El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
LOCOEl Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s price has outrun its earnings. +58.1% in a year against EPS +4.7% — the market is paying now for delivery later.
The sharpest disagreement: the price moved +58.1% in a year while annual EPS moved +4.7% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings.
The price is between stages while the P/E sits at the 91st percentile of its own 1-year range. Underneath, the last four quarters read mixed — profit +0.0% year on year, and 175% of the last 3 years' profit arrived as cash. What settles it: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved.
Price story Before the numbers, the tape. A stock price moves through four repeating seasons: a flat base (stage 1), an advance (2), a top (3), a decline (4). Where the price sits in that cycle frames everything below.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trades at $16.5, between stages. That is +30.2% against its own 200-day average. It sits at 96% of a 52-week range of $9 to $17. On relative strength it has been ahead of the S&P 500 on a trailing-13-week view for 7 straight weeks.
Today the stock is between stages. At $16.5 it trades +30.2% versus its 200-day average and sits at 96% of its 52-week range ($9–$17).
Against the market, two honest reads. Cumulative: over the last 1.1 years the stock moved +51% while the S&P 500 moved +24% — ahead of the index over the full window. Recent form: on a trailing-13-week view the stock has been ahead for 7 straight weeks — the ribbon below is that same metric, week by week.
What would end the trend, mechanically: two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day line. That is the exit rule — no debates.
Valuation P/E is the price of $1 of annual profit: how many dollars the market pays for each dollar the company earns in a year.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trades at 16.9× P/E, at the pricey end of its own range (91st percentile). Its long-run median P/E is 12.7×, measured across 1.1 years of weekly readings. This places the multiple against the stock’s own record, and says nothing about what the business is worth.
Today's P/E of 16.9× is at the pricey end of its own range (91st percentile), against a long-run median of 12.7× measured over 1.1 years of weekly readings. This is a comparison against the stock's own history — not a claim about what it is worth.
🚨 Why the multiple sits where it does: over the past year annual EPS moved +4.7% against a +58.1% price move — the price outran earnings, pushing the multiple UP its own range.
Put together: the multiple is full against its own past, so the story rests on the earnings line underneath it, not the multiple.
Stage: Mixed Every business sits somewhere on a fundamental arc, and this page names the spot before anything else. The last twelve quarters of revenue, profit and EPS growth — plus the return the business earns on its capital — are read as curves: Deteriorating (the curves are falling), Turning around (a trough has just formed and the last few quarters lift off it), Improving (the climb off the trough is sustained), Consistent (steadily positive with healthy returns), Topping out (still high but decelerating from the peak). When the curves genuinely disagree the read is Mixed; too little history is No read. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) is the smooth yearly pace that turns the starting value into the latest one — the fairest way to compare growth across different time spans. Read the columns together: if the 1-year number towers over the 10-year, recent growth is running hotter than the long-run trend. A dash means that window is not held, or the base year was a loss (where a growth rate is not meaningful).
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. reads as mixed on its fundamental arc. Mixed — the growth curves are steadily positive, but ROCE at 11.5% is below the 15% bar this page requires to call it Consistent. The read is built from 12 quarters across 4 curves, on full evidence.
Why it matters: when the curves disagree, the per-curve reads above matter more than any single verdict.
| 1yr | 3yr | 5yr | 10yr | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | +4.3% | +1.4% | — | — |
| Profit | +0.0% | +14.5% | — | — |
| EPS | +4.7% | +16.4% | — | — |
| Stock price | +58.1% | — | — | — |
4-Factor Sector Score
55.4/100 — rank 8 of 29 in Restaurants · 52% evidence confidence
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. scores 55.4 out of 100 against the 29 companies it is compared with in Restaurants, ranking 8. Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral.
The four contributions add to the total exactly: 18.2 + 10.3 + 11.2 + 15.7 = 55.4. This is the SAME number shown on the sector comparison — it is computed once, for the whole peer set, and read here.
What would change it: The read weakens if profit growth turns negative or margin improvement reverses while sector-relative strength deteriorates.
Revenue Revenue is the top line: everything the company billed its customers in the period.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. reported $0.1 B of revenue in the Apr 26 quarter, +8.3% year on year. That is the 2nd straight quarter of year-on-year growth. Over 4 years it has compounded at 2.2% a year. The last full year, FY25, came in at $0.5 B. The last four reported quarters add to $0.5 B.
FY25 revenue came in at $0.5 B (+4.3% on the year), capping 4 years at 2.2% compound. The latest quarter (Apr 26) printed $0.1 B, +8.3% year on year — the 2nd consecutive quarter of year-over-year growth.
Pace check: the last four quarters averaged +6.4% growth against the decade's 2.2% — the current year is running faster than its own long-run rate.
Acceleration check: trailing-twelve-month revenue grew +6.4% over the last 4 quarters against +3.1%/yr over the last 8 — accelerating; TTM profit +16.7% vs +18.3%/yr — stabilising.
Operating margin Operating margin is what is left of every $100 of sales after running the business, before interest and tax. It is the cleanest read on pricing power and cost control.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s operating margin is 7.7% in the Apr 26 quarter, −0.6 percentage points against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 6.4% to 8.9%. The current quarter sits inside that band.
The latest quarter's operating margin is 7.7%, −0.6 pp against the same quarter a year ago. Across 5 fiscal years the operating margin has ranged 6.4%–8.9%.
🚨 Why the margin moved: operating margin went −0.6 pp year on year while gross margin went −2.5 pp — the loss came mostly from the gross line: input costs and pricing.
Net profit Net profit is what survives every cost, interest and tax — the number EPS, dividends and book value all grow from.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. earned $0.0 B of net profit in the Apr 26 quarter, +0.0% year on year. Full-year FY25 profit was $0.0 B. The 4-year compound rate is 0.0%. That is 7.7% of the quarter's revenue. The same quarter a year earlier earned $0.0 B.
Apr 26 profit was $0.0 B, +0.0% year on year. On the full year, FY25 printed $0.0 B (+0.0%), and the 4-year compound rate is 0.0%.
🚨 Why profit moved: revenue contributed +8.3% and the margin −0.6 pp — the quarter was revenue-led, with the margin roughly flat.
Pace comparison, last four quarters: profit +8.3% vs revenue +6.4%. Profit and revenue are moving roughly in step.
Cash flow — the router The P&L says what was earned; the cash-flow statement says what actually arrived. Operating cash flow (CFO) against profit is the cleanest lie detector in the accounts.
Over the last 3 fiscal years 175% of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s reported profit arrived as operating cash — the cash follows the profit. In FY25 that was $0.1 B of operating cash against $0.0 B of profit. After $0.0 B of capital spending, $0.0 B was left as free cash.
FY25: operating cash of $0.1 B against reported profit of $0.0 B, leaving free cash of $0.0 B after $0.0 B of capital spending. Across the last 3 fiscal years the conversion rate is 175% of profit.
Cash-flow readings here are annual — that is the resolution our series carries, so this section moves once a year.
Why: conversion is measured cleanly, but the working-capital day-counts behind it sit below what we hold — the move is shown without inventing its driver.
Router verdict: the visible cash user is investment — the next section checks what the spending is buying.
Where the cash goes Working capital is the cash tied up between paying suppliers and getting paid: debtor days (customers owe), inventory days (stock waits), and the cash conversion cycle (the whole loop, in days of sales).
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. does not report the debtor, inventory and payable day-counts a cash cycle is built from, so this section reads the investment side instead. Capital spending ran $0.0 B over the last 3 years. Averaged over those years that is 0.0% of FY25 revenue a year.
Working-capital day-counts are not in our numbers for this stock, so this section reads the investment side — where the cash is being put to work.
On the investment side: capital spending of $0.0 B over the last 3 fiscal years.
The synthesis: the cash is going into capacity, not disappearing into the cycle — the question becomes whether the new capacity earns.
Return on equity Return on equity (ROE) is the profit the business earns on its shareholders’ money. With the full capital-employed split not in our numbers, ROE is the cleanest long ladder we can draw here.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. earns a ROE of 10% in FY25. That is up from a trough of 7% in FY22. Return on invested capital clears the cost of that capital by +0.7 percentage points, so growth here adds value rather than only size. The wiring behind it is 6.1% net margin on 0.80× asset turns.
FY25 ROE is 10%, recovered from a FY22 trough of 7% — the full ladder below shows the fall and the climb, undoctored.
Why the return is what it is — the wiring (FY25): 6.1% net margin × 0.80× asset turns × 2.10× balance-sheet leverage ≈ 10.2% on equity. Margin does its share; leverage is a meaningful part of the equation.
The capstone test — ROIC − WACC: 6.6% − 5.9% = a +0.7 pp spread. The 5.9% is an estimate of this company's own cost of capital — read the sign and the size of the spread, not the decimals. Positive but thin — value creation with little room for error.
Dividend
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. pays no dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters it has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings rather than distribute them, which makes the cash-flow and reinvestment sections the place that cash shows up.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend. Across the last 12 reported quarters the company has declared no dividend per share, so there is no payout history to chart and no yield to quote. Companies at this stage typically reinvest earnings instead of distributing them.
Debt Debt-to-equity says how much of the business is funded by borrowings. Low is the safe corner; the trend matters as much as the level.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. carries total debt of $0.2 B against shareholder equity of $0.3 B as of Apr 26, a debt-to-equity of 0.77. On the annual view that ratio went from 0.74 in FY21 to 0.83 in FY25. Read the returns elsewhere on this page with that leverage in mind.
Apr 26: total debt of $0.2 B against shareholder equity of $0.3 B — a debt-to-equity of 0.77. On the annual view, debt-to-equity went from 0.74 (FY21) to 0.83 (FY25). Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind.
Ownership There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read here, so we read the crowd through short interest — the slice of tradable shares currently sold short, positioned for a fall.
6.6% of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s tradable float is currently sold short — some money is positioned against it. At typical trading volumes those positions would take about 5.3 days to buy back. There is no quarter-by-quarter holder register to read for this filer, so the crowd is read through short interest instead.
The latest reading: 6.6% of the float is sold short, and at typical trading volumes it would take about 5.3 days to buy those positions back. Some money is positioned against it. This is a single point-in-time reading — we do not yet hold its history, so we show no trend chart.
Why it sits there: who is doing the shorting, and why, does not travel with the number — the level is shown without inventing its story.
Safety line The Z-score estimates how far a company sits from balance-sheet distress — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the danger zone. It was built for manufacturers, so it is not applied to banks and lenders.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.: the Z-score reads 1.72. A Z-score above roughly 3 reads as safe and below roughly 1.8 as the distress zone, so this sits inside the distress zone. It is a distance-to-distress estimate from the balance sheet, not a forecast of failure.
🚨 Why it matters: a Z-score of 1.72 is inside the distress zone — the balance sheet is a real risk, not a detail.
The safety line in one sentence: the Z-score reads 1.72.
| Company | Score | Price stage | Growth & earnings/35 | Capital efficiency/25 | Valuation/20 | Relative strength/20 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1Brinker International, Inc.EAT | 70.3/100Favorable setup81% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 21.7/35 Revenue 11.8% · PAT 38.9% · OPM change 0.3 pp 83% evidence | 14.1/25 ROCE 8.3% · OPM 11.3% 76% evidence | 15.7/20 P/E 14.4× · PEG 0.35 65% evidence | 18.8/20 RS sector 34.9% · RS bench 30.5% · 1Y 43.6%7 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 21.7 + 14.1 + 15.7 + 18.8 = 70.3 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 2Domino's Pizza, Inc.DPZ | 63.9/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | TURNING | 23.3/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 1.1 