Stock Ratings / Consumer Discretionary / LOCO

DIN (61) KRUS (36) BRCB (44) PTLO (46) ⌘ Pro Terminal →

El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (LOCO) — RQD Stock Rating Cockpit

$15.37 +2.40% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $15.41

El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (LOCO) carries a Roarable Rating of C+ (Hold) with 66/100 RQD Confidence. The composite score sits in the neutral Hold band (59–69), meaning current holders don’t need to panic-sell while prospective buyers can wait for a move into the 70+ Buy zone.

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 66/100 (C+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (+1.4% avg 90D alpha vs SPY) →

ROARABLE C+ • HOLD / WATCH Cap $467.8M

📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card

INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:

🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray

EXT / AFTER-HRS: $15.41 (+0.24%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 13/20 (C) • 0.6% FCF Margin

Verify 90D Bucket Audit →

📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 66/100 (C+) historically posted market-perform odds over rolling 90-day windows (+1.4% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 56.0% hit rate — wait for RQD ≥ 70 breakout).

Audit Bucket Track Record →

RQD QUANT TACHOMETERHOLD / WATCH • C+

JEV AI Jury Split (Battleground)

Cash

SEC

Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw C · Rk B-

Each axis scored 0–20

12M PRICE TARGET CONE+3.6% Base Target

WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for LOCO)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±6.5%

Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (66/100 Composite)

🔍 WHY LOCO SCORES 66/100 (C+) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag

▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Macro Regime Fit+15/20 pts (23% of score)

FRED Regime × Technicals: 73% of 52W Range • RSI-14 at 53.4 (NEUTRAL RANGE)

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+14/20 pts (21% of score)

SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 70% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Whale & Options Positioning11/20 pts (-9 pt drag)

Put hedging (50% put share) caps near-term gamma upside (-9 pts vs max)

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current

Q1 (-3Q)

Grade C$15.22+7.4% Next Q

Q2 (-2Q)

Grade C$16.34-11.8% Next Q

Q3 (-1Q)

Grade C+$14.42+6.6% Next Q

Current

Grade C+$15.37+1.4% Hist 90D α

Trajectory: C (58) → C+ (66)Full Audit →

⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the LOCO Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 66/100 (C+) score, LOCO faces multiple-compression risk if 17.7x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-1.80% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 49.5% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($15.00) or 200D SMA ($14.09) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($15.92) toward Bear Floor ($12.42).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $LOCO• $2.4M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite

Contract: “LOCO Beats Next Quarter EPS Consensus (Dec 30, 2026) & Holds Above 200D SMA”

YES 66%NO 34%Trade / Inspect Odds →

RSI-14 MOMENTUMNEUTRAL RANGE

53.430 Oversold · 70 Hot

ALTMAN-Z SHIELDFORTRESS SAFE (>3.0)

3.80>3.0 Fortress Safe

PIOTROSKI F-SCORESOLID CORE (5–6)

5 / 99-Pt Accounting

52-WEEK LASER RANGE73% OF RANGE

L: $10$15.37H: $17

1. Money & Cash Health● MIXED

Are profits real cash in the bank?

Decent core business (steady margins), though cash flow growth is moderate rather than explosive right now.

Factor Grade: CRQD 13 / 20

2. Big Money & Insiders● NEUTRAL

Are whales & executives buying or selling?

Big funds and company insiders are mostly holding steady without aggressive buying or panic selling.

Factor Grade: CRQD 25 / 40

3. Hidden Risks & Market Weather● ALL CLEAR

SEC fine-print scan & interest-rate fit

Clean SEC fine-print check with low hidden accounting risk and favorable interest-rate weather.

Factor Grade: B-RQD 28 / 40

MULTI-MODEL JEV QUANT JURY DELIBERATION

JEV AI Jury Split (Battleground) on LOCO

Cash & Moat Bull AI

ROIC & Free Cash Flow Model

NEUTRAL (65)

11.7% ROIC with 42.0% gross margin and 5.44% FCF yield.

SEC Forensic Auditor AI

10-K Accruals & Altman-Z Guard

NEUTRAL (65)

Altman-Z 4.20 and Piotroski 5/9 pass balance-sheet audit.

Whale & Macro Hawk AI

Options Skew, 13F & Fed NetLiq

BULLISH (67)

25/40 institutional & smart-money positioning score with 15/20 macro alignment.

Bull Case: Why Buyers Like LOCO

✓Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction.

Bear Case: What Could Go Wrong

!Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.

ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher & Roarable Quantitative Research Desk

Scheduled RQD Strong Buys & Whale Accumulation Briefing (LOCO Tape Review)

✓Breakdown of the highest-scoring RQD Green-Light breakouts across our 5,200+ rated universe
✓Forensic Red-Light accounting & dilution traps to review on your watchlist
✓Includes downloadable .ics calendar invite & nightly RQD rating-change email alerts

RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED

Want Custom AI PineScript / Python Indicators & Priority Rating-Change Alerts?

