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El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) stock

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NASDAQ: LOCO Nasdaq Restaurants Next results ~November 5, 2026

C+ Fundamentals grade

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is a US-listed company in the restaurants industry. Its financial year ends in December.

Stock price today

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Third-party market data · may be delayed

Fair value per share

~$16

Cash-flow model

Base case. Range ~$12–$22 across our lower- and higher-growth cases (-1.8%–8.2% a year).

Price vs value

Modestly undervalued

The price is inside our value range, 5% below our base value.

Price used: $15.57, November 2, 2026

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. valuation: adjust assumptions and compare models →

Who’s trading

What company insiders, investment funds and members of Congress have been doing with the stock, from their own filings.

  • Insiders0 buying, 4 selling0 purchases and 16 sales by directors and officers, last 12 monthsInsider trades
  • Funds88 adding, 54 cuttingOf 37 active managers that changed their stake, 27 added; quarter to June 30, 2026Fund buyers and sellers

Value diary

Our note on each quarter El Pollo Loco Holdings files

Where El Pollo Loco stands after its latest 10-Q

Revenue for the twelve months to July 2026 was $501m, up 4.4% on a year earlier, about the same pace as a quarter earlier. Free-cash-flow margin rose to 8.2% from 4.3% a year earlier. Operating margin widened to 10.5% from 8.2%. Against its peers on growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet, it grades C+. It passes 4 of our 7 financial-health checks. Our cash-flow model value is $16.56 a share, against a share price of $15.37. At that price, our model says the market is pricing in about 2.0% a year of cash-flow growth for five years, close to the 2.0% a year revenue growth it has delivered.

Source: 10-Q filed August 7, 2026 on SEC EDGAR · Financials · Valuation

Written from the company's filings and our models when each quarter's report arrives. Figures in older notes are as published at the time. Not investment advice.

The Fundamentalytics view

Next results ~November 5, 2026 (estimated)

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s trailing-twelve-month revenue grew 4.4% year on year, with a free-cash-flow margin of 8.2%. Where it stands out: long-term debt as % of assets of 4.8% ranks 6 of 36 restaurants companies we cover.

Our discounted-cash-flow model values the business at ~$16 per share in the base case (~$12–$22 across growth scenarios) — model values under stated assumptions, not a price target.

Current signal Free cash flow diverging from earnings: TTM free cash flow grew 98.0% while net income grew 41.0%: a 57pp divergence.

Assembled from SEC-filed figures — the full workings are on this page and in our methodology. Observations, not recommendations.

Highlights

How we pick these

Strengths

  • Beating expectations. Earnings per share beat the analysts' consensus estimate in each of the last four quarters.

Things to watch

  • Weakest spot: change in share count. Change in share count of 1.1% ranks 30 of 42 restaurants companies we cover (median 0.3%).

Latest results: FY2026 Q2

Filed August 7, 2026
Earnings per share
$0.30 against an average estimate of $0.28: beat by 7.8%
Revenue
$130m, up 3.0% on a year earlier
Share reaction
-10.8% in the first session after the results on August 6, 2026, against +0.5% for the S&P 500
Guidance given
system-wide comparable restaurant sales growth growth 3.5% to 4.5% (fiscal year 2026); adjusted EBITDA $68m to $70m (fiscal year 2026)
Next report
November 5, 2026; average EPS estimate $0.24

El Pollo Loco Holdings' figures from its SEC filings and results release; estimates are the analysts' average. Not a recommendation.

Price chart

  • 1 day+1.8%
  • 1 week+6.8%
  • 1 month+9.5%
  • This year+48.9%
  • 1 year+52.3%
  • 5 years+20.7%
  • S&P 500 this year+11.2%

Closing prices to 2026-11-02. Price change only, dividends excluded.

Loading chart…

Third-party market data · may be delayed

At a glance

Trailing twelve months, from SEC filings

Profitability

Revenue (TTM)
$501M
Operating margin
10.5%
Net margin
7.0%
EPS (TTM, diluted)
$1.17

Growth

Revenue growth
+4.4%
Change in growth rate
−0.0 pts
Share count change
+1.1%

Cash

Free cash flow (TTM)
$41M
FCF margin
8.2%
Stock pay % of revenue
1.1%

Earnings

Last results
August 6, 2026

News & updates

Updated October 31, 2026

Company announcements, filed results and changes that matter to shareholders.

  1. Leadership
  2. Results
  3. Guidance
  4. Insider trade

Refreshed hourly when new source data is available. Summaries are checked against company releases and SEC filings. Company announcement headlines are labelled when a checked summary is unavailable.

Valuation

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. valuation models and calculator

What the price is pricing in

The share price implies about 2.3% a year of cash-flow growth for five years.That is close to the 2.0% a year revenue growth El Pollo Loco Holdings has delivered.

