LOCO vs CMG vs MCD Stock Comparison

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Mcdonalds Prices as of Oct 26, 2026 Peers: Industry group
LOCO El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
$14.58 +3.5% 1M +54.1% 1Y
Market cap
$434.62M
P/E
12.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$500.79M
Div. yield
–
Quick-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
4 wins
CMG Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc
$28.42 -9.3% 1M -31.0% 1Y
Market cap
$35.70B
P/E
25.2x
Revenue (TTM)
$12.42B
Div. yield
–
Quick-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
2 wins
MCD Mcdonalds Corp
$250.84 +6.1% 1M -18.0% 1Y
Market cap
$176.83B
P/E
20.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$27.70B
Div. yield
0.03%
Quick-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
5 wins

Head to Head

11 decided of 12

Mcdonalds leads on 5 of the 12 questions below (Mcdonalds 5, El Pollo Loco Holdings 4, Chipotle Mexican Grill 2). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionLOCOCMGMCDLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $434.62M $35.70B $176.83B MCD
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 12.5x 25.2x 20.1x LOCO
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 15.0x 26.6x 18.9x LOCO
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +4.4% +7.3% +6.3% CMG
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 7.0% 11.4% 31.7% MCD
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 10.8% — 25.9% MCD
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 0.2x — 2.6x LOCO
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 0.00% 0.03% –
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +54.1% -31.0% -18.0% LOCO
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years +0.0%/yr -4.3%/yr +0.7%/yr MCD
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 37.1% 44.9% 19.9% MCD
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 60/100 64/100 50/100 CMG

Percentile Scorecard

LOCOCMGMCD

Each axis is the mean percentile of its metrics against the company's industry group. 100 is the best in the group, 50 the middle.

Scores by Axis

AxisLOCOCMGMCD
Valuation 90 #6 of 50 25 #38 of 50 18 #41 of 50
Growth 83 #9 of 47 41 #28 of 47 39 #29 of 47
Profitability 58 #20 of 46 91 #5 of 46 100 #1 of 46
Financial Health 68 #17 of 51 64 #19 of 51 44 #29 of 51
Shareholder Returns 0 #33 of 33 100 #1 of 33 47 #18 of 33
Overall 60 64 50
  • LOCO ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants
  • CMG ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants
  • MCD ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants

Price Performance

Price return, split-adjusted, before dividends. Click a name to hide or show it.

Returns

PeriodLOCOCMGMCDSPY
1 month +3.5%-9.3%+6.1% -0.8%
3 months -9.9%-14.4%-7.3% +3.5%
6 months +5.7%-15.5%-13.6% +7.0%
Year to date +39.4%-23.2%-17.9% +12.2%
1 year +54.1%-31.0%-18.0% +13.0%
3 years +77.6%-24.7%-1.9% +86.3%
3 years, per year +21.1%-9.0%-0.6% +23.1%
5 years +0.1%-19.5%+3.3% +68.6%
5 years, per year +0.0%-4.3%+0.7% +11.0%
10 years +23.6%+286.1%+123.7% +258.0%
10 years, per year +2.1%+14.5%+8.4% +13.6%

Risk

MeasureLOCOCMGMCDSPY
Volatility, 1Y 37.1%44.9%19.9% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.2%50.4%20.5% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.450.61-0.01 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.46-0.69-0.90 1.02
Max drawdown, 5Y -47.2%-59.9%-32.3% -25.4%
From 52-week high -15.2%-30.8%-26.5% -1.8%
52-week high $17.20$41.06$341.06 $779.14
52-week low $9.06$27.51$230.86 $631.97

Valuation History

Weekly multiples on trailing twelve-month fundamentals. Negative or extreme readings (a loss year, a collapsed denominator) are left out so the chart stays readable.

MultipleLOCOCMGMCD
P/E now vs peer median 12.4xmedian 20.5x 25.6xmedian 20.5x 20.2xmedian 20.5x
P/S now vs peer median 0.9xmedian 1.1x 2.9xmedian 1.1x 6.4xmedian 1.1x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 6.6xmedian 13.3x 16.1xmedian 13.3x 14.4xmedian 13.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 10.8xmedian 17.5x 22.9xmedian 17.5x 24.0xmedian 17.5x
P/B now vs peer median 1.4xmedian 3.1x 16.3xmedian 3.1x -173.5xmedian 3.1x
PEG now vs peer median 0.60median 1.07 2.25median 1.07 4.71median 1.07

Financial History

Reported figures by fiscal period, placed on the calendar year (or quarter) each period ended in, so companies with different fiscal years line up.

Trailing twelve monthsLOCOCMGMCD
Revenue $500.79M $12.42B $27.70B
Gross profit $161.41M – $24.86B
Operating income $52.67M $1.82B $12.80B
Net income $34.86M $1.42B $8.79B
Free cash flow $41.01M $1.57B $7.39B
EPS (diluted) $1.16 $1.11 $12.36
Cash & equivalents $13.30M $228.20M $822.00M
Total debt $186.00M – $162.65B
Shares (diluted) 30.09M 1.28B 711.10M
Enterprise value $400.29M $31.68B $171.65B

All Metrics

58 metrics · best in bold

Bold marks the best reading: the lowest positive value for multiples, leverage and payout, the highest for everything else. The bar under each value is its percentile against that company's own peers. Hover a value for its rank and the peer median.

