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

LOCO has the lower trailing P/E: CTRN trades at 59.31 and LOCO at 12.36. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.

Which has grown faster, CTRN or LOCO?

Over the past five years, LOCO grew revenue faster — CTRN at a -2.23% CAGR versus LOCO at 2.11%.

Is CTRN or LOCO more profitable?

LOCO runs the higher net margin — CTRN at 0.84% versus LOCO at 6.96%.

How have CTRN and LOCO total returns compared?

Over the past 10 years, CTRN delivered 9.92% and LOCO delivered 3.38% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Citi Trends, Inc. (CTRN) vs El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO)

A side-by-side comparison of Citi Trends, Inc. 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.

CTRN

Citi Trends, Inc.

$405M

$48.64Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 10:45 AM EDT

LOCO

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.

$440M

$14.46Consumer CyclicalDelayed quote: Oct 6, 2026, 10:40 AM EDT

Total return — CTRN vs LOCO

growth of $100 · dividends reinvested · last 10y

CTRN +157.5% (+9.9%/yr)LOCO +41.6% (+3.5%/yr)CTRN compounded faster over this window

CTRN LOCO

CTRN vs LOCO: by the numbers

•LOCO is the larger company ($440M vs $405M market cap).
•LOCO trades at the lower trailing earnings multiple (12.36 vs 59.31 P/E), one valuation lens rather than an overall verdict.
•LOCO converts more revenue to profit (6.96% vs 0.84% net margin).
•LOCO grew revenue faster over the past five years (2.11% vs -2.23% CAGR).

Metrics side by side

Valuation

Metric	CTRN	LOCO
P/E ratio	59.31	12.36
Forward P/E	25.20	14.08
PEG ratio	N/A	2.14
P/S ratio	0.47	0.88
P/B ratio	3.25	1.39
EV / EBITDA	22.73	9.28
FCF yield	1.60%	9.31%

Profitability

Metric	CTRN	LOCO
Gross margin	39.22%	28.32%
Operating margin	0.59%	10.58%
Net margin	0.84%	6.96%
ROE	5.89%	11.00%
ROIC	1.64%	7.04%

Growth (annualized)

Metric	CTRN	LOCO
Revenue CAGR (5Y)	-2.23%	2.11%
EPS CAGR (5Y)	-22.53%	5.39%
FCF CAGR (5Y)	-40.76%	-5.56%
Total return CAGR (5Y)	-8.32%	-0.27%

Frequently asked

Which has the lower trailing P/E, CTRN or LOCO?: LOCO has the lower trailing P/E: CTRN trades at 59.31 and LOCO at 12.36. P/E is one valuation measure and does not by itself establish which business is cheaper.
Which has grown faster, CTRN or LOCO?: Over the past five years, LOCO grew revenue faster — CTRN at a -2.23% CAGR versus LOCO at 2.11%.
Is CTRN or LOCO more profitable?: LOCO runs the higher net margin — CTRN at 0.84% versus LOCO at 6.96%.
How have CTRN and LOCO total returns compared?: Over the past 10 years, CTRN delivered 9.92% and LOCO delivered 3.38% annualized total return. Past performance doesn't predict future results.

Go deeper

Full CTRN analysis Full LOCO analysis Interactive comparison tool

Dig into the metrics

Citi Trends P/E ratio El Pollo Loco P/E ratio Citi Trends ROE El Pollo Loco ROE Citi Trends operating margin El Pollo Loco operating margin Citi Trends revenue growth El Pollo Loco revenue growth Citi Trends free cash flow El Pollo Loco free cash flow

Citi Trends & El Pollo Loco appear in these rankings

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.