Which has the lower trailing P/E, ARKO or LOCO?

LOCO has the lower trailing P/E: ARKO trades at 59.34 and LOCO at 12.35. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, ARKO or LOCO?

Over the past five years, ARKO grew revenue faster — ARKO at a 7.25% CAGR versus LOCO at 2.11%.

Does ARKO or LOCO pay a bigger dividend?

ARKO pays a dividend (2.85% yield), while LOCO is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Is ARKO or LOCO more profitable?

LOCO runs the higher net margin — ARKO at 0.19% versus LOCO at 6.96%.

How have ARKO and LOCO total returns compared?

Over the past 5 years, ARKO delivered -14.93% and LOCO delivered -0.27% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Arko Corp. (ARKO) vs El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO)

A side-by-side comparison of Arko Corp. and El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. across valuation, profitability, dividends, and growth — built entirely from reported fundamentals, as of October 6, 2026. Differences are shown without an overall score or investment verdict.

ARKO

Arko Corp.

$474M

$4.23Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT

LOCO

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

$440M

$14.45Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 12:15 PM EDT

Total return — ARKO vs LOCO

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 7y

ARKO -53.6% (-10.4%/yr)LOCO +63.1% (+7.2%/yr)LOCO compounded faster over this window

ARKO LOCO

ARKO vs LOCO: by the numbers

•ARKO is the larger company ($474M vs $440M market cap).
•LOCO trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (12.35 vs 59.34 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•LOCO converts more revenue to profit (6.96% vs 0.19% net margin).
•ARKO grew revenue faster over the past five years (7.25% vs 2.11% CAGR).
•ARKO pays a dividend (2.85% yield), while LOCO is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	ARKO	LOCO
P/E ratio	59.34	12.35
Forward P/E	38.41	14.08
PEG ratio	3.68	2.14
P/S ratio	0.06	0.88
P/B ratio	1.18	1.39
EV / EBITDA	10.60	9.28
FCF yield	8.42%	9.32%

Profitability

Metric	ARKO	LOCO
Gross margin	5.17%	28.32%
Operating margin	1.40%	10.58%
Net margin	0.19%	6.96%
ROE	2.95%	11.00%
ROIC	2.66%	7.04%

Dividends

Metric	ARKO	LOCO
Dividend yield	2.85%	N/A
Payout ratio	168.54%	N/A

Growth (annualized)

Metric	ARKO	LOCO
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	7.25%	2.11%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	16.14%	5.39%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-11.62%	-5.56%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-14.93%	-0.27%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, ARKO or LOCO?: LOCO has the lower trailing P/E: ARKO trades at 59.34 and LOCO at 12.35. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, ARKO or LOCO?: Over the past five years, ARKO grew revenue faster — ARKO at a 7.25% CAGR versus LOCO at 2.11%.
Does ARKO or LOCO pay a bigger dividend?: ARKO pays a dividend (2.85% yield), while LOCO is a former payer with no current dividend run rate.
Is ARKO or LOCO more profitable?: LOCO runs the higher net margin — ARKO at 0.19% versus LOCO at 6.96%.
How have ARKO and LOCO total returns compared?: Over the past 5 years, ARKO delivered -14.93% and LOCO delivered -0.27% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full ARKO analysis Full LOCO analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Arko P/E ratio El Pollo Loco P/E ratio Arko dividend yield Arko ROE El Pollo Loco ROE Arko operating margin El Pollo Loco operating margin Arko revenue growth El Pollo Loco revenue growth Arko free cash flow El Pollo Loco free cash flow

Arko & El Pollo Loco appear in these rankings

Highest Dividend Yield Stocks Highest FCF Yield Stocks Lowest P/E Ratio Stocks

Figures are sourced from reported fundamentals and the latest end-of-day price. This comparison is informational only and is not investment advice. Past performance does not predict future results. See our methodology. Compiled by TGMCharts Research · data verified October 6, 2026.