  • Priced in2.3%
  • Last 12 months4.4%
  • 3 years a year2.0%
  • 5 years a year2.0%

Our cash-flow model with every input fixed except growth over the next five years, solved for the growth at which the model value equals the share price ($15.54, Nov 3, 2026). Cash-flow growth then fades to 2.5% a year; discount rate 8.5%. Delivered figures are revenue growth from SEC filings. This is a model exercise, not investment advice or a forecast of the share price. All companies

Fundamentalytics rating

model v1.6 · 2026-11-03
Hold12-month view
12-month price target
~$16
Price used
$15.54close November 3, 2026
Implied change
▲ +6%
Uncertainty
Medium

How we got here: a discounted-cash-flow model of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s free cash flow after stock-based pay with after-tax interest added back ($29M, FY2026 Q2 TTM), growing 3% and 3.5% in the next two years (forecasts, guidance and its record), then back to 3.2% by year five, and fading to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5%. Lower and higher growth cases span ~$12–~$22 ; that spread sets a 25% margin before we rate Buy or Sell.

Produced by Fundamentalytics' automated valuation model on November 3, 2026, using delayed market prices. Rating meanings, methodology and conflicts: recommendations disclosure and research disclaimer. General research, not personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances. Prices can fall as well as rise.

Our value per share comes from a discounted-cash-flow model of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s free cash flow after stock-based pay ( $29M, FY2026 Q2 TTM, with after-tax interest added back): growth for five years as below (the first two years from forecasts, guidance and the company's record), fading to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5%, then cash added and debt and other claims subtracted. These are model values under stated assumptions, not price targets or recommendations.

Valuation models

We value El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. as an operating company, with every model that fits that kind of business. Cost of equity 8.6%: the 10-year Treasury yield (4.9%) plus a beta of 0.81 times a 4.5% equity risk premium.

Value per share by model
Model Value per share In the combined value?
Cash-flow model (DCF) Free cash flow to the firm (after stock pay, with after-tax interest added back), grown then faded to 2.5%, discounted at 8.5% as the firm rate, less debt and other claims. ~$16 ~$12–$22 Primary model, counts double
Forward price-to-earnings vs peers Next year's consensus earnings per share times peers' typical (harmonic-mean) forward price-to-earnings. Uses analysts' consensus estimates (third-party data), not our forecasts. ~$19 ~$17–$35 Included
Residual income Book value plus the present value of returns above the cost of equity, fading over ten years. ~$12 ~$7.8–$19 Included
Justified price-to-book Book value times (return on equity - growth) / (cost of equity - growth): steady-state returns. ~$12 ~$10–$15 Included
Combined value Weighted average of the models that apply: the primary model (cash-flow model (dcf)) counts double. Models more than 5x or less than 0.2x the share price, or more than 3x away from the other models' median, are left out. ~$15 ~$12–$19 4 models

Different models fail in different ways, so where several apply we average them rather than trust one. Peer-based models compare El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. with Restaurants in our coverage, using third-party market data. Model values are estimates under stated assumptions, updated as new filings arrive; not price targets or investment advice. How each model works.

What moves the value

  • Revenue growth 5 points lower ▼ −26%
  • Revenue growth 5 points higher ▲ +33%
  • Free-cash-flow margin 1 point lower ▼ −12%
  • Last year's free-cash-flow margin change, if it persists ▲ +82%
  • Discount rate 1 point higher ▼ −15%
Value per share under different assumptions
Discount rate ↓ / growth → −5% growth0% growth5% growth10% growth15% growth20% growth
7% $13$18$25$33$44$59
8.5% $10$14$18$24$32$43
10% $8$11$14$19$25$33

Valuation multiples over time Market data may be delayed

At fiscal year end 20152016201720182019202020212022202320242025Now
Share price$10.98$10.91$8.66$13.08$13.03$15.77$12.13$9.96$9.05$11.81$10.46$15.57
Market value$429m$426m$339m$504m$488m$565m$442m$364m$311m$355m$307m$462m
+ Net debt (− = net cash)$117m$206m−$9m$141m$186m$50m$10m$46m$77m$69m$45m$17m
Enterprise value$546m$632m$330m$646m$674m$614m$452m$410m$388m$423m$352m$479m
Multiples
Price / sales 1.2x1.1x0.8x1.2x1.1x1.3x1.0x0.8x0.7x0.7x0.6x0.9x
Price / earnings 17.8x23.2x39.3x—19.6x23.1x15.2x17.5x12.2x13.8x11.6x13.3x
Price / free cash flow 15.8x35.8x19.4x28.6x23.6x16.7x12.6x19.6x16.1x12.8x12.1x11.3x
EV / EBITDA 8.8x12.5x13.2x77.2x12.0x12.2x8.0x9.2x7.0x7.4x6.1x6.9x

Market value uses the period's diluted share count; figures for each fiscal year use that year's results and the price at year end. "Now" uses today's price and the last twelve months.

