Fact based stock research
El Pollo Loco (NasdaqGS:LOCO)
US2686031079
How to read the free ranks
For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".
Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".
Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.
Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.
(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).
(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.
El Pollo Loco stock research in summary
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 94 (better than 94% compared with investment alternatives), El Pollo Loco (Restaurants, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of El Pollo Loco are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 43 (worse than 57% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 73) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 92, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 94, is a strong buy recommendation based on El Pollo Loco's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company El Pollo Loco exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 43), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 73). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 92) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
Latest Obermatt Ranks
Log in or sign up to see the new 360° View and Sentiment ranks.
360° Viewnew| Country | USA |
| Industry | Restaurants |
| Index | NASDAQ |
| Size class | Medium |
19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.
Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.
It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.
Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.
Research History: El Pollo Loco
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 57 |
|
79 |
|
67 |
|
43 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 47 |
|
9 |
|
13 |
|
73 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 36 |
|
88 |
|
81 |
|
92 |
|
| SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
48 |
|
67 |
|
new |
|
| 360° VIEW | ||||||||
| 360° VIEW | n/a |
|
63 |
|
62 |
|
new |
|
Combined financial peformance in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 94 (better than 94% compared with investment alternatives), El Pollo Loco (Restaurants, USA) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of El Pollo Loco are low in value (priced high) with a consolidated Value Rank of 43 (worse than 57% of alternatives). But they show above-average growth (Growth Rank of 73) and are safely financed (Safety Rank of 92, which means below-average debt burdens). ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 94, is a strong buy recommendation based on El Pollo Loco's financial characteristics. Investors looking for growth and low financial risk may find this stock attractive. While the company El Pollo Loco exhibits low value (Obermatt Value Rank of 43), which means that the stock price is rather high, it also demonstrates above-average growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 73). This is a typical case, as high-growth companies are often expensive. Good financing practices (Obermatt Safety Rank of 92) are a double-edged sword: if the company continues growing, low debt limits shareholder returns. But if the company increases its debt, it will also increase risk. In other words, this is an investment on the safer side, despite the above-average price (low value). Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more
| RESEARCH HISTORY | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| VALUE | ||||||||
| VALUE | 57 |
|
79 |
|
67 |
|
43 |
|
| GROWTH | ||||||||
| GROWTH | 47 |
|
9 |
|
13 |
|
73 |
|
| SAFETY | ||||||||
| SAFETY | 36 |
|
88 |
|
81 |
|
92 |
|
| COMBINED | ||||||||
| COMBINED | 29 |
|
60 |
|
55 |
|
94 |
|
Value Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 43 (worse than 57% compared with alternatives), El Pollo Loco shares are more expensive than the average comparable stock. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for El Pollo Loco. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 54, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 54% of comparable companies, indicating a good value regarding El Pollo Loco's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price to Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 70% of alternatives, and it's also true for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 58. But, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields are expected to be lower than average; only 1% of all competitors have even lower dividend yields than El Pollo Loco (a Dividend Yield Rank of 1). 99% alternative investments in the same business provide a higher dividend yield. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 43, is a hold recommendation based on El Pollo Loco's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The below-average dividend yield may be a good sign, as it could mean the company has more attractive investment opportunities for the generated cash than to pay it out as dividends. A low dividend yield can also indicate a growth phase. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more
| VALUE METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S) | 50 |
|
75 |
|
73 |
|
54 |
|
