeth Goodwin Williams |
|---|---|
| Chief Financial Officer | Ira M. Fils |
| Chief Operating Officer | Damon Thomas |
| Chief Technology Officer | Vadim Parizher |
| Chief Marketing Officer | Jill Adams |
Major Backers & Investors (LOCO)
Notable institutional backers of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. include Biglari Capital Corp., LSV Asset Management, Goldman Sachs, according to Nexqual as of October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
Active Investors
| Investor | Stake |
|---|---|
| Biglari Capital Corp. | 12.41% |
| LSV Asset Management | 4.84% |
| Goldman Sachs | 4.13% |
| Tieton Capital Management, LLC | 3.4% |
| First Eagle Investment Management, LLC | 3.27% |
| Two Sigma Investments, LP | 2.98% |
Index Funds (Passive)
| Fund | Stake |
|---|---|
| BlackRock | 8.08% |
| Dimensional Fund Advisors | 6.73% |
| Vanguard Group | 3.64% |
| Geode Capital | 2.92% |
Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC.
From El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s Latest SEC 10-K Filing (filed 2026-03-13)
Key Strengths & Strategy (as disclosed to the SEC)
- We believe that satisfying our customers' dining needs is the foundation for our business, and we have an operations platform that allows us to measure our performance in meeting and exceeding those needs.
- Our labor and deployment system continue to evolve and allow us to focus our team on serving customers quickly and efficiently, while maintaining our quality and service standards.
Legal & Regulatory Risks (Item 1A, quoted)
- We are from time to time the target of class action lawsuits and other claims proceedings, which could adversely affect our business and results of operations.
- We are subject to extensive laws, government regulation, and other legal requirements and our failure to comply with existing or new laws and regulations could adversely affect our operational efficiencies and results of operations.
- Compliance with these laws and regulations, and future new laws or changes in these laws or regulations that impose additional requirements, can be costly. Any failure or perceived failure to comply with these laws or regulations could result in, among other things, revocation of required licenses, administrative enforcement actions, fines and civil and criminal liability.
- Changes in health, safety, construction, labor, environmental, or other laws or regulations, including changes to or repeal of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ("PPACA"), could impose costs upon us, including transition costs.
Source: SEC EDGAR 10-K, official filing. Curated by Nexqual.
Peers & Related Stocks
| Symbol | Name | Price | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| FWRG | First Watch Restaurant Group, I | USD 11.93 | ▲ 3.29% |
| CNNE | Cannae Holdings, Inc. | USD 17.11 | ▲ 1.54% |
| BLMN | Bloomin' Brands, Inc. | USD 10.29 | ▲ 3% |
| BH | Biglari Holdings Inc. | USD 391.03 | ▲ 1.66% |
| BJRI | BJ's Restaurants, Inc. | USD 61.35 | ▲ 1.39% |
| WEN | Wendy's Company (The) | USD 6.99 | ▼ 1.2% |
Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 29, 2026 at 13:48 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.
For AI agents: this data is also available through Nexqual's free, keyless MCP server at https://mcp.nexqual.com/mcp; every result includes source_url, as_of and cite_as. More: nexqual.com/agents · llms.txt