Moat

47 /100

Moderate moat

How hard El Pollo Loco Holdings's competitive advantage looks for rivals to wear away, judged from 10 years of its own filings: returns on capital, pricing power, profit durability, cash conversion and discipline.

  • Returns on capital 4 / 20

    Net income has been a median 4.0% of total assets over 10 years.

  • Durability 1 / 20

    Operating margin has been a median 8.1%; its worst year was -0.8%.

  • Cash conversion 12 / 20

    Free cash flow was positive in 10 of 10 years, at a median 4.8% of revenue.

  • Discipline 20 / 20

    The diluted share count fell 18.2% over five years; stock-based pay has been a median 0.7% of revenue.

AI disruption exposure: Low. In this industry, the business rests on physical assets, regulated networks or products AI itself depends on.

A rules-based reading of reported figures, not a forecast and not investment advice. How the score is built: methodology.

Forecasts and guidance

Next results: November 5, 2026, after the close. Analysts expect revenue of $127m and EPS of $0.24 (range $0.22 to $0.25) for the quarter.

Analysts' consensus

Fiscal yearEPSGrowthRevenueGrowth
Current $1.03 +5% $504m +3%
Next $1.11 +8% $525m +4%

Next year's EPS estimate has moved +2.5% in 90 days, across 6 analysts.

How the EPS forecast has moved

The consensus EPS forecast for the current fiscal year is +5.5% on 90 days ago. In the last 30 days, 4 analysts raised El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s forecast and 0 cut it.

Consensus EPS forecast El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., last 90 days
$0.95 $1.00 $1.05 $1.10 $1.15 90 days ago 60 days ago 30 days ago 7 days ago Now Current fiscal year, 90 days ago: $0.97 Current fiscal year, 60 days ago: $1.03 Current fiscal year, 30 days ago: $1.03 Current fiscal year, 7 days ago: $1.03 Current fiscal year, Now: $1.03 $1.03 Next fiscal year, 90 days ago: $1.08 Next fiscal year, 60 days ago: $1.11 Next fiscal year, 30 days ago: $1.11 Next fiscal year, 7 days ago: $1.11 Next fiscal year, Now: $1.11 $1.11

Average of analysts' published estimates (third-party data).

View chart data
Period Current fiscal yearNext fiscal year
90 days ago $0.97$1.08
60 days ago $1.03$1.11
30 days ago $1.03$1.11
7 days ago $1.03$1.11
Now $1.03$1.11

Earnings against estimates

Quarter toEstimateActualSurprise
Jun 2026 $0.28 $0.30 +7.8%
Mar 2026 $0.22 $0.28 +29.6%
Dec 2025 $0.20 $0.25 +25.0%
Sept 2025 $0.21 $0.27 +26.2%

Adjusted EPS as companies report it, against the average analyst estimate.

Management guidance

Earnings release, August 6, 2026
  • System-wide comparable restaurant sales growth fiscal year 2026 3.5% growth to 4.5% growth Raised
    “System-wide comparable restaurant sales growth of 3.5% to 4.5%.” source
  • Adjusted EBITDA fiscal year 2026 $68m to $70m Non-GAAP Raised
    “Adjusted EBITDA 1 between $68 million and $70 million .” source
  • Capital spending fiscal year 2026 $33m to $37m Raised
    “Capital spending between $33 million and $37 million.” source
  • G&A expense fiscal year 2026 $52m to $54m Non-GAAP Maintained
    “G&A expense between $52 million and $54 million, excluding one-time costs.” source
  • Estimated effective income tax rate fiscal year 2026 29% to 29.5% Non-GAAP Maintained
    “Estimated effective income tax rate of 29.0% to 29.5% before discrete items.” source
  • Franchise-operated restaurant openings · franchise-operated restaurants fiscal year 2026 15 to 16 Maintained
    “The opening of three to four company-operated restaurants and 15 to 16 franchise-operated restaurants.” source

Figures and quotations are management's, copied from the company's own press release (SEC 8-K exhibit) and checked word for word against it. Forward-looking statements are the company's expectations, not ours and not advice; guidance can change or be missed.

How our valuation uses these forecasts

Our cash-flow model grows El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s revenue by +3.0% next year and +3.5% the year after, then fades back toward its own record by year five. Next year's rate weighs analysts' consensus (+2.8%, weight 65%) and the company's own record (+3.2%, weight 35%) . How the weights are set.

Analyst recommendations

7 analysts, Oct 2026
Buy571%
Hold229%
Sell00%

Monthly trend

  1. Oct 2026527
  2. Sep 2026426
  3. Aug 2026426

Counts of recommendations published by analysts covering El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc., by month. Source: Aggregated broker recommendations (third-party data). Aggregated counts only: we do not reproduce any firm's recommendation or price target, and these are not Fundamentalytics ratings.

