What Does LOCO’s GF Score\u2122 Tell Us?<\/p>\n
The GF Score\u2122 is a composite measure designed to assess a company\u2019s overall financial health, profitability, growth, valuation, and momentum by aggregating multiple fundamental and market indicators. El Pollo Loco\u2019s GF Score\u2122 of 72 out of 100 reflects a generally strong business with particular strengths in profitability and financial stability, though growth is a relative weakness.<\/p>\n
Metric Rating (out of 10) GF Score\u2122 72 Financial Strength 6 Profitability 7 Growth 3 Valuation 5 Momentum 6<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s strongest areas are profitability (7\/10) and momentum (6\/10), indicating efficient operations and positive recent price trends. Financial strength is moderate (6\/10), supported by a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.69 and solid interest coverage of 13.95. Growth ranks lower (3\/10), reflecting a slowdown in revenue per share growth and a conservative outlook on expansion pace. Valuation is middling (5\/10), consistent with the modest overvaluation indicated by GF Value\u2122. For further details, see the LOCO stock page<\/a>.<\/p>\n What Are Gurus and Insiders Doing with LOCO?<\/p>\n One of the most insightful signals for LOCO comes from GuruFocus\u2019 unique tracking of guru 13F activity. Currently, six prominent investment gurus hold LOCO shares, with four increasing their stakes and two reducing theirs in recent quarters. This net positive guru buying suggests confidence among sophisticated investors in the company\u2019s prospects and expansion strategy. In contrast, insider activity reveals no insider purchases over the past 12 months, but six insider selling transactions totaling approximately $9.6 million in shares sold. This insider selling could reflect personal liquidity needs or differing views on near-term valuation, and investors should consider this dynamic alongside guru activity.<\/p>\n What This Means for Investors<\/p>\n El Pollo Loco\u2019s expansion into New York signals a bold step in its national growth strategy, but the stock\u2019s current valuation reflects this optimism with a modest premium over intrinsic value. The GF Value\u2122 suggests a 22.1% overvaluation, cautioning investors to consider the limited margin of safety. However, the trailing P\/E below its 5-year median and a solid GF Score\u2122 of 72 indicate that the company maintains a healthy financial and operational profile. The mixed signals from insider selling versus net positive guru buying add nuance, highlighting differing perspectives on valuation and growth potential. Investors interested in LOCO should weigh these factors carefully and monitor future developments as the company executes its expansion plans. For ongoing updates and detailed financial metrics, visit the LOCO stock page<\/a>.<\/p>\n Frequently Asked Questions<\/p>\n What is LOCO’s GF Score\u2122?<\/p>\n LOCO\u2019s GF Score\u2122 is 72 out of 100, indicating a generally strong financial and operational profile with particular strengths in profitability and momentum, but relatively weaker growth metrics.<\/p>\n Is LOCO overvalued or undervalued?<\/p>\n Based on GF Value\u2122, LOCO is modestly overvalued by approximately 22.1%, with a current price of $14.22 compared to an intrinsic value estimate of $11.65.<\/p>\n What is LOCO’s P\/E ratio compared to historical?<\/p>\n LOCO\u2019s trailing P\/E ratio is 12.13x, which is below its 5-year median P\/E of 13.89x, suggesting the stock is trading at a relatively reasonable valuation compared to its historical earnings multiples.<\/p>\n This stock alert was generated using automated technology and GuruFocus financial data to provide readers with timely and accurate market reporting. This content was reviewed by GuruFocus editorial team prior to publication. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email\u00a0protected]<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"On October 05, 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc (NASDAQ: LOCO) announced its entry into the New York…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":364749,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[37],"tags":[597,124704,124705,135241,9,24,12,63,122,124,123],"class_list":["post-364748","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-queens","tag-article","tag-gurufocus","tag-gurufocus-news","tag-loco","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-city","tag-news","tag-nyc","tag-queens","tag-queens-headlines","tag-queens-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364748","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=364748"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/364748\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/364749"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=364748"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=364748"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=364748"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"2107080507140513792.png\"\/](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/2107080507140513792.png\")
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