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El Pollo Loco HoldingsLOCO +2.60%65 Cash Ratio is 0.16 as of Jun. 2026, which is 7% above its 10-year median of 0.15. GuruFocus rates LOCO with a GF Score™ of 65/100 and a GF Value™ of $11.83 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 360 Restaurants companies, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks worse than 277777.5% on this metric.
El Pollo Loco Holdings has a Cash Ratio of 0.16. It indicates that there are more current liabilities than Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities, and the company does not have sufficient cash on hand to pay off its short-term debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for El Pollo Loco Holdings's Cash Ratio or its related term are showing as below:
LOCO'
s Cash Ratio Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.03 Med: 0.15 Max: 0.9
Current: 0.16
During the past 13 years, El Pollo Loco Holdings's highest Cash Ratio was 0.90. The lowest was 0.03. And the median was 0.15.
LOCO's Cash Ratio is not ranked
in the Restaurants industry.
Industry Median: 0.52
vs LOCO: 0.16
El Pollo Loco Holdings (NAS:LOCO) Cash Ratio Explanation
The cash ratio is more conservative than other liquidity ratios, such as Quick Ratio and Current Ratio, because it only considers a company's most liquid resources. The numerator of cash ratio only considers Cash, Cash Equivalents and marketable securities. Other current assets, such as accounts receivable and inventories, are not included. The rationale is that these assets may require time to be transformed into cash, and the amount of money received is also uncertain.
The cash ratio shows a company’s ability to pay all current liabilities immediately without selling or liquidating other assets. Generally speaking, a higher cash ratio suggests the company has a stronger ability to cover its short-term debt. However, a high cash ratio could also indicate inefficient management: the company is inefficient in making full utilization of cash to invest protential profitable project. It may also suggest that the company is not confident about future profitability.
In general, the higher the cash ratio, the better the company's liquidity position.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
For the Restaurants subindustry, El Pollo Loco Holdings's Cash Ratio, along with its competitors' market caps and Cash Ratio data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Cash Ratio vs Restaurants Industry
For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, El Pollo Loco Holdings's Cash Ratio distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where El Pollo Loco Holdings's Cash Ratio falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) has a Cash Ratio of 0.16 as of Jun. 2026. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 0.15. Over the past decade, El Pollo Loco Holdings' Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.03 to 0.90. According to the industry distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #999999 out of 360 companies in the Restaurants industry.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings' Cash Ratio too high?
El Pollo Loco Holdings' current Cash Ratio of 0.16 is near median its 10-year median of 0.15. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.03 to a high of 0.90. The Restaurants industry median Cash Ratio is 0.52. El Pollo Loco Holdings' value of 0.16 is 69.2% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #999999 out of 360 companies in the Restaurants industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, El Pollo Loco Holdings has a GF Score™ of 65/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does El Pollo Loco Holdings' Cash Ratio compare to KRUS and DIN?
According to the Restaurants industry distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #999999 out of 360 companies for Cash Ratio. This places El Pollo Loco Holdings in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Cash Ratio is 0.52. El Pollo Loco Holdings' value of 0.16 is 69.2% below this benchmark. Historically, El Pollo Loco Holdings' own Cash Ratio has ranged from 0.03 to 0.90 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.15 vs. the industry median of 0.52, El Pollo Loco Holdings has consistently been below the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Cash Ratio for a Restaurants company?
The median Cash Ratio among Restaurants companies is 0.52, based on 360 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Cash Ratio significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Cash Ratio should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. El Pollo Loco Holdings's current Cash Ratio of 0.16 is 69.2% below the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Cash Ratio mean?
A high Cash Ratio can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Cashflow ratio is the ratio of Cash, Cash Equivalents, Marketable Securities to current liabilities. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings and its competitors. For the Restaurants industry, the median Cash Ratio is 0.52 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. El Pollo Loco Holdings's current Cash Ratio is 0.16, which is near median its own 10-year median of 0.15. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $11.83, compared to a current price of $15.20 — trading 28.5% above its estimated fair value. The current Cash Ratio is 0.16, which is near median its 10-year median of 0.15 and 69.2% below the Restaurants industry median of 0.52. El Pollo Loco Holdings' overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Cash Ratio calculated?
Cash Ratio is calculated from a company's financial statements. For El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO), the current Cash Ratio is 0.16 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, El Pollo Loco Holdings stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $15.20 is trading 28.5% above its estimated GF Value™ of $11.83.
GuruFocus considers El Pollo Loco Holdings to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LOCO:
Cash Ratio: 0.16 (near median its 10-year median of 0.15)
GF Value™: $11.83 vs. price of $15.20 (28.5% above fair value)
Industry Position: 69.2% below the Restaurants median (#999999 of 360)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LOCO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc operates and franchises hundreds of fast-casual chicken restaurants in the United States. It specializes in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken and operates in the limited service restaurant market segment. Its offerings include Mexican-inspired menu items, including burritos, tostadas, bowls, salads, and bone-in chicken meals in various portion sizes. It also offers citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken, along with a range of salsas and dressings that allow customers to customize their meals. The company operates in one operating segment. The majority of the company's revenue is derived from company-operated restaurant revenue.
65GF Score
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