El Pollo Loco Holdings

LOCO · NASDAQ

$15.70−$0.24 (−1.51%)TodayMarket closed · Oct 20, 4:05 PM ET

Prev close $15.94

LOCO analyst rating

BuyConsensus of 6 analysts over the last 12 months. 67% rate it a buy.

Strong buy0
Buy4
Hold2
Underperform0
Sell0

12-month price target · 7 analysts

Average $20.71 (+31.9% upside)

Low: $17.17
Now: $15.70
High: $23.63

Upgrades and downgrades

The latest rating actions, newest first

LOCO analyst upgrades, downgrades and rating actions
Firm	Date	Action	Rating	Price target	Hit rate
DA Davidson	Aug 10, 2026	Maintains	Neutral	$15.00 → $17.00	18%
Benchmark	Aug 7, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$18.00 → $21.00	38%
Freedom Capital Markets	Jul 1, 2026	Initiates	Buy	$22.00	71%
DA Davidson	May 11, 2026	Maintains	Neutral	$13.00 → $15.00	18%
Benchmark	May 8, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$14.00 → $18.00	38%
Benchmark	Apr 20, 2026	Maintains	Buy	$14.00 → $16.00	38%
Truist Securities	Mar 13, 2026	Maintains	Hold	$12.00 → $13.00	53%
Benchmark	Mar 13, 2026	Upgrade	Hold → Buy	$14.00	38%
DA Davidson	Mar 6, 2026	Initiates	Neutral	—	18%
Truist Securities	Jan 8, 2026	Maintains	Hold	$11.00 → $12.00	53%

The case for and against

Updated Oct 14, 2026

Bull case

El Pollo Loco Holdings is supported by strong same-store sales momentum, with 2Q systemwide comps up 3.9% and 1Q26 up 5.8%, helped by successful limited-time offers, stronger ticket growth, and improving loyalty engagement. Restaurant-level margin expansion to 19.5% in 2Q and 19.2% in 1Q26, alongside adjusted EBITDA growth to $19.1m and $18.2m, shows that pricing, labor efficiencies, and operating leverage are offsetting commodity inflation and discounting pressure. The outlook is further strengthened by FY26 guidance increases, digital sales at about 28% of system sales, and early evidence that new units and franchised development are gaining traction beyond California.

Bear case

El Pollo Loco Holdings is facing a difficult competitive backdrop, with a promotion-heavy restaurant market dominated by larger chains with stronger financial and marketing resources, which can pressure traffic, pricing power, and margins. Its risk profile is amplified by heavy geographic concentration, since 78% of locations are in California and more than 70% of revenue comes from the greater Los Angeles area, leaving results exposed to regional labor inflation, weather, and weaker macro conditions. Elevated chicken exposure at about 37% of the commodity basket, plus significant wage inflation and limited operational control under franchising, create further margin and execution risk if costs rise faster than the company can pass them through.

Information on this page is provided for informational purposes only and is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any security. Investing involves risk, including possible loss of principal. Market data is delayed at least 15 minutes and is provided without warranty. Analyst ratings, price targets and company data come from third-party sources. Past performance does not guarantee future results.