El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) Financial Ratios
14 years of historical data (2012–2025) · Consumer Cyclical · Restaurants
EV/EBITDA
↓
12.35
+9% vs avg
5yr avg: 11.32
30Y Low9.3·High78.0
P/FCF
↓
19.19
↑+28% vs avg
5yr avg: 14.98
30Y Low12.1·High40.4
P/B Ratio
↓
1.62
↑+23% vs avg
5yr avg: 1.32
30Y Low1.1·High3.3
ROE
↓
9.6%
↓+4% vs avg
5yr avg: 9.2%
30Y Low-30%·High33%
Debt/EBITDA
↓
4.10
↓-13% vs avg
5yr avg: 4.70
30Y Low2.0·High8.9
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
LOCO Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trades at 17.8x earnings, 23% above its 5-year average of 14.5x, sitting at the 55th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Consumer Cyclical sector median P/E of 21.2x, the stock trades at a discount of 16%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 19.2x P/FCF, 28% above the 5-year average of 15.0x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $488M | $309M | $355M | $303M | $364M | $517M | $648M | $567M | $585M | $387M | $480M |
| Enterprise Value | $722M | $542M | $615M | $569M | $597M | $721M | $898M | $870M | $652M | $472M | $582M |
| P/E Ratio → | 17.81 | 11.62 | 13.73 | 11.92 | 17.47 | 17.74 | 26.62 | 22.60 | — | 45.00 | 26.17 |
| P/S Ratio | 1.00 | 0.63 | 0.75 | 0.65 | 0.78 | 1.14 | 1.52 | 1.28 | 1.34 | 0.96 | 1.26 |
| P/B Ratio | 1.62 | 1.06 | 1.36 | 1.21 | 1.30 | 1.66 | 2.33 | 2.31 | 2.21 | 1.41 | 1.81 |
| P/FCF | 19.19 | 12.13 | 12.81 | 15.66 | 19.55 | 14.75 | 19.14 | 27.39 | 33.17 | 22.20 | 40.38 |
| P/OCF | 10.15 | 6.42 | 7.58 | 7.45 | 9.45 | 9.93 | 15.98 | 15.69 | 12.88 | 7.21 | 9.74 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
LOCO EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s enterprise value stands at 12.3x EBITDA, 9% above its 5-year average of 11.3x. This is roughly in line with the Consumer Cyclical sector median of 12.2x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 1.11 | 1.30 | 1.21 | 1.27 | 1.59 | 2.11 | 1.97 | 1.50 | 1.17 | 1.53 |
| EV / EBITDA | 12.35 | 9.28 | 10.82 | 10.34 | 13.40 | 12.75 | 17.80 | 15.48 | 78.00 | 18.91 | 11.49 |
| EV / EBIT | 16.99 | 12.76 | 14.94 | 14.34 | 19.53 | 17.46 | 26.87 | 20.87 | — | 11.91 | 16.97 |
| EV / FCF | — | 21.30 | 22.21 | 29.41 | 32.02 | 20.55 | 26.52 | 42.03 | 36.98 | 27.06 | 48.98 |
LOCO Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. earns an operating margin of 8.7%, above the Consumer Cyclical sector average of 2.0%. ROE of 9.6% is modest. ROIC of 6.1% represents adequate returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 5.2%.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 28.6% | 28.6% | 21.9% | 19.9% | 17.8% | 21.8% | 22.0% | 21.9% | 22.1% | 24.0% | 24.7% |
| Operating Margin | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.7% | 8.5% | 6.4% | 9.1% | 7.9% | 8.7% | -2.2% | 1.7% | 9.1% |
| Net Profit Margin | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 4.4% | 6.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% | -2.1% | 2.1% | 4.8% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 9.6% | 9.6% | 10.0% | 9.6% | 7.0% | 9.9% | 9.4% | 9.7% | -3.3% | 3.2% | 7.2% |
| ROA | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.3% | 4.3% | 3.4% | 4.8% | 4.0% | 4.6% | -2.0% | 1.9% | 3.9% |
| ROIC | 6.1% | 6.1% | 5.9% | 5.8% | 4.4% | 6.0% | 4.7% | 6.5% | -2.1% | 1.4% | 7.1% |
| ROCE | 8.1% | 8.1% | 7.9% | 7.6% | 5.6% | 7.7% | 6.2% | 8.3% | -2.5% | 1.7% | 8.2% |
LOCO Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 4.1x, which is highly leveraged (14% below the sector average of 4.8x). Net debt stands at $233M ($240M total debt minus $6M cash). Interest coverage of 9.5x is adequate, though a cyclical earnings downturn could tighten the margin of safety.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 0.82 | 0.82 | 1.01 | 1.09 | 0.90 | 0.75 | 0.95 | 1.27 | 0.28 | 0.34 | 0.39 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 4.10 | 4.10 | 4.62 | 4.97 | 5.68 | 4.13 | 5.22 | 5.54 | 8.87 | 3.74 | 2.06 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 0.80 | 1.00 | 1.06 | 0.83 | 0.65 | 0.90 | 1.23 | 0.25 | 0.31 | 0.39 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 3.99 | 3.99 | 4.58 | 4.83 | 5.22 | 3.60 | 4.96 | 5.39 | 8.04 | 3.40 | 2.02 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 9.17 | 9.41 | 13.74 | 12.47 | 5.80 | 7.38 | 14.64 | 3.81 | 4.86 | 8.60 |
