LOCO Company Profile and Key Details

Short-term trend indicators are mixed aligned (SMA20 4.76%, SMA50 3.34%, SMA200 6.66%). The stock’s 14-day RSI is 59.66 (neutral), while the ATR of 0.29 points to higher daily volatility. The stock remains hovering near 52-week lows, trading -5.11% below its high and over 34.38% above its low. Average 10-day trading volume of 217.98 thousand shares is below the 3-month average of 303.77 thousand, indicating normal recent market interest.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has 30.00 million shares outstanding. The public float is 21.60 million shares, elevated short interest at 7.72% of float. This equals 1.91 million shares. The short ratio is 5.43 days. Institutional investors hold 101.22% of the float. Insiders own 2.84%. Trimaran Pollo Partners, L.L.C. holds 16.75 million shares, Trimaran Capital, L.L.C. has 16.75 million shares and BIGLARI, SARDAR has 369.25 thousand shares.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. generated EPS of $0.88 over the past year. Five-year average earnings growth is 5.16%. Wall Street analysts project EPS growth of 5.44% annually over the next five years. The latest quarter delivered EPS of $0.25. The next quarter is forecast at $0.20. Next year's EPS is expected at $0.53. Analyst sentiment is bullish. Analyst rating data shows there are 0 Strong Buy ratings, 3 Buy ratings, 2 Hold ratings, 0 Sell rating and 0 Strong Sell ratings. Price targets range from $16.00 to $12.00. The high target offers 18.34% upside. The low target suggests -11.24% downside. The mean target is $13.70. This offers 1.33% upside. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. earnings surprise history is a consistent trend of beating forecasts. The quarter that ended March 12, 2026, missed forecasts by 19.05%. The prior quarter beat by 17.39%. Over the last six quarters, Apple has recorded several small beats. These include 23.65% in October 31, 2024.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. last paid a dividend of 0 per share, Dividend and splits history remains an important factor for investors monitoring long-term returns. A discounted cash flow model estimates fair value at around $11.14. This means the shares are trading above this model’s fair value.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) closed at $13.52 USD, losing -$0.07 (-0.52%) from the previous close of $13.59. The stock is currently mid-range between its 52-week high and low $8.29 and $14.50. With a market capitalization of about $405.01 million, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is classified as a small-cap and shows lower-than-market volatility (beta ~0.78). Key stats such as the average daily volume over the past year has been around 303.18 thousand shares, volume is running light vs its 52-week average. Headquartered in Costa Mesa, CA, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. operates in the Consumer Cyclical sector and the Restaurants industry. Led by CEO Elizabeth Goodwin Williams, the company employs approximately 4,000 people and listed since July 25, 2014. 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.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trades at a P/E ratio of 14.97, slightly below the S&P 500 average, with a price-to-sales ratio of 0.83 and a price-to-book ratio of 1.36 suggesting the stock is closer to book value. The P/FCF stands at 15.96, also above market averages.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:LOCO) shares are flat 4.02% year-to-date currently trading near 52-week highs band. Short-term momentum has been positive over the last quarter, despite recent volatility. Valuation shows El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trading at a premium to the broader market with a P/E of 14.97. Analyst sentiment is bullish, with the majority of ratings in Buy territory and a mean price target of $15.50, suggesting 14.64% upside. Our AI forecast model points to short-term strength (0.07% over two weeks), a medium-term rise (112.72% over three months), and a longer-term gain (184.47% over one year), with expected trading ranges indicating moderate volatility.

Our AI price prediction model suggests that El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. stock has strong potential for upside but may face short-term weakness followed by gains in the medium and long term. 2-Week Outlook: Projected increase of 0.07%, with price expected at $13.53 by May 13, 2026, within a range of $12.92 to $14.08 3-Month Outlook: Projected rise of 112.72%, reaching $28.76 by July 28, 2026, with a range of $28.36 to $29.40. 1-Year Outlook: Projected gain of 184.47%, with price at $38.46 by April 29, 2027, within a range of $41.08 to $45.52.