Yahoo Finance Are Investors Undervaluing El Pollo Loco (LOCO) Right Now?
Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.
Considering these trends, value investing is clearly one of the most preferred ways to find strong stocks in any type of market. Value investors use tried-and-true metrics and fundamental analysis to find companies that they believe are undervalued at their current share price levels.
In addition to the Zacks Rank, investors looking for stocks with specific traits can utilize our Style Scores system. Of course, value investors will be most interested in the system's "Value" category. Stocks with "A" grades for Value and high Zacks Ranks are among the best value stocks available at any given moment.
One stock to keep an eye on is El Pollo Loco (LOCO). LOCO is currently holding a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value grade of A. The stock has a Forward P/E ratio of 14.31. This compares to its industry's average Forward P/E of 22.47. Over the past 52 weeks, LOCO's Forward P/E has been as high as 16.11 and as low as 9.75, with a median of 12.45.
Value investors also use the P/S ratio. The P/S ratio is is calculated as price divided by sales. This is a prefered metric because revenue can't really be manipulated, so sales are often a truer performance indicator. LOCO has a P/S ratio of 0.69. This compares to its industry's average P/S of 0.76.
Finally, investors will want to recognize that LOCO has a P/CF ratio of 7.77. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. LOCO's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 16.77. LOCO's P/CF has been as high as 9.95 and as low as 6.06, with a median of 7.12, all within the past year.
These are only a few of the key metrics included in El Pollo Loco's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, LOCO looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.
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El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) : Free Stock Analysis Report
