LOCO vs MCD vs SBUX Stock Comparison

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Mcdonalds and Starbucks Prices as of Oct 27, 2026 Peers: Industry group
LOCO El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
$14.62 +3.8% 1M +49.8% 1Y
Market cap
$445.04M
P/E
12.5x
Revenue (TTM)
$500.79M
Div. yield
–
Quick-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
5 wins
MCD Mcdonalds Corp
$249.47 +5.5% 1M -19.5% 1Y
Market cap
$176.54B
P/E
20.1x
Revenue (TTM)
$27.70B
Div. yield
2.98%
Quick-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
6 wins
SBUX Starbucks Corp
$103.04 +8.6% 1M +18.1% 1Y
Market cap
$117.47B
P/E
59.2x
Revenue (TTM)
$38.34B
Div. yield
2.41%
Quick-Service Restaurants Consumer Discretionary
1 win

Head to Head

12 decided of 12

Mcdonalds leads on 6 of the 12 questions below (Mcdonalds 6, El Pollo Loco Holdings 5, Starbucks 1). Which ones matter depends on what you are buying for; a cheap multiple and slow growth often come together.

QuestionLOCOMCDSBUXLeader
Larger companyMarket capitalisation $445.04M $176.54B $117.47B MCD
Cheaper on earningsLower P/E, profitable companies only 12.5x 20.1x 59.2x LOCO
Cheaper on forward earningsLower price / next fiscal year consensus EPS 15.1x 18.8x 41.9x LOCO
Faster revenue growthRevenue growth, trailing twelve months +4.4% +6.3% +4.5% MCD
More profitableNet margin, trailing twelve months 7.0% 31.7% 5.2% MCD
Better return on capitalReturn on invested capital 10.8% 25.9% 31.4% SBUX
Less leveragedLower net debt / EBITDA 0.2x 2.6x 2.1x LOCO
Higher dividend yieldTrailing dividend yield 0.00% 2.98% 2.41% MCD
Better 1-year returnPrice return, last 12 months +49.8% -19.5% +18.1% LOCO
Better 5-year returnAnnualised price return, 5 years -0.2%/yr +0.3%/yr -1.9%/yr MCD
Less volatileAnnualised volatility, 1 year 37.0% 19.9% 27.6% MCD
Higher overall scoreMean of the five percentile scores vs peers 60/100 50/100 34/100 LOCO

Percentile Scorecard

LOCOMCDSBUX

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

AxisLOCOMCDSBUX
Valuation 92 #5 of 50 18 #41 of 50 6 #47 of 50
Growth 83 #9 of 47 39 #29 of 47 17 #39 of 47
Profitability 58 #20 of 46 100 #1 of 46 69 #15 of 46
Financial Health 68 #17 of 51 44 #29 of 51 42 #30 of 51
Shareholder Returns 0 #33 of 33 47 #18 of 33 34 #22 of 33
Overall 60 50 34
  • LOCO ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants
  • MCD ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants
  • SBUX ranked among 53 companies in Restaurants

Price Performance

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

Returns

PeriodLOCOMCDSBUXSPY
1 month +3.8%+5.5%+8.6% -0.2%
3 months -10.4%-8.6%-0.1% +3.9%
6 months +7.6%-14.7%+5.9% +8.2%
Year to date +39.8%-18.4%+22.4% +12.9%
1 year +49.8%-19.5%+18.1% +12.3%
3 years +78.1%-2.5%+12.0% +87.4%
3 years, per year +21.2%-0.8%+3.8% +23.3%
5 years -1.0%+1.6%-9.0% +67.9%
5 years, per year -0.2%+0.3%-1.9% +10.9%
10 years +21.8%+122.6%+92.3% +261.1%
10 years, per year +2.0%+8.3%+6.8% +13.7%

Risk

MeasureLOCOMCDSBUXSPY
Volatility, 1Y 37.0%19.9%27.6% 12.7%
Downside volatility, 1Y 32.2%20.4%25.0% 12.7%
Beta vs S&P 500, 1Y 0.45-0.010.53 1.00
Return / volatility, 1Y 1.35-0.980.66 0.97
Max drawdown, 5Y -47.2%-32.3%-40.2% -25.4%
From 52-week high -15.0%-26.9%-5.1% -1.2%
52-week high $17.20$341.06$108.55 $779.14
52-week low $9.06$230.86$79.60 $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.