Positioning

Short interest
7.1%
of tradable shares
Days to cover
7.78
at average volume
Short interest, 1 month
−4%
to October 15, 2026
Held by institutions
99%
of shares
Held by insiders
2.4%
of shares
Employees
4,000
full time

Consensus figures average analysts' published estimates (third-party data); guidance is the company's own. Neither is our forecast. Short interest is reported twice a month and lags. Market data may be delayed.

This section is general information, not investment advice or a personal recommendation, and it does not take account of your objectives or circumstances. Forecasts and guidance are estimates, not promises: companies miss their own guidance and analysts' figures are often revised. Prices can fall as well as rise, and you can lose money. See our disclaimer.

Share-price performance

Market data may be delayed

What moved the share price

Last 12 months +52.3%

$10.22 on October 31, 2025 to $15.57

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $480m $501m +4.4%
Net margin 5.2% 7.0% +35.0%
P/E multiple 12.1x 13.3x +9.3%
Share count 29m 30m −1.1%

Biggest factor: net margin.

Last 3 years +77.3%

$8.78 on November 3, 2023 to $15.57

ThenNowEffect
Revenue (last 12 months) $472m $501m +6.1%
Net margin 5.0% 7.0% +39.7%
P/E multiple 13.6x 13.3x −2.3%
Share count 36m 30m +22.4%

Biggest factor: net margin.

The effects multiply back to the price change exactly. Results are the last 12 months as known on each date (filings assumed public 45 days after quarter end).

Return and risk by year

Calendar year 202120222023202420252026 to date
Return
LOCO−22%−19%−11%+31%−9%+49%
Industry peers (median)+16%−15%+16%−1%−8%+2%
S&P 500+29%−18%+26%+25%+18%+11%
Months that ended higher
LOCO42%17%25%58%50%55%
S&P 50075%42%67%75%75%46%
Largest fall from a high during the year
LOCO−43%−43%−36%−17%−29%−18%
S&P 500−5%−25%−10%−8%−19%−9%

Worst fall since November 2, 2015: 63% from January 23, 2019 to March 18, 2020. Getting back needed a 173% gain, reached on July 31, 2020, 135 days after the low.

Price behaviour

52-week range
$10.07 – $17.20
From 52-week high
−9.5%
vs 50-day average
+3.9%
vs 200-day average
+10.3%
Volatility (1 year)
35%
Beta vs S&P 500
0.39

Volatility is the annualised standard deviation of daily returns. Beta 1.5 means the shares typically moved 1.5% for each 1% move in the S&P 500 over the past year. Prices to November 2, 2026.

Share price after results

Next day
6 up, 6 down
typical move ±6.1%
After a week
5 up, 7 down
typical move ±8.4%
After a month
9 up, 3 down
typical move ±10.4%
Results releasedNext dayS&P 500 next day5 days21 days
August 6, 2026 −10.8% +0.5% −9.1% −9.5%
May 7, 2026 +4.6% +0.5% +0.7% +4.6%
March 12, 2026 +14.3% −2.1% +28.8% +24.5%
October 30, 2025 +7.5% −0.8% +8.8% +14.4%
July 31, 2025 −1.7% −2.0% −2.8% 0.0%
May 1, 2025 −2.9% +2.2% −3.6% +11.3%
March 6, 2025 +0.9% −1.2% −6.2% −11.7%
October 31, 2024 −4.7% −1.5% +3.8% +0.8%
August 1, 2024 −0.8% −3.3% −1.6% +14.9%
May 2, 2024 +18.6% +2.2% +25.2% +28.7%
March 7, 2024 −3.3% +0.4% −6.6% +3.0%
November 2, 2023 +2.7% +2.8% −3.9% +1.6%

From the close before the release date to the close 1, 5 and 21 trading days after it, so releases before the open and after the close are both captured. Past moves don't predict future ones.

Options strategies

All options ideas

How El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.’s listed options are priced, and three ways to use them that follow from our valuation. Quotes are delayed, read November 2, 2026. Check the live chain at your broker before trading.

Cash-secured put

Not offered: fundamentals grade C+ (needs B+ or better).

We suggest selling a put only on well-rated companies, at a strike where the price you would pay if assigned (strike less premium) is at or below our fair value.

Covered call

Not offered: no liquid call at or above our price target — the model says the upside is worth more than any listed strike.

For holders: sell a call at a strike at or above our fair value, so the shares are only sold at a price the model calls full value.

Collar

Not offered: the shares trade below our fair value: a collar caps upside the model expects.

For holders of a stock trading at or above our fair value: buy a put for a floor and sell a call to pay for it.

General research, not personal advice. Options can lose you more than you expect and are not suitable for everyone: put sellers can be made to buy shares that keep falling, call sellers give up gains above the strike, and results or news can move prices sharply. Chances shown are approximations from each option’s delta. Spreads, fees and early assignment are not modelled.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. in five measures

Fundamentals grade C+
Growth Profitability Cash Balance sheet Value

Growth, profitability, cash generation and balance sheet are percentiles against the companies we cover in the same industry, from SEC filings (100 = best). Value compares the share price with our modelled value range (50 = at our base value; higher = cheaper). A description of reported data and our model — not a quality score or advice.