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E) | 71 |
|
80 |
|
81 |
|
70 |
|
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | ||||||||
| PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book) | 82 |
|
70 |
|
62 |
|
58 |
|
| DIVIDEND YIELD | ||||||||
| DIVIDEND YIELD | 1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE | 57 |
|
79 |
|
67 |
|
43 |
|
Growth Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 73 (better than 73% compared with alternatives), El Pollo Loco shows an above-average growth dynamic in its industry. Investors also speak of positive momentum. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with half of the indicators below and half above average for El Pollo Loco. Profit Growth has a rank of 56, which means that currently professionals expect the company to grow its profits more than 56% of its competitors. This is a good sign for shareholders, which is confirmed by an above-average Stock Returns rank of 93 (above 93% of alternative investments). But Sales Growth has a below the median rank of 45, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 55% of its competitors, and Capital Growth also has a lower rank of 39. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 73, is a buy recommendation for growth and momentum investors. Because revenues and invested capital are the more solid growth indicators, the positive development on the profit side is less relevant. It may have been caused by cost-cutting, which may be a negative growth indicator. Finally, the above-average stock returns recently are a thing of the past and not a good indicator of future returns. Investors should be confident that the cost-cutting initiative leading to higher profits is to benefit the company's future. If not, there is little growth momentum, and investment is only advisable if the Value Ranks suggest a good investment timing for El Pollo Loco. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is mixed here. ...read more
| GROWTH METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| REVENUE GROWTH | ||||||||
| REVENUE GROWTH | 41 |
|
11 |
|
20 |
|
45 |
|
| PROFIT GROWTH | ||||||||
| PROFIT GROWTH | 25 |
|
22 |
|
53 |
|
56 |
|
| CAPITAL GROWTH | ||||||||
| CAPITAL GROWTH | n/a |
|
38 |
|
41 |
|
39 |
|
| STOCK RETURNS | ||||||||
| STOCK RETURNS | 28 |
|
17 |
|
17 |
|
93 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH | 47 |
|
9 |
|
13 |
|
73 |
|
Safety Metrics in Detail
ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 92 (better than 92% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company El Pollo Loco has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of El Pollo Loco is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, with two out of three indicators above average for El Pollo Loco. Leverage is at a rank of 86, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 86% of its competitors. Liquidity is also good at a rank of 90, meaning the company generates more profit to service its debt than 90% of its competitors. This indicates that the company is on the safer side when it comes to debt service. But Refinancing is lower at a rank of 28, which means that the portion of the debt that is about to be refinanced is above-average. It has more debt in the refinancing stage than 72% of its competitors. ...read more
RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 92 (better than 92% compared with alternatives), El Pollo Loco has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. The refinancing issues could be a short-term problem, especially if the company has reputation issues. Banks and investors don't like to refinance debt if there are clouds on the horizon. For this reason, investors should look at the refinancing environment for El Pollo Loco. Does it look safe that debt that is coming due can be covered with new debt? If that is the case, then the financing situation of the company is on the safer side. If not, it may be better to wait until refinancing has been completed and the Refinancing rank is good again. Investors may have a short-term debt challenge with El Pollo Loco and should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more
| SAFETY METRICS | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LEVERAGE | ||||||||
| LEVERAGE | 24 |
|
90 |
|
80 |
|
86 |
|
| REFINANCING | ||||||||
| REFINANCING | 12 |
|
26 |
|
26 |
|
28 |
|
| LIQUIDITY | ||||||||
| LIQUIDITY | 59 |
|
98 |
|
94 |
|
90 |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY | 36 |
|
88 |
|
81 |
|
92 |
|
Sentiment Metrics in Detail
| SENTIMENT | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ANALYST OPINIONS | ||||||||
| ANALYST OPINIONS | n/a |
|
9 |
|
21 |
|
new |
|
| OPINIONS CHANGE | ||||||||
| OPINIONS CHANGE | n/a |
|
50 |
|
50 |
|
new |
|
| PRO HOLDINGS | ||||||||
| PRO HOLDINGS | n/a |
|
74 |
|
78 |
|
new |
|
| MARKET PULSE | ||||||||
| MARKET PULSE | n/a |
|
52 |
|
81 |
|
new |
|
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | ||||||||
| CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT | n/a |
|
48 |
|
67 |
|
new |
|
Free stock analysis by the purely fact based Obermatt Method for El Pollo Loco from December 19, 2024.
Obermatt Portfolio Performance
We’re so convinced about our free research, that we buy our stock tips.
See the performance of the Obermatt portfolio.