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PortillosPTLO -2.58%53 Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.36 as of Mar. 2026, which is 94% above its 10-year median of 6.89. GuruFocus rates PTLO with a GF Score™ of 53/100 and a GF Value™ of $10.83 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 299 Restaurants companies, Portillos ranks worse than 90.64% on this metric.
Debt-to-EBITDA measures a company's ability to pay off its debt.
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt. According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
The historical rank and industry rank for Portillos's Debt-to-EBITDA or its related term are showing as below:
PTLO'
s Debt-to-EBITDA Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 5.74 Med: 6.89 Max: 9.73
Current: 9.73
During the past 7 years, the highest Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio of Portillos was 9.73. The lowest was 5.74. And the median was 6.89.
PTLO's Debt-to-EBITDA is ranked worse than 90.64% of 299
companies
in the Restaurants industry
Industry Median: 2.91
vs PTLO: 9.73
A high Debt-to-EBITDA ratio generally means that a company may spend more time to paying off its debt.
According to Joel Tillinghast's BIG MONEY THINKS SMALL: Biases, Blind Spots, and Smarter Investing, a ratio of Debt-to-EBITDA exceeding four is usually considered scary unless tangible assets cover the debt.
Portillos Debt-to-EBITDA Related Terms
Portillos Debt-to-EBITDA Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Portillos's Debt-to-EBITDA can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
PTLO vs NATH, JACK, DIN: Debt-to-EBITDA Comparison
For the Restaurants subindustry, Portillos's Debt-to-EBITDA, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-EBITDA data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Portillos Debt-to-EBITDA vs Restaurants Industry
For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, Portillos's Debt-to-EBITDA distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Portillos's Debt-to-EBITDA falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
In the calculation of annual Debt-to-EBITDA, the EBITDA of the last fiscal year is used. In calculating the annualized quarterly data,
the EBITDA data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBITDA data.
Portillos (PTLO) has a Debt-to-EBITDA of 13.36 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Portillos. This is 94% above median its historical median of 6.89. Over the past decade, Portillos' Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 5.74 to 9.73. According to the industry distribution chart, Portillos ranks #271 out of 299 companies in the Restaurants industry, placing it in the top 90.6%.
Is Portillos' Debt-to-EBITDA too high?
Portillos' current Debt-to-EBITDA of 13.36 is 94% above median its 10-year median of 6.89. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 5.74 to a high of 9.73. The Restaurants industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.91. Portillos' value of 13.36 is 359.1% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Portillos ranks #271 out of 299 companies in the Restaurants industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Portillos has a GF Score™ of 53/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Portillos' Debt-to-EBITDA compare to NATH and JACK?
According to the Restaurants industry distribution chart, Portillos ranks #271 out of 299 companies for Debt-to-EBITDA. This places Portillos in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.91. Portillos' value of 13.36 is 359.1% above this benchmark. Historically, Portillos' own Debt-to-EBITDA has ranged from 5.74 to 9.73 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 6.89 vs. the industry median of 2.91, Portillos has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-EBITDA for a Restaurants company?
The median Debt-to-EBITDA among Restaurants companies is 2.91, based on 299 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-EBITDA significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-EBITDA should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Portillos's current Debt-to-EBITDA of 13.36 is 359.1% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-EBITDA mean?
A high Debt-to-EBITDA can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-EBITDA ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. View historical data on Portillos. For the Restaurants industry, the median Debt-to-EBITDA is 2.91 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Portillos's current Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.36, which is 94% above median its own 10-year median of 6.89. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Portillos stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Portillos (PTLO) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $10.83, compared to a current price of $4.34 — trading 59.9% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.36, which is 94% above median its 10-year median of 6.89 and 359.1% above the Restaurants industry median of 2.91. Portillos' overall GF Score™ is 53/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-EBITDA calculated?
Debt-to-EBITDA is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Portillos (PTLO), the current Debt-to-EBITDA is 13.36 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Portillos (PTLO) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Portillos stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $4.34 is trading 59.9% below its estimated GF Value™ of $10.83.
GuruFocus considers Portillos to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for PTLO:
Debt-to-EBITDA: 13.36 (94% above median its 10-year median of 6.89)
GF Value™: $10.83 vs. price of $4.34 (59.9% below fair value)
Industry Position: 359.1% above the Restaurants median (#271 of 299)
No single metric tells the full story. See the PTLO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Portillos Inc serves the Chicago street food industry through high-energy and multichannel restaurants designed to ignite the senses and create memorable dining experiences. The company owns and operates fast-casual restaurants in the United States, along with two food production commissaries in Illinois. Its menu includes hot dogs, beef and sausage sandwiches, sandwiches and ribs, salads, burgers, chicken, sides and soup, and others.
53GF Score
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