Fundamentals

Revenue (TTM) El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
$460M $470M $480M $490M $500M $510M FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 Revenue (TTM), FY23 Q3: $472.3M Revenue (TTM), FY23 Q4: $468.7M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q1: $470.3M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q2: $471M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q3: $471M Revenue (TTM), FY24 Q4: $473M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q1: $476M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q2: $479.7M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q3: $480.8M Revenue (TTM), FY25 Q4: $490M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q1: $497.1M Revenue (TTM), FY26 Q2: $500.8M $500.8M

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue (TTM)
FY23 Q3 $472.3M
FY23 Q4 $468.7M
FY24 Q1 $470.3M
FY24 Q2 $471M
FY24 Q3 $471M
FY24 Q4 $473M
FY25 Q1 $476M
FY25 Q2 $479.7M
FY25 Q3 $480.8M
FY25 Q4 $490M
FY26 Q1 $497.1M
FY26 Q2 $500.8M
Revenue growth, TTM YoY El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
-2% 0% 2% 4% 6% FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY23 Q3: 2.0% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY23 Q4: -0.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q1: -0.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q2: -0.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q3: -0.3% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY24 Q4: 0.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q1: 1.2% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q2: 1.9% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q3: 2.1% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY25 Q4: 3.6% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q1: 4.4% Revenue growth, TTM YoY, FY26 Q2: 4.4% 4.4%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Revenue growth, TTM YoY
FY23 Q3 2.0%
FY23 Q4 -0.3%
FY24 Q1 -0.9%
FY24 Q2 -0.2%
FY24 Q3 -0.3%
FY24 Q4 0.9%
FY25 Q1 1.2%
FY25 Q2 1.9%
FY25 Q3 2.1%
FY25 Q4 3.6%
FY26 Q1 4.4%
FY26 Q2 4.4%
Operating margin (TTM) El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
8% 9% 10% 11% FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 Operating margin (TTM), FY23 Q3: 8.9% Operating margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: 8.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: 8.9% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: 9.2% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 8.4% Operating margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 8.7% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: 8.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: 8.2% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: 8.5% Operating margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: 8.6% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 9.1% Operating margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 10.5% 10.5%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period Operating margin (TTM)
FY23 Q3 8.9%
FY23 Q4 8.5%
FY24 Q1 8.9%
FY24 Q2 9.2%
FY24 Q3 8.4%
FY24 Q4 8.7%
FY25 Q1 8.5%
FY25 Q2 8.2%
FY25 Q3 8.5%
FY25 Q4 8.6%
FY26 Q1 9.1%
FY26 Q2 10.5%
FCF margin (TTM) El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.
4% 6% 8% 10% FY23 Q3 FY24 Q2 FY25 Q1 FY26 Q2 FCF margin (TTM), FY23 Q3: 5.7% FCF margin (TTM), FY23 Q4: 4.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q1: 6.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q2: 5.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q3: 6.1% FCF margin (TTM), FY24 Q4: 5.9% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q1: 4.6% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q2: 4.3% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q3: 4.5% FCF margin (TTM), FY25 Q4: 5.2% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q1: 5.4% FCF margin (TTM), FY26 Q2: 8.2% 8.2%

Source: SEC EDGAR filings. Retrieved October 29, 2026.

View chart data
Period FCF margin (TTM)
FY23 Q3 5.7%
FY23 Q4 4.1%
FY24 Q1 6.1%
FY24 Q2 5.1%
FY24 Q3 6.1%
FY24 Q4 5.9%
FY25 Q1 4.6%
FY25 Q2 4.3%
FY25 Q3 4.5%
FY25 Q4 5.2%
FY26 Q1 5.4%
FY26 Q2 8.2%

Data: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (as filed in 10-K/10-Q); forms 10-K, 10-Q. Generated November 3, 2026. Definitions in our methodology.

Where the money goes

FY2025, from the 10-K

Each dollar El Pollo Loco Holdings took in during FY2025, followed through to profit: what it cost to make, what went on running the business, and what was left after tax.

  1. Revenue $490M
  2. Selling, general and admin $50.3M · 10.3%
  3. Other operating costs $398M · 81.2%
  4. Operating income $42M · 8.6%
  5. Income tax $11.1M · 2.3%
  6. Interest and other $4.5M · 0.9%
  7. Net income $26.5M · 5.4%

Shares of revenue. Source: El Pollo Loco Holdings's 10-K for FY2025, as filed with the SEC. "Other" lines are what the reported lines leave unexplained.

Financial statements

US$ millions unless shown otherwise. Fiscal years, plus the last twelve months (LTM) when newer.

