Back to top

Image: Bigstock

Has El Pollo Loco (LOCO) Outpaced Other Retail-Wholesale Stocks This Year?

Read MoreHide Full Article

For those looking to find strong Retail-Wholesale stocks, it is prudent to search for companies in the group that are outperforming their peers. Has El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO - Free Report) been one of those stocks this year? Let's take a closer look at the stock's year-to-date performance to find out.

El Pollo Loco Holdings is a member of our Retail-Wholesale group, which includes 209 different companies and currently sits at #9 in the Zacks Sector Rank. The Zacks Sector Rank considers 16 different sector groups. The average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks within the groups is measured, and the sectors are listed from best to worst.

The Zacks Rank emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find stocks with improving earnings outlooks. This system has a long record of success, and these stocks tend to be on track to beat the market over the next one to three months. El Pollo Loco Holdings is currently sporting a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy).

Over the past 90 days, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for LOCO's full-year earnings has moved 13.2% higher. This signals that analyst sentiment is improving and the stock's earnings outlook is more positive.

Based on the most recent data, LOCO has returned 54.1% so far this year. At the same time, Retail-Wholesale stocks have gained an average of 14.1%. This shows that El Pollo Loco Holdings is outperforming its peers so far this year.

Another stock in the Retail-Wholesale sector, Marks and Spencer Group PLC (MAKSY - Free Report) , has outperformed the sector so far this year. The stock's year-to-date return is 24.9%.

The consensus estimate for Marks and Spencer Group PLC's current year EPS has increased 1.5% over the past three months. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

Looking more specifically, El Pollo Loco Holdings belongs to the Retail - Restaurants industry, which includes 43 individual stocks and currently sits at #145 in the Zacks Industry Rank. Stocks in this group have gained about 2.1% so far this year, so LOCO is performing better this group in terms of year-to-date returns.

On the other hand, Marks and Spencer Group PLC belongs to the Retail - Supermarkets industry. This 9-stock industry is currently ranked #21. The industry has moved +42.3% year to date.

Investors interested in the Retail-Wholesale sector may want to keep a close eye on El Pollo Loco Holdings and Marks and Spencer Group PLC as they attempt to continue their solid performance.


See More Zacks Research for These Tickers


Normally $25 each - click below to receive one report FREE:


Marks and Spencer Group PLC (MAKSY) - free report >>

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) - free report >>

Published in