pp 45% evidence | 21.0/25 ROCE 35.8% · OPM 20% 76% evidence | 10.9/20 P/E 18.4× · PEG — 15% evidence | 8.7/20 RS sector -11.6% · RS bench -14.7% · 1Y -16.5%1 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 23.3 + 21 + 10.9 + 8.7 = 63.9 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 3The Cheesecake Factory IncorporatedCAKE | 61.9/100Thin evidence · provisional56% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 19.7/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change -0.4 pp 39% evidence | 11.8/25 ROCE 6.5% · OPM 5.6% 76% evidence | 10.4/20 P/E 21.6× · PEG — 15% evidence | 20.0/20 RS sector 59.2% · RS bench 54.3% · 1Y 72%9 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 19.7 + 11.8 + 10.4 + 20 = 61.9 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 4Arcos Dorados Holdings Inc.ARCO | 58.9/100Mixed-positive evidence75% evidence | ASLEEP | 22.8/35 Revenue 7.9% · PAT 74.1% · OPM change 1 pp 83% evidence | 10.0/25 ROCE 2.3% · OPM 5.2% 76% evidence | 16.5/20 P/E 7.4× · PEG 0.18 65% evidence | 9.6/20 RS sector -1.8% · RS bench -4.6% · 1Y 21.8%0 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 22.8 + 10 + 16.5 + 9.6 = 58.9 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 5Texas Roadhouse, Inc.TXRH | 58.4/100Mixed-positive evidence71% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 14.7/35 Revenue 13.1% · PAT 2.5% · OPM change -3.1 pp 53% evidence | 13.6/25 ROCE 5.6% · OPM 9% 76% evidence | 13.3/20 P/E 26.4× · PEG 0.65 65% evidence | 16.8/20 RS sector 9.9% · RS bench 6.5% · 1Y 20.5%6 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 14.7 + 13.6 + 13.3 + 16.8 = 58.4 · Decision use: Price leads the evidence: RS versus the benchmark is 6.5%, but earnings trajectory is weak. Wait for revenue and profit confirmation. | ||||||
| 6Darden Restaurants, Inc.DRI | 58.1/100Mixed-positive evidence85% evidence | BASING | 25.1/35 Revenue 9.4% · PAT 15.4% · OPM change 2.2 pp 95% evidence | 13.9/25 ROCE 5.1% · OPM 13.9% 76% evidence | 12.4/20 P/E 19.6× · PEG 1.16 65% evidence | 6.7/20 RS sector -4.2% · RS bench -7.3% · 1Y 1.3%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 25.1 + 13.9 + 12.4 + 6.7 = 58.1 · Decision use: Acceleration candidate, not a confirmed leader: earnings are strong but sector-relative strength is -4.2% and the one-year return is 1.3%. Do not upgrade until sector-relative strength is above zero and another reported period confirms growth. | ||||||
| 7Restaurant Brands International Inc.QSR | 55.9/100Mixed-positive evidence81% evidence | BASING | 22.6/35 Revenue 9.3% · PAT 6.2% · OPM change 6.2 pp 83% evidence | 13.7/25 ROCE 2.7% · OPM 26.8% 76% evidence | 13.8/20 P/E 26× · PEG 0.49 65% evidence | 5.8/20 RS sector -3.8% · RS bench -6.6% · 1Y 14.5%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 22.6 + 13.7 + 13.8 + 5.8 = 55.9 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 8El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.this pageLOCO | 55.4/100Thin evidence · provisional52% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 18.2/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 0.7 pp 45% evidence | 10.3/25 ROCE 2.3% · OPM 9.7% 76% evidence | 11.2/20 P/E 14.2× · PEG — 15% evidence | 15.7/20 RS sector 24.2% · RS bench 20.9% · 1Y 62.1%11 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 18.2 + 10.3 + 11.2 + 15.7 = 55.4 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 9Yum! Brands, Inc.YUM | 55.2/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BASING | 21.3/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 0.6 pp 45% evidence | 18.9/25 ROCE 14.4% · OPM 31.3% 76% evidence | 10.6/20 P/E 20.1× · PEG — 15% evidence | 4.4/20 RS sector -10.8% · RS bench -13.5% · 1Y 4.5%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 21.3 + 18.9 + 10.6 + 4.4 = 55.2 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 10Starbucks CorporationSBUX | 53.3/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | ASLEEP | 21.1/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 1.8 pp 45% evidence | 12.7/25 ROCE 4.8% · OPM 8.7% 76% evidence | 9.0/20 P/E 60.1× · PEG — 15% evidence | 10.5/20 RS sector 4% · RS bench 