Valuation

12 metrics
MetricLOCOCMGMCD
P/E 12.4x 25.6x 20.2x
P/FCF 10.8x 22.9x 24.0x
P/Operating cash flow 6.0x 15.5x 15.6x
P/S 0.9x 2.9x 6.4x
P/B 1.4x 16.3x -173.5x
P/Tangible book 1.7x 16.3x -173.5x
EV/EBITDA 6.6x 16.1x 14.4x
EV/EBIT 8.7x 19.4x 16.9x
EV/Revenue 0.9x 2.8x 7.8x
EV/FCF 11.2x 22.5x 29.3x
EV/Operating cash flow 6.2x 15.2x 19.1x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.60 2.25 4.71

Growth

14 metrics
MetricLOCOCMGMCD
Revenue growth (1Y) 4.4% 7.3% 6.3%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 2.0% 10.2% 4.6%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 8.4% – 5.3%
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 8.3% – 4.8%
Operating income growth (1Y) 33.5% -5.6% 7.3%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 14.6% 8.3% 5.2%
Net income growth (1Y) 41.0% -7.9% 4.7%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 14.0% 8.4% 3.2%
EPS growth (1Y) 37.1% -2.8% 5.7%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 20.7% 11.4% 4.3%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 97.0% 11.3% 15.8%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 15.1% 9.1% 9.1%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 98.0% 7.0% 18.0%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 13.3% 7.8% 8.3%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricLOCOCMGMCD
Gross margin 32.2% – 89.7%
EBITDA margin 13.9% 17.7% 54.4%
Operating margin 10.5% 14.7% 46.2%
Pretax margin 9.8% 15.0% 40.4%
Net margin 7.0% 11.4% 31.7%
FCF margin 8.2% 12.6% 26.7%
Operating cash flow margin 14.8% 18.7% 40.9%
Return on equity 11.2% 61.6% –
Return on assets 5.7% 16.1% 14.6%
Return on invested capital 10.8% – 25.9%
Return on capital employed 9.9% 24.2% 22.9%
Asset turnover 0.8x 1.4x 0.5x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.1x 1.6x 1.3x
Stock comp / revenue 1.1% 0.8% 0.6%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricLOCOCMGMCD
Debt / assets 4.8% – 66.5%
Debt / equity 0.1x – -39.0x
Net debt / EBITDA 0.2x – 2.6x
Debt / FCF 0.7x – 5.4x
Liabilities / assets 48.8% 75.2% 101.7%
Equity / assets 51.2% 24.8% -1.7%
Interest coverage 14.9x – 7.9x
Current ratio 0.4x 0.7x 1.1x
Quick ratio 0.3x 0.6x 0.8x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.5x 0.2x
Altman Z-score 2.02 5.26 4.60

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricLOCOCMGMCD
Dividend yield – – 3.0%
Net buyback yield -0.7% 7.7% 1.2%
Shareholder yield -0.7% 7.7% 4.1%
Payout ratio (earnings) – – 59.5%
Payout ratio (FCF) – – 70.8%
Dividend growth (1Y) – – 4.6%
Dividend CAGR (3Y) – – 6.3%

Analyst Estimates

Solid lines are reported fiscal-year results; dashed lines are the consensus for the years ahead. Hover a year for the analysts' high and low, and how each result compared with its estimate.

ConsensusLOCOCMGMCD
Forward P/E 15.0xFY2026 26.6xFY2026 18.9xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.97FY2026 $1.07FY2026 $13.24FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -1.0%FY2026 -8.5%FY2026 +8.5%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +22.7% +19.6% +6.8%
Revenue, next fiscal year $481.37MFY2026 $13.54BFY2026 $29.23BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY -1.8%FY2026 +13.5%FY2026 +8.7%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +6.1% +9.7% -4.0%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersLOCOCMGMCD
Held by institutions 93.3% 89.5% 74.2%
Institutions holding 152 1,197 3,473
Change in shares held, QoQ +7.1% +0.3% +0.4%
Institutions buying 89 510 1,534
Institutions selling 42 527 1,485
Buyers to sellers 2.12 0.97 1.03

Return Correlation

Daily returns, last 12 months

1.00 means two stocks move in lockstep, 0 that they move independently. Pairs below about 0.5 diversify each other.

LOCOCMGMCD
LOCO 1.00 0.38 0.22
CMG 0.38 1.00 0.26
MCD 0.22 0.26 1.00

Add a Peer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, LOCO, CMG and MCD?

Mcdonalds (MCD) is the largest by market capitalisation: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) $434.62M, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) $35.70B, Mcdonalds (MCD) $176.83B.

Which stock is cheaper, LOCO, CMG and MCD?

El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 12.5x, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) 25.2x, Mcdonalds (MCD) 20.1x). On next year's consensus earnings, El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) is cheapest (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 15.0x, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) 26.6x, Mcdonalds (MCD) 18.9x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) +4.4%, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) +7.3%, Mcdonalds (MCD) +6.3%.

Which company is more profitable?

Mcdonalds (MCD) has the highest net margin (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 7.0%, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) 11.4%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 31.7%). On return on invested capital, Mcdonalds (MCD) leads (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 10.8%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 25.9%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) returned the most: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) +54.1%, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) -31.0%, Mcdonalds (MCD) -18.0%. Over five years, Mcdonalds (MCD) compounded fastest (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) +0.0%/yr, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) -4.3%/yr, Mcdonalds (MCD) +0.7%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Only one of these companies pays a dividend: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 0.00%, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) 0.00%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 0.03%. El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) and Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Mcdonalds (MCD) has been the steadiest (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 37.1%, Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG) 44.9%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 19.9%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

Which is the better stock, LOCO, CMG and MCD?

There is no single answer; it depends on what you are buying for. On the 12 head-to-head measures on this page, Mcdonalds (MCD) leads on 5. Business Quant does not give investment advice; use the comparison as a starting point for your own research.

Data from SEC filings, exchange prices and consensus estimates, via Business Quant. Percentile scores compare each company with its own peer group, so two companies' scores are each relative to different peers unless you rank against the whole market. Price returns exclude dividends. Nothing on this page is investment advice.