Fiscal year 2012 Dec 2012 2013 Dec 2013 2014 Dec 2014 2015 Dec 2015 2016 Dec 2016 2017 Dec 2017 2018 Dec 2018 2019 Dec 2019 2020 Dec 2020 2021 Dec 2021 2022 Dec 2022 2023 Dec 2023 2024 Dec 2024 2025 Dec 2025 LTM Jul 2026
Income
Revenue 294 315 345 355 380 402 436 442 426 454 470 469 473 490 501
EBITDA — 53 61 62 51 25 8 56 50 57 45 55 57 58 69
Operating income — 42 49 49 35 7 −9 38 34 41 30 40 41 42 53
Net income −8 −17 42 24 18 9 −9 25 24 29 21 26 26 26 35
Diluted EPS −$0.27 −$0.59 $1.24 $0.62 $0.47 $0.22 −$0.23 $0.67 $0.68 $0.80 $0.57 $0.74 $0.86 $0.90 $1.17
Growth (year on year)
Revenue — +7.2% +9.6% +3.0% +7.1% +5.7% +8.5% +1.5% −3.7% +6.6% +3.4% −0.3% +0.9% +3.6% +4.4%
EBITDA — — +15.6% +1.8% −18.1% −50.8% −66.5% — −10.2% +12.0% −21.2% +23.6% +3.4% +2.0% +25.4%
Operating income — — +16.3% −0.9% −29.1% −80.3% — — −12.4% +23.2% −27.1% +32.1% +3.5% +2.1% +33.5%
Net income — — — −43.4% −23.8% −53.0% −204.4% — −1.7% +19.0% −28.6% +22.8% +0.5% +3.1% +41.0%
Diluted EPS — — — −50.0% −24.2% −53.2% −204.5% — +1.5% +17.6% −28.8% +29.8% +16.2% +4.7% +39.4%
Margins
EBITDA margin — 16.7% 17.6% 17.4% 13.3% 6.2% 1.9% 12.7% 11.8% 12.4% 9.5% 11.7% 12.0% 11.8% 13.8%
Operating margin — 13.5% 14.3% 13.8% 9.1% 1.7% −2.2% 8.7% 7.9% 9.1% 6.4% 8.5% 8.7% 8.6% 10.5%
Net margin −2.7% −5.4% 12.3% 6.8% 4.8% 2.1% −2.1% 5.6% 5.7% 6.4% 4.4% 5.5% 5.4% 5.4% 7.0%
Free-cash-flow margin 1.5% 1.9% −0.2% 7.6% 3.1% 4.3% 4.0% 4.7% 7.9% 7.7% 4.0% 4.1% 5.9% 5.2% 8.2%
Cash flow
Cash from operations 19 20 26 58 49 54 45 36 41 52 39 41 47 48 74
Capital spending 15 14 27 31 37 36 28 15 7 17 20 21 19 23 33
Free cash flow 4 6 −1 27 12 17 18 21 34 35 19 19 28 25 41
Stock-based pay 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 3 4 5 6
Free cash flow after stock pay 4 5 −2 27 11 16 16 18 31 32 15 16 24 20 35
Balance sheet
Cash 21 17 11 6 2 9 7 8 13 30 20 7 2 6 13
Total debt 0 187 165 123 209 — 148 194 63 40 66 84 71 51 30
Net debt (negative = net cash) −21 170 154 117 206 −9 141 186 50 10 46 77 69 45 17
Diluted shares 29m 29m 34m 39m 39m 39m 39m 37m 36m 36m 37m 34m 30m 29m 30m
Returned to shareholders
Dividends — — — — — — — — — — 56 — — — —
Buybacks — — — — 0 0 1 48 0 0 — 59 21 2 —
Total returned — — — — 0 0 1 48 0 0 56 59 21 2 —

Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL company facts (US and foreign periodic filings); column headings link to the filing. EBITDA is operating income plus depreciation and amortisation. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending. Growth is left blank when last year's figure was a loss or under 2% of revenue. Share counts and EPS are restated for stock splits. A dash means the company didn't report the figure.

Financial health

4 of 7 checks passed · July 1, 2026
What it owns · $619m
Short-term assets $34mLonger-term assets $585m
What it owes, and who funded it · $619m
Short-term liabilities $85mLonger-term liabilities $217mShareholders' equity $317m
  • Short-term assets cover short-term liabilities $34m of assets due within a year against $85m of liabilities due within a year.
  • Short-term assets cover long-term liabilities $34m short-term assets against $217m of longer-dated liabilities.
  • More cash than debt $13m of cash against $30m of debt.
  • Debt below 40% of shareholders' equity Debt is 9% of equity.
  • Debt burden no higher than five years ago Debt to equity moved from 13% to 9% over five years.
  • A year's operating cash flow covers at least 20% of debt $74m of operating cash flow against $30m of debt.
  • Operating profit covers interest at least five times over Operating income of $53m against $4m of interest.

From El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s latest balance sheet as filed. Checks are fixed, documented rules (methodology), counted only where the company reports the figures — a dot means the filing doesn't break the item out. Descriptions of reported data, not advice.