0.9% · 1Y 13.9%1 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 21.1 + 12.7 + 9 + 10.5 = 53.3 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 11Dine Brands Global, Inc.DIN | 52.1/100Mixed-positive evidence65% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 9.8/35 Revenue 8.4% · PAT -70.9% · OPM change -4 pp 83% evidence | 17.2/25 ROCE 12.3% · OPM 74.1% 76% evidence | 10.5/20 P/E 21.3× · PEG — 15% evidence | 14.6/20 RS sector 7.3% · RS bench 4.2% · 1Y 65.5%9 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 9.8 + 17.2 + 10.5 + 14.6 = 52.1 · Decision use: Price leads the evidence: RS versus the benchmark is 4.2%, but earnings trajectory is weak. Wait for revenue and profit confirmation. | ||||||
| 12Dutch Bros Inc.BROS | 50.6/100Mixed-positive evidence71% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 20.3/35 Revenue 28.4% · PAT 63.9% · OPM change -1.3 pp 83% evidence | 7.2/25 ROCE 1.3% · OPM 7.4% 76% evidence | 8.9/20 P/E 79.2× · PEG — 15% evidence | 14.2/20 RS sector 1.9% · RS bench -1.5% · 1Y -3%9 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 20.3 + 7.2 + 8.9 + 14.2 = 50.6 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 13Yum China Holdings, Inc.YUMC | 49.7/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BASING | 19.5/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 0.3 pp 45% evidence | 13.3/25 ROCE 4% · OPM 13.7% 76% evidence | 11.0/20 P/E 15× · PEG — 15% evidence | 5.9/20 RS sector -5.6% · RS bench -8.6% · 1Y 7.4%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 19.5 + 13.3 + 11 + 5.9 = 49.7 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 14Wingstop Inc.WING | 49.3/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BASING | 20.2/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 5 pp 45% evidence | 16.7/25 ROCE 8.9% · OPM 27.4% 76% evidence | 9.1/20 P/E 39.6× · PEG — 15% evidence | 3.3/20 RS sector -48.4% · RS bench -50.5% · 1Y -61.5%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 20.2 + 16.7 + 9.1 + 3.3 = 49.3 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 15Super Hi International Holding Ltd.HDL | 48.6/100Mixed-negative evidence75% evidence | BASING | 19.6/35 Revenue 10.1% · PAT -26.3% · OPM change 2.9 pp 83% evidence | 8.3/25 ROCE 2.5% · OPM 6.5% 76% evidence | 14.4/20 P/E 24.3× · PEG 0.41 65% evidence | 6.3/20 RS sector -8.7% · RS bench -19.3% · 1Y -31.4%0 of 11 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 19.6 + 8.3 + 14.4 + 6.3 = 48.6 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 16Biglari Holdings Inc.BH | 47.3/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 20.6/35 Revenue 8.4% · PAT — · OPM change 4.9 pp 62% evidence | 4.0/25 ROCE -0.5% · OPM -4.2% 76% evidence | 8.7/20 P/E 138.1× · PEG — 15% evidence | 14.0/20 RS sector 6.3% · RS bench 2.8% · 1Y 42.8%6 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 20.6 + 4 + 8.7 + 14 = 47.3 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 17Chipotle Mexican Grill, Inc.CMG | 45.8/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BASING | 14.4/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change -3.8 pp 45% evidence | 14.8/25 ROCE 6.7% · OPM 12.9% 76% evidence | 9.7/20 P/E 31.2× · PEG — 15% evidence | 6.9/20 RS sector -13% · RS bench -16.1% · 1Y -18.4%1 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 14.4 + 14.8 + 9.7 + 6.9 = 45.8 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 18Bloomin' Brands, Inc.BLMN | 44.7/100Mixed-negative evidence71% evidence | LEADER | 11.1/35 Revenue 0.9% · PAT -193.9% · OPM change 0.1 pp 83% evidence | 8.7/25 ROCE 2.4% · OPM 5.6% 76% evidence | 10.3/20 P/E 21.9× · PEG — 15% evidence | 14.6/20 RS sector 16.4% · RS bench 12.8% · 1Y 34.5%12 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 11.1 + 8.7 + 10.3 + 14.6 = 44.7 · Decision use: Price leads the evidence: RS versus the benchmark is 12.8%, but earnings trajectory is weak. Wait for revenue and profit confirmation. | ||||||
