El Pollo Loco Ho Financials
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) reported $490.0M in revenue for fiscal year 2025, up 3.6% from the prior fiscal year. This page shows its income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key financial ratios. View 14 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).
El Pollo Loco’s cash-generating restaurant model is funding deleveraging while the company still runs with very thin liquidity.
FY2025 operating cash flow of$48.1M was far above net income of$26.5M , so reported earnings are turning into cash rather than being tied up elsewhere. Over the last three fiscal years, debt reduction continued even as the current ratio stayed below 0.4x, which implies management is using internally generated cash to shrink obligations instead of building a larger cash reserve.
Revenue changed only modestly over the last three fiscal years, yet operating margin recovered from
Free cash flow of
Financial Health Signals
Scored against operating companies for FY2025. Each of the six dimensions is a percentile rank within that peer group; the overall is their average, with missing dimensions counted as zero out of six. A high score means strong standing among peers, not absolute cross-industry strength. How this score is calculated →
Health score ≠ stock price. This rates the quality of El Pollo Loco Ho's business: profitability, growth, balance sheet strength. It doesn't tell you whether the stock is a good buy at today's price. Not financial advice. Use it alongside valuation analysis and your own research.
El Pollo Loco Ho has an operating margin of 8.6%, meaning the company retains $9 of operating profit per $100 of revenue. This strong profitability earns a score of 71/100, reflecting efficient cost management and pricing power. This is down from 8.7% the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's revenue grew a modest 3.6% year-over-year to $490.0M. This slow but positive growth earns a score of 39/100.
El Pollo Loco Ho has a moderate D/E ratio of 0.18. This balance of debt and equity financing earns a leverage score of 51/100.
El Pollo Loco Ho's current ratio of 0.32 is below the typical benchmark, resulting in a score of 3/100. This tight liquidity could limit financial flexibility if cash inflows slow.
El Pollo Loco Ho has a free cash flow margin of 5.2%, earning a moderate score of 48/100. The company generates positive cash flow after capital investments, but with room for improvement.
El Pollo Loco Ho earns a strong 9.1% return on equity (ROE), meaning it generates $9 of profit for every $100 of shareholders' equity. This efficient capital use earns a returns score of 70/100. This is down from 9.8% the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho scores 1.92, placing it in the grey zone between 1.81 and 2.99. This signals moderate financial risk that warrants monitoring.
Distress-screening estimate for non-financial companies. Not computed for banks or insurers, where the Altman model does not apply.
El Pollo Loco Ho passes 7 of 8 computable financial strength tests (1 of the nine could not be computed from available data). 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 ($48.1M OCF vs $26.5M net income). This indicates profits are well-supported by actual cash generation, not accounting adjustments.
El Pollo Loco Ho earns $9.41 in operating income for every $1 of interest expense ($42.0M vs $4.5M). This wide margin provides strong safety for debt servicing, even if earnings decline temporarily.
Key Financial Metrics
Earnings & Revenue
El Pollo Loco Ho generated $490.0M in revenue in fiscal year 2025. This represents an increase of 3.6% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's EBITDA was $58.0M in fiscal year 2025, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. This represents an increase of 2.0% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho reported $26.5M in net income in fiscal year 2025. This represents an increase of 3.1% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho earned $0.90 per diluted share (EPS) in fiscal year 2025. This represents an increase of 4.7% from the prior year.
Cash & Balance Sheet
El Pollo Loco Ho generated $25.4M in free cash flow in fiscal year 2025, representing cash available after capex. This represents a decrease of 8.2% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho held $6.2M in cash against $51.0M in long-term debt as of fiscal year 2025.
Not reported for fiscal year 2025.
Margins & Returns
El Pollo Loco Ho's operating margin was 8.6% in fiscal year 2025, reflecting core business profitability. This is down 0.1 percentage points from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's net profit margin was 5.4% in fiscal year 2025, showing the share of revenue converted to profit. That is unchanged from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho's ROE was 9.1% in fiscal year 2025, measuring profit generated per dollar of shareholder equity. This is down 0.8 percentage points from the prior year.
Not reported for fiscal year 2025.
Capital Allocation
El Pollo Loco Ho spent $1.8M on share buybacks in fiscal year 2025, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding. This represents a decrease of 91.0% from the prior year.
El Pollo Loco Ho invested $22.6M in capex in fiscal year 2025, funding long-term assets and infrastructure. This represents an increase of 18.6% from the prior year.
Not reported for fiscal year 2025.
LOCO Income Statement
Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.
| Metric | TTM | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 | FY14 | FY13 | FY12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $500.8M | $490.0M+3.6% | $473.0M+0.9% | $468.7M-0.3% | $470.0M+3.4% | $454.4M+6.6% | $426.1M-3.7% | $442.3M+1.5% | $435.8M+8.5% | $401.7M+5.7% | $380.1M+7.1% | $355.1M+3.0% | $344.9M+9.6% | $314.7M+7.2% | $293.6M |
| SG&A Expenses | $45.3M | $50.3M+8.6% | $46.3M+10.1% | $42.0M+7.5% | $39.1M-1.9% | $39.9M+11.0% | $35.9M-11.1% | $40.4M-19.6% | $50.3M+30.5% | $38.5M+11.1% | $34.7M+19.5% | $29.0M-1.8% | $29.5M+15.7% | $25.5M+4.3% | $24.5M |
| Operating Income | $52.7M | $42.0M+2.1% | $41.2M+3.5% | $39.8M+32.1% | $30.1M-27.1% | $41.3M+23.2% | $33.6M-12.4% | $38.3M+505.1% | -$9.5M-238.6% | $6.8M-80.3% | $34.6M-29.1% | $48.8M-0.9% | $49.3M+16.3% | $42.4M | N/A |
| Interest Expense | $3.5M | $4.5M-24.2% | $5.9M+22.6% | $4.8M+186.9% | $1.7M-8.1% | $1.8M-44.6% | $3.3M-10.7% | $3.7M+5.3% | $3.5M+206.8% | -$3.3M-3.9% | -$3.2M-185.1% | $3.7M-79.5% | $18.1M-50.3% | $36.3M-6.6% | $38.9M |
| Income Tax | $14.3M | $11.1M+15.5% | $9.6M+3.0% | $9.3M+15.4% | $8.1M-21.8% | $10.3M+82.8% | $5.7M-41.6% | $9.7M+401.8% | -$3.2M-745.5% | $497K-96.1% | $12.8M-38.7% | $20.9M+133.1% | -$63.0M-4597.4% | $1.4M-30.9% | $2.0M |
| Net Income | $34.9M | $26.5M+3.1% | $25.7M+0.5% | $25.6M+22.8% | $20.8M-28.6% | $29.1M+19.0% | $24.5M-1.7% | $24.9M+376.9% | -$9.0M-204.4% | $8.6M-53.0% | $18.3M-23.8% | $24.1M-43.4% | $42.5M+351.7% | -$16.9M-114.5% | -$7.9M |
| EPS (Diluted) | — | $0.90+4.7% | $0.86+16.2% | $0.74+29.8% | $0.57-28.8% | $0.80+17.6% | $0.68+1.5% | $0.67+391.3% | -$0.23-204.5% | $0.22-53.2% | $0.47-24.2% | $0.62-50.0% | $1.24+310.2% | -$0.59-118.5% | -$0.27 |
Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: Cost of Revenue, Gross Profit, R&D Expenses.
TTM is the trailing twelve months, ending July 1, 2026, summed from the four most recent quarterly filings. A row marked — cannot be summed at all, because a quarter in the window reports no per-share figure; a row marked N/A could be summed, but a quarter in the window does not report that metric.
LOCO Balance Sheet
Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.
| Metric | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 | FY14 | FY13 | FY12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $606.6M+2.5% | $592.0M0.0% | $592.3M-0.8% | $597.2M-2.7% | $613.8M+1.4% | $605.2M-3.1% | $624.8M+38.8% | $450.2M+1.7% | $442.7M-6.1% | $471.3M+2.2% | $461.0M+1.3% | $455.3M+9.2% | $416.9M | N/A |
| Current Assets | $25.6M+28.8% | $19.9M-20.8% | $25.1M-32.9% | $37.4M-24.4% | $49.5M+56.3% | $31.7M+28.3% | $24.7M+11.9% | $22.0M+6.3% | $20.7M+43.7% | $14.4M-62.6% | $38.6M-12.2% | $44.0M+61.3% | $27.3M | N/A |
| Cash & Equivalents | $6.2M+150.7% | $2.5M-65.9% | $7.3M-64.4% | $20.5M-31.8% | $30.0M+127.3% | $13.2M+63.8% | $8.1M+15.8% | $7.0M-18.5% | $8.6M+294.4% | $2.2M-64.5% | $6.1M-46.9% | $11.5M-32.4% | $17.0M-20.8% | $21.5M |
| Inventory | $1.8M-6.6% | $1.9M+1.4% | $1.9M-21.7% | $2.4M+5.3% | $2.3M+10.4% | $2.1M+4.5% | $2.0M-19.0% | $2.5M+8.3% | $2.3M+8.4% | $2.1M+11.2% | $1.9M-0.1% | $1.9M+14.8% | $1.7M | N/A |
| Goodwill | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M0.0% | $248.7M-0.3% | $249.3M-0.2% | $249.9M |
| Total Liabilities | $315.6M-4.8% | $331.3M-3.0% | $341.6M+8.1% | $316.1M+4.3% | $303.2M-7.5% | $327.6M-13.6% | $379.2M+105.0% | $185.0M+10.3% | $167.8M-18.6% | $206.1M-4.7% | $216.4M-11.6% | $244.9M-33.5% | $368.4M | N/A |
| Current Liabilities | $79.1M+4.5% | $75.7M+4.2% | $72.6M+5.9% | $68.5M-8.1% | $74.6M+12.3% | $66.4M-10.2% | $74.0M-10.8% | $82.9M+75.2% | $47.3M+4.4% | $45.3M+14.5% | $39.6M+25.3% | $31.6M-19.0% | $39.0M | N/A |
| Long-Term Debt | $51.0M-28.2% | $71.0M-15.5% | $84.0M+27.3% | $66.0M+65.0% | $40.0M-36.3% | $62.8M | N/A | $74.2M-20.5% | $93.3M-10.7% | $104.5M-15.5% | $123.6M-25.5% | $165.8M | N/A | N/A |
| Total Equity | $291.1M+11.7% | $260.7M+4.0% | $250.7M-10.8% | $281.1M-9.5% | $310.6M+11.9% | $277.6M+13.0% | $245.6M-7.4% | $265.2M-3.5% | $274.9M+3.7% | $265.2M+8.4% | $244.6M+16.3% | $210.4M+333.5% | $48.5M-24.9% | $64.6M |
| Retained Earnings | $43.6M+130.3% | $18.9M+35.4% | $14.0M+220.4% | -$11.6M+64.2% | -$32.4M+47.3% | -$61.5M+28.5% | -$86.0M+22.5% | -$110.9M-12.7% | -$98.4M+8.1% | -$107.0M+14.6% | -$125.4M+16.1% | -$149.4M+22.1% | -$191.9M | N/A |
Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: Accounts Receivable.
LOCO Cash Flow Statement
Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.
| Metric | TTM | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 | FY14 | FY13 | FY12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $73.9M | $48.1M+2.8% | $46.8M+15.0% | $40.7M+5.5% | $38.5M-26.0% | $52.1M+28.5% | $40.5M+12.2% | $36.1M-20.5% | $45.4M-15.3% | $53.7M+8.9% | $49.3M-15.0% | $58.0M+122.2% | $26.1M+32.4% | $19.7M+1.5% | $19.4M |
| Capital Expenditures | $32.9M | $22.6M+18.6% | $19.1M-10.6% | $21.3M+7.1% | $19.9M+16.9% | $17.0M+154.7% | $6.7M-56.7% | $15.4M-44.5% | $27.8M-23.3% | $36.2M-3.1% | $37.4M+21.3% | $30.8M+14.9% | $26.8M+94.2% | $13.8M-7.8% | $15.0M |
| Free Cash Flow | $41.0M | $25.4M-8.2% | $27.7M+43.1% | $19.4M+3.9% | $18.6M-46.9% | $35.1M+3.5% | $33.9M+63.6% | $20.7M+17.3% | $17.6M+1.2% | $17.4M+46.6% | $11.9M-56.2% | $27.1M+3713.3% | -$751K-112.8% | $5.9M+33.1% | $4.4M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -$32.9M | -$22.6M-19.5% | -$18.9M-40.8% | -$13.4M+28.9% | -$18.9M-51.5% | -$12.5M-86.6% | -$6.7M+37.3% | -$10.7M+61.6% | -$27.8M+23.3% | -$36.2M-2.9% | -$35.2M | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Financing Cash Flow | -$36.7M | -$21.7M+33.5% | -$32.6M+19.3% | -$40.4M-38.6% | -$29.2M-28.1% | -$22.8M+20.6% | -$28.7M-17.8% | -$24.4M-26.8% | -$19.2M-73.9% | -$11.1M+38.7% | -$18.0M | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Dividends Paid | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $55.6M | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Share Buybacks | N/A | $1.8M-91.0% | $20.6M-65.3% | $59.2M | N/A | $0 | $0-100.0% | $48.4M+4831.9% | $981K | $0 | $0 | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
TTM is the trailing twelve months, ending July 1, 2026, summed from the four most recent quarterly filings. A row marked — cannot be summed at all, because a quarter in the window reports no per-share figure; a row marked N/A could be summed, but a quarter in the window does not report that metric.
