LOCOConsumer Cyclical · RestaurantsThe 7 Wall Street analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $22 — +43.0% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 99 of 100 as at 22 Oct 2026 — among the strongest tenth. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.
Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.
Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested
Issuance (95): The share count has been shrinking and the company is not leaning on new borrowing.
Revisions (66): Analysts have, on balance, been cutting their forecasts.
Size (54): Larger than most of the companies we track — more scrutinised, less often mispriced.
Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.
The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on LOCO, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +43.0% from it.
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Aug 2026 | DA Davidson | Maintains | Neutral | $15 → $17 |
| 7 Aug 2026 | Benchmark | Maintains | Buy | $18 → $21 |
| 1 July 2026 | Freedom Capital Markets | Initiates | Buy | — |
| 1 July 2026 | Freedom Capital Markets | Initiates | Buy | $22 |
| 11 May 2026 | DA Davidson | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 8 May 2026 | Benchmark | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 20 Apr 2026 | Benchmark | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Benchmark | Upgrade | Buy | — |
| 13 Mar 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold | — |
| 6 Mar 2026 | DA Davidson | Initiates | Neutral | — |
| 8 Jan 2026 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold | — |
| 15 Dec 2025 | Jefferies | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 31 Oct 2025 | Jefferies | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 11 Mar 2025 | Craig-Hallum | Initiates | Buy | — |
| 10 Mar 2025 | Benchmark | Reiterates | Hold | — |
| 2 Aug 2024 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold | — |
| 23 May 2024 | Benchmark | Reiterates | Hold | — |
| 3 May 2024 | Truist Securities | Maintains | Hold | — |
| 12 Nov 2021 | Benchmark | Initiates | Hold | — |
| 8 Feb 2021 | Truist Securities | Downgrade | Hold | — |
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
LOCO appears in the Radar on the weeks it earns a place.
Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.
Over the twelve months to 22 Oct 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. returned +57.3% against +15.6% for the S&P 500, dividends included.
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Data provided by Twelve Data
Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.
A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.
Cheaper than 50% of US stocks
Cheaper than 70% of US stocks
Cheaper than 54% of US stocks
Cheaper than 37% of US stocks
Higher than 34% of US stocks
Higher than 81% of US stocks
Higher than 26% of US stocks
Higher than 64% of US stocks
Higher than 64% of US stocks
Higher than 68% of US stocks
Higher than 77% of US stocks
Higher than 1% of US dividend payers
Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.
The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has a market value of $458.3M and an enterprise value of $664.4M.
Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $500.8M. The latest quarter grew 3.0% year on year.
Net income over the same four quarters: $34.9M, a 7.0% net margin.
Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $1.17.
Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $41.0M.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. spent $1K on share buybacks in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.
Trailing P/E: 12.9×; forward P/E: 13.6× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.
Forward dividend yield: 0.00%, paying out 0% of earnings.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. employs 4,000 people — $125K of revenue per employee.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.
Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.
The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →
Zacks Investment Research says El Pollo Loco has a history of earnings surprises and currently has two key ingredients it views as supporting the possibility of a beat in its next quarterly report.
Why it matters — The item highlights factors Zacks considers relevant to LOCO’s upcoming earnings report.
El Pollo Loco Holdings said it will discuss its third-quarter 2026 financial results on a conference call on November 5, 2026, at 4:30 p.m. Eastern Time. CEO Liz Williams and CFO Ira Fils will host, and the results release is scheduled for shortly after the market close that day.
Why it matters — LOCO watchers can note when the company plans to publish its quarterly results and discuss them with executives.
The Seeking Alpha item says El Pollo Loco is targeting 18–20 new units in FY26 and plans to enter New York with 15 franchised stores over five years. It cites national franchise expansion and California performance, alongside operational leverage, menu innovation and asset-light franchising, as factors behind its outlook for margins and same-store sales.
Why it matters — The expansion targets and New York entry outline the company’s plans for growth beyond its existing California performance.
El Pollo Loco's stock has risen 53% over the past year, driven by stronger margins, digital growth, and faster expansion. However, traffic and cost pressures remain key risks to the company's outlook.
Why it matters — LOCO watchers would note that the rally's momentum rests on operational improvements that could be threatened by ongoing traffic and cost challenges.
Zacks Investment Research published a piece examining whether El Pollo Loco (LOCO) stock is worth considering for value investors, emphasizing its Zacks Rank system, which focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions, while also monitoring value, growth, and momentum trends.
Why it matters — LOCO watchers would care because the article evaluates the company's stock from a value-investing perspective using estimate-based methodologies that could influence investor attention.
The 7 Wall Street analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $22, with estimates ranging from $17 to $23. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
Of the 7 analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., 5 rate it a Buy, 2 a Hold and 0 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. 99 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 22 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.
As at 22 Oct 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. ranks 99 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Issuance (95 of 100).
No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 7 analysts implies +43.0% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. 99 out of 100 as at 22 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.
No analyst covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for LOCO are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $17 to $23 over the next 12 months.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. returned +57.3% over the 12 months to 22 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is a quick-service restaurant company that develops, franchises, licenses, and operates restaurants under the El Pollo Loco brand.
The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 22 Oct 2026): "Will El Pollo Loco (LOCO) Beat Estimates Again in Its Next Earnings Report?". Zacks Investment Research says El Pollo Loco has a history of earnings surprises and currently has two key ingredients it views as supporting the possibility of a beat in its next quarterly report.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is a quick-service restaurant company that develops, franchises, licenses, and operates restaurants under the El Pollo Loco brand. The company specializes in fire-grilled, citrus-marinated chicken and offers a menu built around burritos, tostadas, salads, bowls, chicken meals, and other Mexican-inspired entrées. Its restaurants serve both individual diners and families through company-operated and franchised locations, with a business model centered on convenient, made-to-order meals and a distinctive flame-grilled preparation style. El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. plays a notable role in the limited-service restaurant market by combining a focused chicken concept with a broader menu of complementary sides, beverages, and protein-based dishes. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California.
CEO Ms. Elizabeth Goodwin Williams · 4,000 employees · United States · https://www.elpolloloco.com