| 19McDonald's CorporationMCD | 41.9/100Mixed-negative evidence81% evidence | BASING | 18.4/35 Revenue 6.8% · PAT 6.3% · OPM change 0.8 pp 83% evidence | 15.3/25 ROCE 5.5% · OPM 45.3% 76% evidence | 5.1/20 P/E 25.6× · PEG 3.63 65% evidence | 3.1/20 RS sector -17.6% · RS bench -20.3% · 1Y -12.1%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 18.4 + 15.3 + 5.1 + 3.1 = 41.9 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 20The Wendy's CompanyWEN | 40.3/100Mixed-negative evidence75% evidence | TURNING | 11.0/35 Revenue -1.8% · PAT -11.8% · OPM change -3.3 pp 83% evidence | 12.4/25 ROCE 2.3% · OPM 19.2% 76% evidence | 10.9/20 P/E 8.7× · PEG 1.69 65% evidence | 6.0/20 RS sector -12.5% · RS bench -15.6% · 1Y -23.8%3 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 11 + 12.4 + 10.9 + 6 = 40.3 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 21Cracker Barrel Old Country Store, Inc.CBRL | 38.9/100Mixed-negative evidence79% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 7.8/35 Revenue -4.9% · PAT -55.2% · OPM change -1 pp 95% evidence | 7.2/25 ROCE 0.4% · OPM 0.8% 76% evidence | 7.5/20 P/E 26.8× · PEG 2.29 65% evidence | 16.4/20 RS sector 41.5% · RS bench 36% · 1Y -0.3%9 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 7.8 + 7.2 + 7.5 + 16.4 = 38.9 · Decision use: Price leads the evidence: RS versus the benchmark is 36%, but earnings trajectory is weak. Wait for revenue and profit confirmation. | ||||||
| 22CAVA Group, Inc.CAVA | 37.1/100Thin evidence · provisional56% evidence | BASING | 18.9/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 1.1 pp 39% evidence | 7.2/25 ROCE 2.1% · OPM 5.8% 76% evidence | 8.6/20 P/E 182.3× · PEG — 15% evidence | 2.4/20 RS sector -15.7% · RS bench -18.2% · 1Y -25.4%1 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 18.9 + 7.2 + 8.6 + 2.4 = 37.1 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 23First Watch Restaurant Group, Inc.FWRG | 34.5/100Adverse evidence68% evidence | TURNING | 18.7/35 Revenue 20.4% · PAT 54.5% · OPM change -0.1 pp 62% evidence | 6.3/25 ROCE 0.1% · OPM 0.3% 76% evidence | 4.9/20 P/E 36.8× · PEG 3.06 65% evidence | 4.6/20 RS sector -19% · RS bench -22% · 1Y -27.5%2 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 18.7 + 6.3 + 4.9 + 4.6 = 34.5 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 24Kura Sushi USA, Inc.KRUS | 33.1/100Adverse evidence67% evidence | ASLEEP | 17.8/35 Revenue 18.2% · PAT — · OPM change 0.2 pp 71% evidence | 4.6/25 ROCE 0% · OPM 0% 76% evidence | 8.5/20 P/E 678.8× · PEG — 15% evidence | 2.2/20 RS sector -25.1% · RS bench -28% · 1Y -37.7%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 17.8 + 4.6 + 8.5 + 2.2 = 33.1 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 25Cannae Holdings, Inc.CNNE | 32.0/100Adverse evidence64% evidence | FADING | 9.2/35 Revenue -6.5% · PAT — · OPM change -2.3 pp 62% evidence | 3.4/25 ROCE -1.5% · OPM -23% 76% evidence | 11.4/20 P/E 8.1× · PEG — 15% evidence | 8.0/20 RS sector -8.6% · RS bench -11.8% · 1Y -24.4%9 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 9.2 + 3.4 + 11.4 + 8 = 32 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 26Papa John's International, Inc.PZZA | 31.5/100Adverse evidence75% evidence | BASING | 10.1/35 Revenue -2.4% · PAT -62% · OPM change -0.3 pp 83% evidence | 11.2/25 ROCE 3.6% · OPM 4.3% 76% evidence | 6.2/20 P/E 38.3× · PEG 2.49 65% evidence | 4.0/20 RS sector -26.2% · RS bench -28.9% · 1Y -29.1%0 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 10.1 + 11.2 + 6.2 + 4 = 31.5 · Decision use: Balanced evidence: keep at normal research priority and require another comparable period before raising conviction. | ||||||
| 27Shake Shack Inc.SHAK | 27.3/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | BASING | 10.6/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change -7 pp 45% evidence | 4.6/25 ROCE -0.2% · OPM -0.7% 76% evidence | 8.8/20 P/E 93.5× · PEG — 15% evidence | 3.3/20 RS sector -27.4% · RS bench -30% · 1Y -37.3%0 of 12 weeks ahead 100% evidence |
| Exact sum: 10.6 + 4.6 + 8.8 + 3.3 = 27.3 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 28Sweetgreen, Inc.SG | 24.9/100Thin evidence · provisional58% evidence | ASLEEP | 8.9/35 Revenue -1.5% · PAT — · OPM change -4.1 pp 62% evidence | 3.1/25 ROCE -4.5% · OPM -21.3% 76% evidence | 9.3/20 P/E 39.2× · PEG — 15% evidence | 3.6/20 RS sector -26.5% · RS bench -28.9% · 1Y -41.4%8 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 8.9 + 3.1 + 9.3 + 3.6 = 24.9 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