MultipleLOCOMCDSBUX
P/E now vs peer median 12.5xmedian 20.6x 20.1xmedian 20.6x 59.2xmedian 20.6x
P/S now vs peer median 0.9xmedian 1.2x 6.4xmedian 1.2x 3.1xmedian 1.2x
EV/EBITDA now vs peer median 6.6xmedian 13.3x 14.3xmedian 13.3x 27.4xmedian 13.3x
P/FCF now vs peer median 10.9xmedian 17.3x 23.9xmedian 17.3x 32.3xmedian 17.3x
P/B now vs peer median 1.4xmedian 3.1x -172.6xmedian 3.1x -15.3xmedian 3.1x
PEG now vs peer median 0.60median 1.07 4.68median 1.07 -3.08median 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 monthsLOCOMCDSBUX
Revenue $500.79M $27.70B $38.34B
Gross profit $161.41M $24.86B –
Operating income $52.67M $12.80B $2.98B
Net income $34.86M $8.79B $1.98B
Free cash flow $41.01M $7.39B $3.64B
EPS (diluted) $1.16 $12.36 $1.73
Cash & equivalents $13.30M $822.00M $3.45B
Total debt $186.00M $162.65B $13.28B
Shares (diluted) 30.09M 711.10M 1.14B
Enterprise value $410.71M $171.36B $105.10B

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
MetricLOCOMCDSBUX
P/E 12.5x 20.1x 59.2x
P/FCF 10.9x 23.9x 32.3x
P/Operating cash flow 6.0x 15.6x 23.6x
P/S 0.9x 6.4x 3.1x
P/B 1.4x -172.6x -15.3x
P/Tangible book 1.7x -172.6x -15.0x
EV/EBITDA 6.6x 14.3x 27.4x
EV/EBIT 8.8x 16.8x 42.7x
EV/Revenue 0.9x 7.8x 3.3x
EV/FCF 11.3x 29.2x 34.9x
EV/Operating cash flow 6.2x 19.0x 25.5x
PEG (3Y EPS CAGR) 0.60 4.68 -3.08

Growth

14 metrics
MetricLOCOMCDSBUX
Revenue growth (1Y) 4.4% 6.3% 4.5%
Revenue CAGR (3Y) 2.0% 4.6% 3.1%
Gross profit growth (1Y) 8.4% 5.3% –
Gross profit CAGR (3Y) 8.3% 4.8% –
Operating income growth (1Y) 33.5% 7.3% -24.9%
Operating income CAGR (3Y) 14.6% 5.2% -17.8%
Net income growth (1Y) 41.0% 4.7% -24.7%
Net income CAGR (3Y) 14.0% 3.2% -19.4%
EPS growth (1Y) 37.1% 5.7% -24.9%
EPS CAGR (3Y) 20.7% 4.3% -19.2%
Operating cash flow growth (1Y) 97.0% 15.8% 1.7%
Operating cash flow CAGR (3Y) 15.1% 9.1% -1.2%
Free cash flow growth (1Y) 98.0% 18.0% 61.6%
Free cash flow CAGR (3Y) 13.3% 8.3% 6.9%

Profitability

14 metrics
MetricLOCOMCDSBUX
Gross margin 32.2% 89.7% –
EBITDA margin 13.9% 54.4% 12.1%
Operating margin 10.5% 46.2% 7.8%
Pretax margin 9.8% 40.4% 8.0%
Net margin 7.0% 31.7% 5.2%
FCF margin 8.2% 26.7% 9.5%
Operating cash flow margin 14.8% 40.9% 13.0%
Return on equity 11.2% – –
Return on assets 5.7% 14.6% 6.7%
Return on invested capital 10.8% 25.9% 31.4%
Return on capital employed 9.9% 22.9% 15.3%
Asset turnover 0.8x 0.5x 1.3x
Cash conversion (OCF / net income) 2.1x 1.3x 2.5x
Stock comp / revenue 1.1% 0.6% 1.0%

