Latest Ratios: P/E Ratio 18.0x · EV/EBITDA 12.5x · ROE 9.6%. (2012–2025 historical series)
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $494M | $309M | $355M | $303M | $364M | $517M | $648M | $567M | $585M | $387M | $480M |
| Enterprise Value | $728M | $542M | $615M | $569M | $597M | $721M | $898M | $870M | $652M | $472M | $582M |
| P/E Ratio → | 18.03 | 11.62 | 13.73 | 11.92 | 17.47 | 17.74 | 26.62 | 22.60 | — | 45.00 | 26.17 |
| P/S Ratio | 1.01 | 0.63 | 0.75 | 0.65 | 0.78 | 1.14 | 1.52 | 1.28 | 1.34 | 0.96 | 1.26 |
| P/B Ratio | 1.65 | 1.06 | 1.36 | 1.21 | 1.30 | 1.66 | 2.33 | 2.31 | 2.21 | 1.41 | 1.81 |
| P/FCF | 19.43 | 12.13 | 12.81 | 15.66 | 19.55 | 14.75 | 19.14 | 27.39 | 33.17 | 22.20 | 40.38 |
| P/OCF | 10.28 | 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
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
| 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 | 12.45 | 9.28 | 10.82 | 10.34 | 13.40 | 12.75 | 17.80 | 15.48 | 78.00 | 18.91 | 11.49 |
| EV / EBIT | 17.14 | 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 |
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
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% |
| 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% |
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
| 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 |
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
| 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 |
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
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% | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 5.5% | 8.6% | 7.3% | 8.4% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 3.8% | 4.4% | — | 2.2% | 3.8% |
| FCF Yield | 5.1% | 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 |
California labor cost inflation
Based on current market data, LOCO trades at a forward P/E of 17.30, which appears to reflect a regional discount compared to national QSR peers, suggesting that investors remain skeptical of the brand's ability to successfully scale its fire-grilling model beyond its core California market.
The PEG ratio of 3.24 indicates that the market is pricing in significant growth expectations that may not align with the company's historical performance in non-core territories. This valuation suggests that the market views LOCO as a mature, regional player rather than a high-growth national chain, warranting caution regarding potential multiple compression if expansion efforts continue to stall.
According to recent financial statements, LOCO's ROIC has remained stagnant at 1.8% in 2026Q1, a figure that highlights the difficulty of compounding returns when a substantial portion of the capital base is comprised of goodwill rather than productive, income-generating restaurant assets.
The low ROIC relative to industry peers suggests that the company's capital allocation strategy has yet to generate meaningful value-add beyond the maintenance of its existing footprint. Investors should monitor whether future capital expenditures on store remodels can drive a sustained improvement in returns or if the current asset base remains structurally inefficient.
As reported in quarterly filings, LOCO's cash conversion cycle has fluctuated between -2 and 0 days over the last ten quarters, indicating that while the company maintains tight control over its payables, its ability to optimize inventory turnover remains highly sensitive to seasonal demand shifts.
The reliance on a negative cash conversion cycle suggests that the company effectively utilizes supplier credit to fund operations, which is a common but precarious strategy in the restaurant industry. Any disruption in supply chain terms or a slowdown in transaction velocity could quickly strain this delicate working capital balance.
Based on the provided balance sheet data, LOCO's current ratio of 0.34 as of 2026Q1 indicates a very thin liquidity buffer, which may leave the company vulnerable to unexpected operational shocks or sudden increases in mandatory labor expenditures within its primary California market.
While the company's low debt-to-equity ratio provides some comfort, the persistent inability to maintain a current ratio above 0.50 suggests that the firm operates with minimal margin for error. This liquidity profile necessitates close monitoring of cash flow generation to ensure that short-term obligations can be met without resorting to external financing.
The P/E ratio is frequently misapplied to LOCO's business model, as it obscures the impact of significant non-cash charges and the company's heavy reliance on leased assets, which can distort the true underlying earnings power of the restaurant operations.
Analysts should prioritize EV/EBITDA or P/FCF to better account for the company's capital structure and the cash-intensive nature of its store-level operations. Relying solely on P/E ignores the reality that the company's profitability is heavily influenced by lease accounting and depreciation, which do not reflect the actual cash-generating capacity of the fire-grilling model.
Includes 30+ ratios · 14 years · Updated daily
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Quick answers to the most common questions about buying LOCO stock.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 18.0x. The historical average is 20.8x. This places it at the 55th percentile of its historical range.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 12.5x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 18.5x.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 9.6%. The historical average is 5.3%.
Based on historical data, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. is trading at a P/E of 18.0x. This is at the 55th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. has 28.6% gross margin and 8.7% operating margin.
El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 4.1x, indicating high leverage. A ratio above 4x may signal elevated financial risk.