| 29BJ's Restaurants, Inc.BJRI | 53.2/100Thin evidence · provisional50% evidence | BREAKING OUT | 19.8/35 Revenue — · PAT — · OPM change 3.9 pp 39% evidence | 7.1/25 ROCE 2.2% · OPM 3% 76% evidence | 9.6/20 P/E 32.5× · PEG — 15% evidence | 16.7/20 RS sector 50.2% · RS bench 46.1% · 1Y 100.3%11 of 12 weeks ahead 70% evidence |
| Exact sum: 19.8 + 7.1 + 9.6 + 16.7 = 53.2 · Decision use: Fill the missing evidence before acting; the ranking is deliberately pulled toward neutral. | ||||||
Missing observations are not scored as bad. Their missing weight lowers confidence and pulls the final score toward neutral. PEG is not shown when the ratio cannot mean anything: the company must be making a profit, its price-to-earnings must be positive, and its three-year earnings growth must fall between 5% and 60%. Dividing a price multiple by a loss, or by growth measured off a tiny base, produces a number that looks precise and tells you nothing. Under relative strength, one mark per week shows the last 12 weeks: a mark is filled where the company led S&P 500 by 5% or more over the 13 weeks ending that week, which is the same test used everywhere on this site. Price stage places the company on the same six-step curve the sector itself is placed on — basing, turning, breaking out, leader, fading, asleep — read from how many weeks running it has led S&P 500 and whether that lead is widening or shrinking. It describes where the PRICE stands, not the earnings trajectory and not a recommendation, and it is left blank for a company whose weekly history is too short or too stale to read.
Frequently asked questions
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s stock price today?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trades at $16.5, +58.1% over the past year. The company is valued at $1.0 B. The stock sits at 96% of its 52-week range of $9–$17, +30.2% versus its 200-day average. Against the S&P 500 it has been ahead on a trailing-13-week view for 7 weeks. — as of 5 August 2026.
What were El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s latest quarterly results?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. reported revenue of $0.1 B and net profit of $0.0 B for the Apr 26 quarter. Revenue rose 8.3% and profit rose 0.0% year on year. Earnings per share were $0.27. The operating margin was 7.7%, 0.6 pp lower than a year earlier. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s revenue?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. reported revenue of $0.1 B in the Apr 26 quarter, +8.3% year on year. For the full FY25 fiscal year, revenue was $0.5 B (+4.3%). Over the last 4 years revenue compounded at 2.2% a year. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s profit?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. earned $0.0 B of net profit in the Apr 26 quarter, +0.0% year on year. Full-year FY25 profit was $0.0 B. The operating margin ran 7.7% in the latest quarter. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s market cap?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s market capitalisation is $1.0 B at a stock price of $16.5. Market cap is the share price multiplied by shares outstanding, so it is restated whenever the price moves. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s P/E ratio?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trades at a P/E of 16.9×, at the 91st percentile of its own 1-year range, against a long-run median of 12.7×. This is a comparison with the stock's own history, not a value call — as of 5 August 2026.
Does El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. pay a dividend?
No — El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has declared no dividend per share in any of its last 12 reported quarters, so there is no payout history and no yield to quote. That is a reading of the filed statements, not an estimate. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. overvalued?