Join Founding VIP Waitlist (No Card Required) →$100K Arena

LOCO // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: +13.68%▼ DESCENDING CHANNEL

2026-10-30O $15.50H $15.64L $15.25C $15.37VOL 178.9K

RES: $16.45SUP: $13.38SMA50: $15.00SMA200: $14.09

PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

LOCO Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

🦋 LOCO Butterfly Map → + Track LOCO →

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)

10.8%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +6.0% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on LOCO today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for LOCO. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video

🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for LOCO today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →

DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (LOCO)

Consumer Discretionary Rank #267 of 1011 ⚔️ DIN vs LOCO Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Consumer Discretionary Peer Comparison (LOCO vs. DIN, KRUS, BRCB, PTLO)

Industry: Restaurants (51 Tracked Issuers)

Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary securities in the Roarable RQD universe, El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (LOCO) ranks #267 by composite RQD confidence (66/100, grade C+) and #595 by equity capitalization ($467.8M). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, LOCO leads on earnings valuation at 17.7x trailing P/E, while LOCO leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 11.7% ROIC and — gross margin. LOCO currently leads its immediate peer cohort in composite quantitative strength at 66/100 (C+).

Ticker / Company	Roarable Grade	RQD Score	Trailing P/E	Gross Margin	ROIC	1D Change	Market Cap	Head-to-Head
LOCO ACTIVE El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc.	C+	66/100	17.7x	—	11.7%	+2.40%	$467.8M	Benchmark Subject
DIN Dine Brands Global Inc.	C-	61/100	26.0x	40.9%	—	+1.38%	$445.1M	/din-vs-loco →
KRUS Kura Sushi USA Inc. (Class A)	D-	36/100	—	—	-1.9%	+6.59%	$424.4M	/krus-vs-loco →
BRCB Black Rock Coffee Bar Inc. (Class A)	D	44/100	—	—	1.6%	+3.82%	$530.3M	/brcb-vs-loco →
PTLO Portillo's Inc. (Class A)	D	46/100	17.9x	—	4.9%	+10.96%	$376.7M	/ptlo-vs-loco →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0001606366

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (LOCO) reported GAAP revenue of $0 (N/A vs. FY2024 revenue of $0 ) , GAAP net income of $26.5M, operating cash flow of $48.1M, and free cash flow of $25.4M (-8.2% YoY). On the balance sheet, LOCO closed FY2025 with $606.6M in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: N/A, Piotroski F-Score: 5/9).

Fiscal Period	Filing Date	Revenue	Net Income	Operating Cash Flow	Free Cash Flow	Total Assets	Total Debt
FY2025 (FY)	2025-12-31	$0	$26.5M	$48.1M	$25.4M	$606.6M	—
FY2024 (FY)	2024-12-25	$0	$25.7M	$46.8M	$27.7M	$592.0M	—
FY2023 (FY)	2023-12-27	$0	$25.6M	$40.7M	$40.7M	—	—

3. LOCO Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is LOCO stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

As of 2026-11-01, El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (NASDAQ: LOCO) is rated C+ (Hold / HOLD) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 66/100 at a spot price of $15.37 (+2.40% 1D, market cap $467.8M). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 13/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 11/20, Executive Insider Alignment 13/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 15/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 14/20. Across 1011 tracked Consumer Discretionary issuers, LOCO ranks #267 in composite RQD confidence.

How does LOCO compare to DIN and KRUS in the Consumer Discretionary sector?

Within the Consumer Discretionary sector (Restaurants), LOCO carries a Roarable C+ (66/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 17.7x, gross margin of —, and ROIC of 11.7%. By comparison, DIN (Dine Brands Global Inc.) holds a C- grade (61/100 RQD, P/E 26.0x, ROIC —, cap $445.1M) and KRUS (Kura Sushi USA Inc. (Class A)) posts a D- grade (36/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC -1.9%, cap $424.4M). Among the 5-stock peer group, LOCO leads on earnings multiple (17.7x) while LOCO leads on capital efficiency (11.7% ROIC).

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for LOCO?

Per LOCO's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001606366), El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. generated $0 in revenue, $26.5M in net income, and $25.4M in free cash flow against $606.6M in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Company leadership has skin in the game with net positive insider conviction.. Primary risk factors monitored: Broader market pullbacks can still drag down strong stocks in the short run.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

Where is LOCO trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

LOCO last traded at $15.37 (+2.40% on volume of 174,069 shares), positioning the stock +2.47% above its 50-day simple moving average ($15.00) and +9.08% above its 200-day simple moving average ($14.09). Across its 52-week range of $9.84 to $17.40, LOCO sits at the 73.1% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 53.4 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±6.5% ($14.37 to $16.37).

LOCO Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

Should I buy, hold, or sell LOCO stock right now?

El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc. (LOCO) currently earns a Roarable Rating of C+ (Hold — HOLD) with 66/100 RQD Confidence. Solid steady margins (12% return on capital), mixed timing at 18x P/E—hold if owned, no rush to chase.

What is LOCO's 12-month price target and RQD AI Jury consensus?

LOCO's 12-month base price target is $15.92 (range $12.42 to $18.79), backed by transparent SEC XBRL cash-flow, Form 4 insider, and CBOE options flow analysis.

Direct Sub-Reports: LOCO RQD Cockpit LOCO 12M Forecast LOCO Earnings & Move LOCO Dividends & DRIP LOCO Insiders & 13F LOCO Whale Options LOCO Profit Sankey LOCO News & Why