LOCO Financial Ratios
Margins and returns are percentages; the remaining ratios are unitless multiples.
| Metric | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 | FY14 | FY13 | FY12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Margin | 8.6%-0.1pp | 8.7%+0.2pp | 8.5%+2.1pp | 6.4%-2.7pp | 9.1%+1.2pp | 7.9%-0.8pp | 8.7%+10.8pp | -2.2%-3.9pp | 1.7%-7.4pp | 9.1%-4.6pp | 13.8%-0.5pp | 14.3%+0.8pp | 13.5% | N/A |
| Net Margin | 5.4%0.0pp | 5.4%0.0pp | 5.5%+1.0pp | 4.4%-2.0pp | 6.4%+0.7pp | 5.7%+0.1pp | 5.6%+7.7pp | -2.1%-4.2pp | 2.1%-2.7pp | 4.8%-1.9pp | 6.8%-5.5pp | 12.3%+17.7pp | -5.4%-2.7pp | -2.7% |
| Return on Equity | 9.1%-0.8pp | 9.8%-0.3pp | 10.2%+2.8pp | 7.4%-2.0pp | 9.4%+0.6pp | 8.8%-1.3pp | 10.1%+13.5pp | -3.4%-6.5pp | 3.1%-3.8pp | 6.9%-2.9pp | 9.8%-10.4pp | 20.2%+54.9pp | -34.8%-22.6pp | -12.2% |
| Return on Assets | 4.4%0.0pp | 4.3%0.0pp | 4.3%+0.8pp | 3.5%-1.3pp | 4.7%+0.7pp | 4.0%+0.1pp | 4.0%+6.0pp | -2.0%-4.0pp | 1.9%-1.9pp | 3.9%-1.3pp | 5.2%-4.1pp | 9.3%+13.4pp | -4.0% | N/A |
| Current Ratio | 0.32+0.1x | 0.26-0.1x | 0.35-0.2x | 0.55-0.1x | 0.66+0.2x | 0.48+0.1x | 0.33+0.1x | 0.27-0.2x | 0.44+0.1x | 0.32-0.7x | 0.98-0.4x | 1.39+0.7x | 0.70 | N/A |
| Debt-to-Equity | 0.18-0.1x | 0.27-0.1x | 0.34+0.1x | 0.23+0.1x | 0.13-0.1x | 0.23-1.3x | 1.54+1.3x | 0.28-0.1x | 0.34-0.1x | 0.39-0.1x | 0.51-0.3x | 0.79-6.8x | 7.59 | N/A |
| FCF Margin | 5.2%-0.7pp | 5.9%+1.7pp | 4.1%+0.2pp | 4.0%-3.8pp | 7.7%-0.2pp | 8.0%+3.3pp | 4.7%+0.6pp | 4.0%-0.3pp | 4.3%+1.2pp | 3.1%-4.5pp | 7.6%+7.9pp | -0.2%-2.1pp | 1.9%+0.4pp | 1.5% |
Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: Gross Margin.
Note: The current ratio is below 1.0 (0.32), indicating current liabilities exceed current assets, which may suggest potential short-term liquidity concerns.
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Where El Pollo Loco Ho Ranks
Frequently Asked Questions
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's annual revenue?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) reported $490.0M in total revenue for fiscal year 2025. This represents a 3.6% 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 3.6% year-over-year, from $473.0M to $490.0M in fiscal year 2025.
Is El Pollo Loco Ho profitable?
Yes, El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) reported a net income of $26.5M in fiscal year 2025, with a net profit margin of 5.4%.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's EBITDA?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had EBITDA of $58.0M in fiscal year 2025, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
How much debt does El Pollo Loco Ho have?
As of fiscal year 2025, El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had $6.2M in cash and equivalents against $51.0M in long-term debt.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's operating margin?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had an operating margin of 8.6% in fiscal year 2025, 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 2025, 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 9.1% for fiscal year 2025, 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 $25.4M in free cash flow during fiscal year 2025. This represents a -8.2% 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 $48.1M in operating cash flow during fiscal year 2025, representing cash generated from core business activities.
What are El Pollo Loco Ho's total assets?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had $606.6M in total assets as of fiscal year 2025, including both current and long-term assets.
What are El Pollo Loco Ho's capital expenditures?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) invested $22.6M in capital expenditures during fiscal year 2025, funding long-term assets and infrastructure.
What is El Pollo Loco Ho's current ratio?
El Pollo Loco Ho (LOCO) had a current ratio of 0.32 as of fiscal year 2025, 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 0.18 as of fiscal year 2025, 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 4.4% for fiscal year 2025, 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 1.92, placing it in the Grey Zone (moderate 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 8 computable signals; 1 of the nine could not be computed from available data, so the full-scale strength rating is not shown. 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 to 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 9.41x, 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 47 out of 100 on our Financial Health Score, indicating moderate standing within its operating companies peer group. The score is a 0-100 composite of six dimensions (Profitability, Growth, Leverage, Liquidity, Cash Flow, Returns), each ranked as a percentile relative to companies in the same scoring family (banks against banks, REITs against REITs, and so on) rather than across all industries. It rates the quality of the business, not whether the stock is fairly priced, and is not financial advice. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.