On its own history, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. looks expensive against its own history: its P/E of 16.9× sits at the 91st percentile of its 1-year range (long-run median 12.7×). That is a percentile read against the stock's own past, not a price opinion or a direction call. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. growing?
The picture is mixed for El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.: latest-quarter revenue +8.3% year on year, profit +0.0%, and the margin −0.6 pp at 7.7%. The 4-year compound rates are 2.2% (revenue) and 0.0% (profit). The earnings engine currently reads: mixed — as of 5 August 2026.
How is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. performing?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s latest readings are below. Its latest quarter's revenue rose 8.3% and profit rose 0.0% year on year. Against the S&P 500 it has been ahead on a trailing-13-week view for 7 weeks. This describes what the data did, not a rating. — as of 5 August 2026.
What stage is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. in?
Mixed — the growth curves are steadily positive, but ROCE at 11.5% is below the 15% bar this page requires to call it Consistent. The read comes from the last 12 quarters of growth (revenue growth +6.4% latest, profit growth +16.7% latest, eps growth +15.3% latest) plus the ROCE curve, classified by deterministic rules — a trajectory read, not a buy or sell call — as of 5 August 2026.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. beating the market?
On recent form, yes — El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has been ahead of the S&P 500 on a trailing-13-week view for 7 straight weeks, the same metric the week-by-week ribbon on this page draws. Separately, on the cumulative view: over the last 1.1 years the stock moved +51% against the S&P 500's +24% — ahead of the index over the full window. — as of 5 August 2026.
Will El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s stock price go up?
This page publishes no price forecast for El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. What it measures instead: the stock price is $16.5. Its P/E of 16.9× sits at the 91st percentile of its own 1-year range. Direction is not something this site claims to know. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is the market betting against El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.?
Somewhat — short interest is 6.6% of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s tradable float, about 5.3 days to cover at typical volumes. A moderate reading: some money is positioned against it. With no quarter-by-quarter holder register here, short interest is the cleanest crowd read we hold — as of 5 August 2026.
Does El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. have too much debt?
It is moderate — El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s debt-to-equity is 0.77. A year-by-year borrowings ladder is not in our numbers for this stock, so the latest reading is the cleanest hold. Read the returns on this page with that leverage in mind — as of 5 August 2026.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s capex?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. spent $0.0 B on capital expenditure over the last 3 fiscal years, a figure derived from the change in fixed assets plus depreciation. In FY25 alone that was $0.0 B. — as of 5 August 2026.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s cash flow?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. generated $0.1 B of operating cash flow in FY25 and $0.0 B of free cash flow after $0.0 B of capital spending. Reported profit that year was $0.0 B, so operating cash ran ahead of profit. — as of 5 August 2026.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s profit real cash?
Yes — over the last 3 fiscal years, 175% of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s reported profit arrived as operating cash. In FY25, operating cash was $0.1 B against reported profit of $0.0 B. The cash then goes mostly into building capacity. Cash-flow resolution is annual — as of 5 August 2026.
How financially safe is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.?
On the balance sheet, the Z-score reads 1.72 — above roughly 3 is safe, below roughly 1.8 is the distress zone. That is inside the danger band — a real balance-sheet risk. — as of 5 August 2026.
Where is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. in its business cycle?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s FY25 operating margin was 8.2%, against a 5-year band of 6.4%–8.9%: mid-band by its own history — neither the peak that precedes mean-reversion nor the trough that precedes recovery. The latest quarter ran 7.7%. Profitability versus a company's own long band is the cleanest cycle clock this page holds — as of 5 August 2026.
What could break the El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. story?
The sharpest disagreement: the price moved +58.1% in a year while annual EPS moved +4.7% — the difference is re-rating, and re-rating has to be repaid with earnings. Mechanically, two Friday closes in a row below the 200-day average would end the price trend — that is the exit rule this page tracks — as of 5 August 2026.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. a stock worth studying right now?
This is not investment advice. The machine read: El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s price has outrun its earnings. +58.1% in a year against EPS +4.7% — the market is paying now for delivery later. The sharpest open question: whether earnings grow into a price that has already moved. Every number on this page is drawn deterministically from the raw series, with no forecasts and no price opinions — as of 5 August 2026.