Financial Health

11 metrics
MetricLOCOMCDSBUX
Debt / assets 4.8% 66.5% 46.9%
Debt / equity 0.1x -39.0x -1.7x
Net debt / EBITDA 0.2x 2.6x 2.1x
Debt / FCF 0.7x 5.4x 3.6x
Liabilities / assets 48.8% 101.7% 127.1%
Equity / assets 51.2% -1.7% -27.1%
Interest coverage 14.9x 7.9x 5.4x
Current ratio 0.4x 1.1x 0.8x
Quick ratio 0.3x 0.8x 0.5x
Cash ratio 0.2x 0.2x 0.4x
Altman Z-score 2.02 4.59 3.14

Shareholder Returns

7 metrics
MetricLOCOMCDSBUX
Dividend yield – 3.0% 2.4%
Net buyback yield -0.7% 1.2% -0.1%
Shareholder yield -0.7% 4.2% 2.3%
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.

ConsensusLOCOMCDSBUX
Forward P/E 15.1xFY2026 18.8xFY2026 41.9xFY2026
EPS, next fiscal year $0.97FY2026 $13.24FY2026 $2.46FY2026
EPS growth, next FY -1.0%FY2026 +8.5%FY2026 +15.5%FY2026
EPS growth, the year after +22.7% +6.8% +21.5%
Revenue, next fiscal year $481.37MFY2026 $29.23BFY2026 $35.66BFY2026
Revenue growth, next FY -1.8%FY2026 +8.7%FY2026 -4.1%FY2026
Revenue growth, the year after +6.1% -4.0% +5.4%

Institutional Ownership

13F filings, quarter ended Jun 30, 2026
HoldersLOCOMCDSBUX
Held by institutions 93.3% 74.2% 85.6%
Institutions holding 152 3,475 2,400
Change in shares held, QoQ +7.1% +0.4% +4.9%
Institutions buying 89 1,535 1,097
Institutions selling 42 1,486 991
Buyers to sellers 2.12 1.03 1.11

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.

LOCOMCDSBUX
LOCO 1.00 0.22 0.25
MCD 0.22 1.00 0.34
SBUX 0.25 0.34 1.00

Add a Peer

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Frequently Asked Questions

Which is bigger, LOCO, MCD and SBUX?

Mcdonalds (MCD) is the largest by market capitalisation: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) $445.04M, Mcdonalds (MCD) $176.54B, Starbucks (SBUX) $117.47B.

Which stock is cheaper, LOCO, MCD and SBUX?

El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) trades on the lowest price-to-earnings ratio (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 12.5x, Mcdonalds (MCD) 20.1x, Starbucks (SBUX) 59.2x). On next year's consensus earnings, El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) is cheapest (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 15.1x, Mcdonalds (MCD) 18.8x, Starbucks (SBUX) 41.9x). A lower multiple can reflect slower expected growth, so read it next to the growth figures.

Which company is growing faster?

Mcdonalds (MCD) grew revenue fastest over the trailing twelve months: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) +4.4%, Mcdonalds (MCD) +6.3%, Starbucks (SBUX) +4.5%.

Which company is more profitable?

Mcdonalds (MCD) has the highest net margin (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 7.0%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 31.7%, Starbucks (SBUX) 5.2%). On return on invested capital, Starbucks (SBUX) leads (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 10.8%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 25.9%, Starbucks (SBUX) 31.4%).

Which stock has performed better?

Over the past year El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) returned the most: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) +49.8%, Mcdonalds (MCD) -19.5%, Starbucks (SBUX) +18.1%. Over five years, Mcdonalds (MCD) compounded fastest (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) -0.2%/yr, Mcdonalds (MCD) +0.3%/yr, Starbucks (SBUX) -1.9%/yr). Returns are price only, before dividends.

Which pays a higher dividend?

Mcdonalds (MCD) has the highest dividend yield: El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 0.00%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 2.98%, Starbucks (SBUX) 2.41%. El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) pays no regular dividend.

Which stock is riskier?

By one-year price volatility, Mcdonalds (MCD) has been the steadiest (El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) 37.0%, Mcdonalds (MCD) 19.9%, Starbucks (SBUX) 27.6%). Volatility measures how widely the price swings, not the risk of the business.

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

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 6. 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.