Dividends, buybacks and capital spending

FY2025 Q4 TTM
Buybacks (TTM)
$1.8M
Returned to shareholders
7%
of free cash flow
Buybacks, last 3 fiscal years
$81.6M
Diluted share count
+1.1%
year over year
Total shareholder yield
0.4%
dividends 0.0% + buybacks 0.4% of market value

Competitors: side by side with peers

Closest by revenue in restaurants
Last 12 months unless stated LOCO NDLS BH.A SG WING PTLO Median
Revenue, last 12 months $501m $496m $406m $682m $730m $749m $1.4bn
Revenue growth, last 12 months 4.4% 0.2% 7.5% −0.6% 6.9% 2.9% 4.6%
Revenue growth, 3-year average 2.0% −1.4% 2.7% 9.4% 18.6% 6.1% 5.1%
Revenue growth, latest quarter 3.0% 0.5% 7.9% 3.8% 5.3% 5.6% 4.5%
Gross margin — — 60.0% — 85.4% — 68.6%
Operating margin 10.5% −2.6% — −21.4% 27.7% 4.5% 4.9%
Operating margin, 3-year average 9.3% −4.3% — −17.4% 26.4% 6.9% 6.9%
Net margin 7.0% −4.7% −7.3% 2.0% 16.0% 1.9% 2.5%
Cash from operations / revenue 14.8% 2.7% 20.8% −4.1% 25.6% 10.5% 11.9%
Free-cash-flow margin 8.2% 0.8% 12.4% −18.1% 16.0% −1.2% 3.4%
Free-cash-flow margin, 3-year average 5.9% −2.1% 12.7% −11.6% 16.2% −0.7% 2.8%
Stock pay / revenue 1.1% 0.7% — 4.3% 2.7% 1.0% 0.8%
Change in share count 1.1% −0.4% — 2.1% −3.5% 9.8% 0.2%

Median of all 44 companies we cover in restaurants. Shaded: best of the six on that line (lowest for stock pay and share-count growth). 3-year figures average the last three 12-month periods; 3-year growth is compound annual. Source: SEC filings.

Peer comparison

44 restaurants companies
Measure Company Peer median Rank
Revenue growth Growth 4.4% 4.7% 25 of 44
Change in growth rate Growth -0.0pp +0.3pp 25 of 44
Operating margin Profitability 10.5% 5.2% 13 of 42
Net margin Profitability 7.0% 2.6% 13 of 44
Free-cash-flow margin Cash generation 8.2% 3.6% 15 of 44
Stock pay as % of revenue Cash generation 1.1% 0.8% 28 of 40
Long-term debt as % of assets Balance sheet 4.8% 29.0% 6 of 36
Change in share count Balance sheet 1.1% 0.3% 30 of 42

Rank 1 = best in the group (for spending, debt and dilution, lower ranks first).

Where the revenue comes from

Fiscal year to December 31, 2025
Products and services
Line of business Revenue Share YoY
Services $406M 82.8% ▲ 2.4%
Franchise $52.4M 10.7% ▲ 15.0%
Franchise Advertising Fee $31.8M 6.5% ▲ 2.1%

From El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s 10-K filed March 13, 2026, as tagged in the filing. View filing. Indented rows are part of the line above; their share is of that line. In the bars, the faint bar behind is the year before.

Who owns it

Funds buying and selling
Reported value
$504M
Institutions reporting
151
Shares held vs prior quarter
▲ 12.0%
Positions opened / closed
23 / 12

Top buyers and sellers, Q2 2026: 88 institutions bought and 54 sold ; the biggest buyer was First Eagle Investment Management, LLC (+1.4M shares) and the biggest seller Marshall Wace, LLP (−412K). See which funds bought and sold →

Largest reported holders, June 30, 2026
Manager Value Shares Share of 13F value Shares QoQ
Biglari Capital Corp. $64.1M 3.8M 12.7% ▼ 5.6%
Blackrock, Inc. $41.7M 2.5M 8.3% ▲ 7.7%
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP $34.8M 2.0M 6.9% ▲ 1.8%
First Eagle Investment Management, LLC $33.8M 2.0M 6.7% ▲ 246.2%
LSV Asset Management $25M 1.5M 5.0% ▲ 1.0%
Goldman Sachs Group Inc $21.3M 1.3M 4.2% ▲ 15.1%
Vanguard Capital Management LLC $18.8M 1.1M 3.7% ▲ 1.7%
Tieton Capital Management, LLC $17.5M 1.0M 3.5% ▼ 2.2%
Two Sigma Investments, LP $15.4M 907K 3.1% ▲ 41.2%
Geode Capital Management, LLC $15.1M 888K 3.0% ▲ 32.9%
Arrowstreet Capital, Limited Partnership $12.4M 730K 2.5% ▲ 31.5%
Hillsdale Investment Management Inc. $11.1M 656K 2.2% ▲ 12.4%

From Form 13F filings with the SEC ( quarterly data sets), as reported by each manager for June 30, 2026 and filed up to 45 days later. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M only, so this is not El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s complete shareholder register. Values are as reported by the filers .

