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LOCO Stock Forecast: El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 2 Oct 2026
$14
+0.21% on the day

The 6 Wall Street analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $21 — +47.7% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 100 of 100 as at 1 Oct 2026 — among the strongest tenth. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$436.7M
Ticker Nerd rank
100 / 100
Median analyst target
$21
Analysts covering
6
Revenue$129.6M+3.0% y/y
Operating income$19.4M
Net income$12.8M
Free cash flow$23.3M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
+0.9%
1M
−7.4%
YTD
+35.9%
1Y
+51.4%
From 52W high
−17.3%
From 52W low
+57.0%
$9
$17
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

LOCO stock analysis: one number for the whole business

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.

Where the model ranks itAs at 1 Oct 2026
100 / 100

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
Growth
88
Momentum
86
Value
84
Volatility
82
Accruals
78
Quality
74
Revisions
74
Size
55

Issuance (95): The share count has been shrinking and the company is not leaning on new borrowing.

Revisions (74): Analysts have, on balance, been cutting their forecasts.

Size (55): 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.

Wall Street

LOCO stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on LOCO, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$10$15$20Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26LOCOHigh $23Median $21Low $17

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

What Wall Street says6 analysts
4 Buy2 Hold0 Sell
Low $17Median $21High $23

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +47.7% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first
DateFirmActionRatingTarget
10 Aug 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral$15 → $17
7 Aug 2026BenchmarkMaintainsBuy$18 → $21
1 July 2026Freedom Capital MarketsInitiatesBuy—
1 July 2026Freedom Capital MarketsInitiatesBuy$22
11 May 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsNeutral—
8 May 2026BenchmarkMaintainsBuy—
20 Apr 2026BenchmarkMaintainsBuy—
13 Mar 2026BenchmarkUpgradeBuy—
13 Mar 2026Truist SecuritiesMaintainsHold—
6 Mar 2026DA DavidsonInitiatesNeutral—
8 Jan 2026Truist SecuritiesMaintainsHold—
15 Dec 2025JefferiesMaintainsBuy—
31 Oct 2025JefferiesMaintainsBuy—
11 Mar 2025Craig-HallumInitiatesBuy—
10 Mar 2025BenchmarkReiteratesHold—
2 Aug 2024Truist SecuritiesMaintainsHold—
23 May 2024BenchmarkReiteratesHold—
3 May 2024Truist SecuritiesMaintainsHold—
12 Nov 2021BenchmarkInitiatesHold—
8 Feb 2021Truist SecuritiesDowngradeHold—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. LOCO appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

LOCO vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 2 Oct 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. returned +51.4% against +15.4% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

LOCO vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
100120140160180Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26Oct 26LOCOS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

LOCO analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
+5.6%
Analysts raising
4
Analysts cutting
0
Fundamentals

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
12.3×

Cheaper than 52% of US stocks

Price / sales
0.9×

Cheaper than 71% of US stocks

Price / book
1.4×

Cheaper than 58% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
9.8×

Cheaper than 38% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
3.0%

Higher than 34% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
80.2%

Higher than 81% of US stocks

Gross margin
23.6%

Higher than 26% of US stocks

Operating margin
9.9%

Higher than 64% of US stocks

Net margin
7.0%

Higher than 64% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
11.8%

Higher than 68% of US stocks

Return on assets
5.1%

Higher than 77% of US stocks

Dividend yield
—

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

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 $436.7M and an enterprise value of $645.6M.

  • 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.

  • Shares outstanding: 30.5M.

  • Trailing P/E: 12.3×; forward P/E: 13.0× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. employs 4,000 people — $125K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 1 Oct 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

LOCO vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelRestaurants
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
LOCOEl Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.$436.7M
100
NATHNathan's Famous, Inc.$414.7M
75
DINDine Brands Global, Inc.$370.6M
77
KRUSKura Sushi USA, Inc.$501.3M
28
BRCBBlack Rock Coffee Bar, Inc.$350.0M
3
FWRGFirst Watch Restaurant Group, Inc.$624.4M
29
PZZAPapa John's International, Inc.$644.7M
53

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 →

News

Latest LOCO news & analysis

Should Value Investors Buy El Pollo Loco (LOCO) Stock?

Zacks Investment Research · 30 Sept 2026neutral

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.

El Pollo Loco to open first New York restaurant as it aims to become national chicken chain

CNBC · 29 Sept 2026positive

El Pollo Loco announced it will open its first New York City restaurant next year in Queens. The chicken chain, whose locations are mostly in California, has been expanding as it aims to become a national chain.

Why it matters — This marks the company's entry into the New York market, a notable step in its expansion beyond its California stronghold.

El Pollo Loco Announces New York Expansion and Strengthens Leadership Team to Accelerate Growth

GlobeNewsWire · 29 Sept 2026positive

El Pollo Loco announced its planned entry into New York, having signed a lease for its first restaurant in the region, targeted to open in Queens in mid-2027, and entered into three development agreements for 15 area restaurants over the next five years. The company also said it is strengthening its leadership team to accelerate growth.

Why it matters — A LOCO watcher would care because the New York expansion and new development agreements signal the company's growth into a new major market and its plans to increase its restaurant footprint.

El Pollo Loco® Showcases Fall Flavors in Latest Menu Items

GlobeNewsWire · 17 Sept 2026positive

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. announced limited-time fall menu items, including Caramel Apple ChataCoffee™, Pumpkin Pie Mini Churros, and Red & Green Chile Cheesy Enchilada Double Chicken Bowls, as shared in a GlobeNewsWire release.

Why it matters — A LOCO watcher would care because new limited-time seasonal offerings could help drive customer traffic and sales during the fall period.

El Pollo Loco: Multiple Catalysts Driving Sales Strength

Seeking Alpha · 17 Sept 2026positive

Seeking Alpha reports El Pollo Loco raised its FY26 comparable sales guidance to 3.5-4.5% from the prior 2-4%, citing resilient demand, with carryout sales up 12% year-over-year and strong loyalty program engagement driving performance.

Why it matters — LOCO watchers would care because the raised comparable-sales guidance points to sustained momentum in a tough consumer environment, supported by carryout and Rewards program strength.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about LOCO stock

What is the LOCO stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 6 Wall Street analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $21, with estimates ranging from $17 to $23. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is LOCO stock a buy right now?

Of the 6 analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., 4 rate it a Buy, 2 a Hold and 0 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. 100 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 1 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank LOCO?

As at 1 Oct 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. ranks 100 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).

Will LOCO stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 6 analysts implies +47.7% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. 100 out of 100 as at 1 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the LOCO stock forecast for 2030?

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.

How has LOCO stock performed over the past year?

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. returned +51.4% over the 12 months to 2 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. do?

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is a quick-service restaurant company that develops, franchises, licenses, and operates restaurants under the El Pollo Loco brand.

What is the latest news on LOCO?

The most recent item we track (Zacks Investment Research, 30 Sept 2026): "Should Value Investors Buy El Pollo Loco (LOCO) Stock?". 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.

Company

About El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

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