| Interest Coverage | 9.50 | 9.50 | 6.98 | 8.25 | 18.22 | 22.63 | 10.15 | 11.31 | -2.48 | 12.08 | 10.87 |
LOCO Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
The current ratio of 0.08x is below 1.0, meaning current liabilities exceed current assets. The current ratio has declined from 0.35x to 0.08x over the past 3 years.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.26 | 0.35 | 0.55 | 0.66 | 0.48 | 0.33 | 0.27 | 0.44 | 0.79 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.24 | 0.32 | 0.51 | 0.63 | 0.45 | 0.31 | 0.24 | 0.39 | 0.75 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.08 | 0.08 | 0.03 | 0.10 | 0.30 | 0.40 | 0.20 | 0.11 | 0.08 | 0.18 | 0.05 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 0.81 | 0.80 | 0.79 | 0.79 | 0.74 | 0.70 | 0.71 | 0.97 | 0.91 | 0.81 |
| Inventory Turnover | — | — | 190.66 | 196.39 | 158.17 | 153.19 | 158.29 | 172.02 | 136.90 | 133.44 | 135.55 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 8.35 | 7.69 | 8.02 | 8.43 | 10.77 | 10.70 | 7.33 | 8.04 | 6.55 | 6.64 |
LOCO Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. returns 0.4% to shareholders annually primarily through share buybacks. The earnings yield of 5.6% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | — | — | — | — | 15.3% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Payout Ratio | — | — | — | — | 267.2% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 5.6% | 8.6% | 7.3% | 8.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 4.4% | — | 2.2% | 3.8% |
| FCF Yield | 5.2% | 8.2% | 7.8% | 6.4% | 5.1% | 6.8% | 5.2% | 3.7% | 3.0% | 4.5% | 2.5% |
| Buyback Yield | 0.4% | 0.6% | 5.8% | 19.5% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.5% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 0.4% | 0.6% | 5.8% | 19.5% | 15.3% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 8.5% | 0.2% | 0.0% | 0.0% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $30M | $30M | $34M | $37M | $36M | $36M | $37M | $39M | $39M | $39M |
Peer Comparison
Compare LOCO with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 LOCOYou | $488M | 17.8 | 12.3 | 19.2 | 28.6% | 8.7% | 9.6% | 6.1% | 4.1 |
 JACK | $244M | -3.0 | 82.4 | 3.3 | 28.7% | -1.2% | — | -0.6% | 77.6 |
 TXRH | $12B | 29.1 | 18.9 | 34.2 | 12.4% | 8.6% | 28.4% | 14.5% | 2.7 |
 SHAK | $2B | 54.2 | 15.2 | 42.1 | 18.0% | 5.9% | 8.7% | 6.0% | 4.7 |
 FRSH | $2B | 14.1 | 26.5 | 10.0 | 85.0% | 1.6% | 16.9% | 2.0% | 0.9 |
 BROS | $9B | 112.3 | 35.4 | 164.9 | 25.9% | 9.8% | 9.6% | 7.7% | 3.9 |
 NATH | $416M | 21.0 | 12.8 | 23.3 | 34.3% | 18.6% | — | — | 0.2 |
 RRGB | $116M | -4.8 | 11.3 | 18.6 | 68.0% | 0.2% | — | 0.5% | 9.5 |
 QSR | $25B | 31.3 | 17.0 | 17.6 | 41.1% | 23.7% | 15.5% | 8.2% | 7.1 |
 MCD | $198B | 23.3 | 17.3 | 27.5 | 57.4% | 46.1% | — | 18.7% | 3.8 |
 YUM | $42B | 27.3 | 19.5 | 25.6 | 46.2% | 30.8% | — | 48.1% | 4.4 |
| Consumer Cyclical Median | — | 21.2 | 12.2 | 15.6 | 36.2% | 2.0% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 4.8 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 14 years · Updated daily
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LOCO — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying LOCO stock.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s P/E ratio?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 17.8x. The historical average is 20.8x. This places it at the 55th percentile of its historical range.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s EV/EBITDA?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 12.3x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 18.5x.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s ROE?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 9.6%. The historical average is 5.3%.
Is LOCO stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is trading at a P/E of 17.8x. This is at the 55th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What are El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s profit margins?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has 28.6% gross margin and 8.7% operating margin.
How much debt does El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. have?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 4.1x, indicating high leverage. A ratio above 4x may signal elevated financial risk.