El Pollo Loco (LOCO) Q3 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates

For the quarter ended September 2025, El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) reported revenue of $121.52 million, up 0.9% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.27, compared to $0.21 in the year-ago quarter.The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $123.51 million, representing a surprise of -1.61%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +17.39%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.23.While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.Here is how El Pollo Loco performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:Stores at the End of Period - Franchise restaurants: 324 compared to the 328 average estimate based on two analysts.Comparable restaurant sales - System-wide: -0.8% versus -0.2% estimated by two analysts on average.Stores at the End of Period - Total Restaurants: 498 versus the two-analyst average estimate of 502.Stores at the End of Period - Company-owned Restaurants: 174 versus the two-analyst average estimate of 175.Revenue- Franchise advertising fee revenue: $7.94 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $7.98 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.6%.Revenue- Franchise revenue: $12.86 million compared to the $12.54 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +13.5% year over year.Revenue- Company-operated restaurant revenue: $100.72 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $103.39 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -0.5%.View all Key Company Metrics for El Pollo Loco here>>>Shares of El Pollo Loco have returned +0.7% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.Zacks' Research Chief Picks Stock Most Likely to "At Least Double"Our experts have revealed their Top 5 recommendations with money-doubling potential – and Director of Research Sheraz Mian believes one is superior to the others. Of course, all our picks aren’t winners but this one could far surpass earlier recommendations like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.See Our Top Stock to Double (Plus 4 Runners Up) >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks