El Pollo Loco Ho Financials
Financial Health Signals
Based on FY2024 annual data. Scores normalized against common benchmarks. How we calculate these scores
El Pollo Loco Ho has an operating margin of 8.7%, meaning the company retains $9 of operating profit per $100 of revenue. This results in a moderate score of 43/100, indicating healthy but not exceptional operating efficiency. This is up from 8.5% the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's revenue grew a modest 0.9% year-over-year to $473.0M. This slow but positive growth earns a score of 31/100.
El Pollo Loco Ho carries a low D/E ratio of 0.27, meaning only $0.27 of long-term debt for every $1 of shareholders' equity. This conservative leverage earns a score of 100/100, indicating a strong balance sheet with room for future borrowing.
El Pollo Loco Ho's current ratio of 0.26 means current assets barely cover short-term liabilities. This tight liquidity results in a low score of 0/100, which could limit financial flexibility.
El Pollo Loco Ho's free cash flow margin of 5.9% results in a low score of 29/100. Capital expenditures of $19.1M absorb a large share of operating cash flow.
El Pollo Loco Ho's ROE of 9.8% shows moderate profitability relative to equity, earning a score of 39/100. This is down from 10.2% the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho scores 1.53, below the 1.81 distress threshold. This indicates elevated financial distress risk and warrants close attention to liquidity and debt levels.
El Pollo Loco Ho passes 7 of 9 financial strength tests. All 4 profitability signals pass (positive income, cash flow, and earnings quality), 2 of 3 leverage/liquidity signals pass, both operating efficiency signals pass.
For every $1 of reported earnings, El Pollo Loco Ho generates $1.82 in operating cash flow ($46.8M OCF vs $25.7M net income). This indicates profits are well-supported by actual cash generation, not accounting adjustments.
El Pollo Loco Ho earns $7.0 in operating income for every $1 of interest expense ($41.2M vs $5.9M). This wide margin provides strong safety for debt servicing, even if earnings decline temporarily.
This page shows El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) financial statements, including the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key financial ratios. View 13 years of annual fundamentals and quarterly data, with year-over-year growth rates and compound annual growth rates (CAGR). All figures are derived from SEC filings (10-K and 10-Q reports).
Key Financial Metrics
El Pollo Loco Ho generated $473.0M in revenue in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 0.9% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's EBITDA was $56.9M in fiscal year 2024, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. This represents an increase of 3.4% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho generated $27.7M in free cash flow in fiscal year 2024, representing cash available after capex. This represents an increase of 43.1% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho reported $25.7M in net income in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 0.5% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho earned $0.86 per diluted share (EPS) in fiscal year 2024. This represents an increase of 16.2% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho held $2.5M in cash against $71.0M in long-term debt as of fiscal year 2024.
El Pollo Loco Ho had 30M shares outstanding in fiscal year 2024. This represents a decrease of 4.8% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's operating margin was 8.7% in fiscal year 2024, reflecting core business profitability. This is up 0.2 percentage points from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's net profit margin was 5.4% in fiscal year 2024, showing the share of revenue converted to profit. This is down 0.0 percentage points from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's ROE was 9.8% in fiscal year 2024, measuring profit generated per dollar of shareholder equity. This is down 0.3 percentage points from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho spent $20.6M on share buybacks in fiscal year 2024, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding. This represents a decrease of 65.3% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho invested $19.1M in capex in fiscal year 2024, funding long-term assets and infrastructure. This represents a decrease of 10.6% from the prior year.
LOCO Income Statement
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $121.5M-3.4% | $125.8M+5.6% | $119.2M+4.3% | $114.3M-6.5% | $122.2M+5.2% | $116.2M+3.5% | $112.2M-6.8% | $120.4M |
| Cost of Revenue | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gross Profit | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| R&D Expenses | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| SG&A Expenses | $12.3M-8.8% | $13.5M+20.1% | $11.3M+1.1% | $11.1M-5.5% | $11.8M-1.2% | $11.9M+12.8% | $10.6M+15.6% | $9.1M |
| Operating Income | $11.5M+1.4% | $11.3M+26.0% | $9.0M-0.7% | $9.0M-26.7% | $12.3M+27.3% | $9.7M+29.7% | $7.5M-45.5% | $13.7M |
| Interest Expense | $1.1M-7.0% | $1.2M+2.6% | $1.2M-7.5% | $1.3M-16.7% | $1.5M-2.4% | $1.6M+7.9% | $1.4M+4.8% | $1.4M |
| Income Tax | $3.0M-0.4% | $3.0M+29.2% | $2.3M+26.6% | $1.8M-42.1% | $3.2M+43.3% | $2.2M+32.5% | $1.7M-44.1% | $3.0M |
| Net Income | $7.4M+3.5% | $7.1M+29.7% | $5.5M-7.9% | $6.0M-22.0% | $7.6M+29.1% | $5.9M+35.9% | $4.4M-52.9% | $9.2M |
| EPS (Diluted) | $0.25+4.2% | $0.24+26.3% | $0.19-9.5% | $0.21-16.0% | $0.25+31.6% | $0.19+46.2% | $0.13-53.6% | $0.28 |
LOCO Balance Sheet
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $602.7M+1.0% | $596.8M+1.1% | $590.5M-0.3% | $592.0M-0.3% | $593.8M-0.7% | $598.0M+1.0% | $592.3M-0.1% | $593.0M |
| Current Assets | $28.5M+6.1% | $26.8M+12.5% | $23.8M+19.8% | $19.9M-23.5% | $26.0M-3.1% | $26.8M+6.8% | $25.1M-13.7% | $29.1M |
| Cash & Equivalents | $10.9M+20.9% | $9.0M+107.9% | $4.3M+74.0% | $2.5M-76.3% | $10.5M+14.7% | $9.1M+25.2% | $7.3M-47.2% | $13.8M |
| Inventory | $1.7M+0.5% | $1.7M-6.6% | $1.9M-4.5% | $1.9M+11.2% | $1.7M+0.4% | $1.7M-9.2% | $1.9M-6.3% | $2.0M |
| Accounts Receivable | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Goodwill | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M |
| Total Liabilities | $319.8M-0.9% | $322.6M-0.7% | $324.8M-2.0% | $331.3M-4.0% | $345.3M+1.0% | $341.7M0.0% | $341.6M+2.2% | $334.4M |
| Current Liabilities | $69.8M-9.0% | $76.8M+2.6% | $74.8M-1.1% | $75.7M+1.0% | $74.9M-0.4% | $75.2M+3.6% | $72.6M+4.3% | $69.6M |
| Long-Term Debt | $61.0M-11.6% | $69.0M-5.5% | $73.0M+2.8% | $71.0M-18.4% | $87.0M+8.8% | $80.0M-4.8% | $84.0M+5.0% | $80.0M |
| Total Equity | $282.9M+3.2% | $274.2M+3.2% | $265.7M+1.9% | $260.7M+4.9% | $248.6M-3.0% | $256.3M+2.2% | $250.7M-3.1% | $258.7M |
| Retained Earnings | $37.0M+24.8% | $29.7M+31.4% | $22.6M+19.4% | $18.9M-31.3% | $27.5M+38.4% | $19.9M+42.3% | $14.0M+45.3% | $9.6M |
LOCO Cash Flow Statement
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $15.3M+8.2% | $14.1M+198.6% | $4.7M-16.0% | $5.6M-66.8% | $17.0M+51.9% | $11.2M+36.5% | $8.2M-23.7% | $10.7M |
| Capital Expenditures | $5.4M+6.9% | $5.0M+48.7% | $3.4M-24.7% | $4.5M-31.0% | $6.5M+56.8% | $4.2M-31.0% | $6.0M-0.4% | $6.1M |
| Free Cash Flow | $9.9M+8.9% | $9.1M+576.0% | $1.3M+18.9% | $1.1M-89.1% | $10.4M+49.0% | $7.0M+226.5% | $2.1M-53.9% | $4.7M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -$5.4M-6.9% | -$5.0M-48.7% | -$3.4M+24.7% | -$4.5M+29.9% | -$6.4M-55.9% | -$4.1M+31.7% | -$6.0M-505.9% | $1.5M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -$8.0M-81.1% | -$4.4M-999.2% | $493K+107.5% | -$6.5M+28.8% | -$9.2M-76.3% | -$5.2M+39.9% | -$8.7M-1.2% | -$8.6M |
| Dividends Paid | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Share Buybacks | $0-100.0% | $68K-96.2% | $1.8M+40.6% | $1.3M-92.6% | $17.0M+1367.8% | $1.2M-90.8% | $12.6M-56.3% | $28.8M |
LOCO Financial Ratios
| Metric | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 | Q4'23 | Q3'23 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Operating Margin | 9.4%+0.4pp | 9.0%+1.4pp | 7.5%-0.4pp | 7.9%-2.2pp | 10.1%+1.8pp | 8.3%+1.7pp | 6.7%-4.7pp | 11.4% |
| Net Margin | 6.0%+0.4pp | 5.7%+1.1pp | 4.6%-0.6pp | 5.2%-1.0pp | 6.3%+1.2pp | 5.1%+1.2pp | 3.9%-3.8pp | 7.7% |
| Return on Equity | 2.6%0.0pp | 2.6%+0.5pp | 2.1%-0.2pp | 2.3%-0.8pp | 3.1%+0.8pp | 2.3%+0.6pp | 1.7%-1.8pp | 3.6% |
| Return on Assets | 1.2%+0.0pp | 1.2%+0.3pp | 0.9%-0.1pp | 1.0%-0.3pp | 1.3%+0.3pp | 1.0%+0.3pp | 0.7%-0.8pp | 1.6% |
| Current Ratio | 0.41+0.1 | 0.35+0.0 | 0.32+0.1 | 0.26-0.1 | 0.350.0 | 0.36+0.0 | 0.35-0.1 | 0.42 |
| Debt-to-Equity | 0.22-0.0 | 0.25-0.0 | 0.270.0 | 0.27-0.1 | 0.35+0.0 | 0.31-0.0 | 0.34+0.0 | 0.31 |
| FCF Margin | 8.2%+0.9pp | 7.2%+6.1pp | 1.1%+0.1pp | 1.0%-7.5pp | 8.5%+2.5pp | 6.0%+4.1pp | 1.9%-2.0pp | 3.9% |
Note: The current ratio is below 1.0 (0.26), indicating current liabilities exceed current assets, which may suggest potential short-term liquidity concerns.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's annual revenue?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) reported $473.0M in total revenue for fiscal year 2024. This represents a 0.9% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Revenue measures the total income earned from the company's primary business operations before any expenses are deducted.
How fast is El Pollo Loco Ho's revenue growing?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) revenue grew by 0.9% year-over-year, from $468.7M to $473.0M in fiscal year 2024.
Is El Pollo Loco Ho profitable?
Yes, El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) reported a net income of $25.7M in fiscal year 2024, with a net profit margin of 5.4%.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's earnings per share (EPS)?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) reported diluted earnings per share of $0.86 for fiscal year 2024. This represents a 16.2% change compared to the previous fiscal year. EPS represents the portion of a company's net income allocated to each outstanding share of common stock and is widely used to evaluate profitability on a per-share basis.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's EBITDA?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had EBITDA of $56.9M in fiscal year 2024, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
How much debt does El Pollo Loco Ho have?
As of fiscal year 2024, El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had $2.5M in cash and equivalents against $71.0M in long-term debt.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's operating margin?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had an operating margin of 8.7% in fiscal year 2024, reflecting the profitability of core business operations before interest and taxes.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's net profit margin?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had a net profit margin of 5.4% in fiscal year 2024, representing the share of revenue converted into profit after all expenses.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's return on equity (ROE)?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) has a return on equity of 9.8% for fiscal year 2024, measuring how efficiently the company generates profit from shareholder equity.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's free cash flow?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) generated $27.7M in free cash flow during fiscal year 2024. This represents a 43.1% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Free cash flow represents the cash a company generates after accounting for capital expenditures, and is widely used to assess financial flexibility and shareholder value.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's operating cash flow?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) generated $46.8M in operating cash flow during fiscal year 2024, representing cash generated from core business activities.
What are El Pollo Loco Ho's total assets?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had $592.0M in total assets as of fiscal year 2024, including both current and long-term assets.
What are El Pollo Loco Ho's capital expenditures?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) invested $19.1M in capital expenditures during fiscal year 2024, funding long-term assets and infrastructure.
Does El Pollo Loco Ho buy back shares?
Yes, El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) spent $20.6M on share buybacks during fiscal year 2024, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding.
How many shares does El Pollo Loco Ho have outstanding?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had 30M shares outstanding as of fiscal year 2024.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's current ratio?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had a current ratio of 0.26 as of fiscal year 2024, which is below 1.0, which may suggest potential liquidity concerns.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's debt-to-equity ratio?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.27 as of fiscal year 2024, measuring the company's financial leverage by comparing total debt to shareholder equity.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's return on assets (ROA)?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had a return on assets of 4.3% for fiscal year 2024, measuring how efficiently the company uses its assets to generate profit.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's Altman Z-Score?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) has an Altman Z-Score of 1.53, placing it in the Distress Zone (elevated bankruptcy risk). The Z-Score combines five financial ratios—working capital, retained earnings, EBIT, market capitalization, and revenue relative to total assets—to predict the likelihood of bankruptcy. Scores above 2.99 indicate financial safety while scores below 1.81 suggest financial distress. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's Piotroski F-Score?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) has a Piotroski F-Score of 7 out of 9, indicating strong financial health. The F-Score evaluates nine binary signals across profitability (positive ROA, positive cash flow, improving ROA, earnings quality), leverage (decreasing debt, improving liquidity, no share dilution), and operating efficiency (improving gross margin, improving asset turnover). Scores of 7–9 indicate strong and improving fundamentals. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
Are El Pollo Loco Ho's earnings high quality?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) has an earnings quality ratio of 1.82x, considered cash-backed (high quality). This ratio compares operating cash flow to net income. A ratio above 1.0x means the company generates more cash than its reported earnings, indicating sustainable, cash-backed profits. Ratios below 1.0x suggest earnings rely on accounting accruals rather than actual cash generation. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
Can El Pollo Loco Ho cover its interest payments?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) has an interest coverage ratio of 7.0x, meaning it can comfortably cover its interest obligations. This ratio divides operating income by interest expense. Ratios above 5x indicate strong debt-servicing ability, while ratios below 2x suggest the company may face difficulty meeting interest payments if earnings decline. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
How financially healthy is El Pollo Loco Ho?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) scores 41 out of 100 on our Financial Profile, indicating moderate overall financial health. This composite score evaluates six dimensions: profitability (operating margin), revenue growth, leverage (debt-to-equity), liquidity (current ratio), cash flow quality (free cash flow margin), and shareholder returns (return on equity). Each dimension is normalized against standard financial benchmarks. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.