Insider trading activity

Full insider history and chart
Insider purchases History → $0 0 trades by 0 insiders, last 12 months Insider sales History → $8.7M 16 trades by 4 insiders · 0% under pre-set plans
Net ▼ $8.7M net selling
Insider Date Trade Shares Price Value
Biglari Holdings Inc. 10% owner August 7, 2026 Sell 550 $17.06 $9,383
Lion Fund Ii, L.P. 10% owner August 5, 2026 Sell 40,000 $16.90 $676,000
Lion Fund Ii, L.P. 10% owner August 3, 2026 Sell 10,000 $16.73 $167,300
Biglari Insurance Group Inc. 10% owner July 30, 2026 Sell 273 $16.70 $4,559
Biglari Insurance Group Inc. 10% owner July 29, 2026 Sell 3,306 $16.71 $55,243
Biglari Insurance Group Inc. 10% owner July 29, 2026 Sell 3,305 $16.71 $55,227
Biglari Capital Corp. 10% owner July 17, 2026 Sell 11,000 $16.71 $183,810
Biglari Holdings Inc. 10% owner July 16, 2026 Sell 2,749 $16.70 $45,908
Biglari Holdings Inc. 10% owner July 15, 2026 Sell 6,533 $16.71 $109,166
Biglari Holdings Inc. 10% owner July 14, 2026 Sell 1,211 $16.73 $20,260
Biglari Insurance Group Inc. 10% owner July 13, 2026 Sell 75,000 $16.74 $1.3M
Biglari Insurance Group Inc. 10% owner July 2, 2026 Sell 9,525 $16.92 $161,163

From insiders' Form 4 filings with the SEC. Excludes awards, option exercises and shares withheld for tax. "Pre-set plan" means the filing marks the trade as made under a Rule 10b5-1 plan. See every insider trade since five years ago, on a price chart.

Earnings dates and SEC filings

Results announcements

Next expected around October 29, 2026 estimated from the company's past filing pattern, not announced

  • August 6, 2026
  • May 7, 2026
  • March 12, 2026
  • October 30, 2025
  • July 31, 2025
  • May 1, 2025

Recent SEC filings

Data status

When each part of this page on El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. was last updated.

DataLast updatedSource
Share priceExchange closing prices
Financial statementsSEC 10-K and 10-Q filings
News and updatesCompany releases and SEC 8-K filings
Analyst estimatesAggregated analyst estimates
Valuation and scoresOur models, from the filed figures

How we build and check these figures: methodology and data sources.

El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. in brief

What does El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. do?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is a US-listed company in the restaurants industry. Its financial year ends in December.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s stock ticker?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. trades under the ticker LOCO on Nasdaq. This page brings together its financial statements, valuation models, ownership and recent company updates.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s revenue, and how fast is it growing?
Over its most recent trailing twelve months, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. reported revenue of $501M, 4.4% higher than a year earlier, according to its SEC filings.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s free cash flow?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s free-cash-flow margin is 8.2% of revenue over the trailing twelve months, ranking 15 of the 44 restaurants companies we cover.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s fair value (intrinsic value) per share?
Our discounted-cash-flow model of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s free cash flow after stock-based pay gives ~$16 per share in the base case, and ~$12–$22 across growth scenarios. These are model values under stated assumptions — not a price target or a recommendation.
Who are El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s largest institutional shareholders?
By value reported in 13F filings for June 30, 2026, the largest reported holders are Biglari Capital Corp., Blackrock, Inc. and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP. 13F reports cover long US-listed positions of managers above $100M, filed up to 45 days after quarter end.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. buying back stock, and does it pay a dividend?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. spent $1.8M on share repurchases over the trailing twelve months, and its diluted share count still rose 1.1% over the year.
What is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s market cap?
On November 2, 2026, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s market capitalisation was about $462M, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.3 and net debt of $16.7M. Market figures come from third-party market data and may be delayed.
How much debt does El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. have?
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s debt-to-equity ratio is 9.5%, from its latest balance sheet (12.9% five years earlier). The financial health section below sets out its other solvency checks.
Who are El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s competitors?
In our Restaurants peer group, the companies closest to El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. are Noodles & Co, Biglari Holdings Inc., Sweetgreen, Inc., Wingstop Inc. and Portillo's Inc. The side-by-side comparison below sets their revenue, margins and growth against El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s.
Are insiders buying or selling El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. stock?
Over the last 12 months, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s directors and officers reported 0 open-market purchases and 16 sales on Form 4. The insider trading page charts every trade.
When is El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s next earnings date?
Around November 5, 2026, estimated from the spacing of its past results announcements (8-K filings). That is an estimate, not a confirmed date — El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. announces its own schedule.