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El Pollo Loco HoldingsLOCO +3.14%65 Debt-to-Equity is 0.69 as of Jun. 2026, which is 22% below its 10-year median of 0.89. GuruFocus rates LOCO with a GF Score™ of 65/100 and a GF Value™ of $11.83 (Modestly Overvalued). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 320 Restaurants companies, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks better than 55.31% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
LOCO'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.25 Med: 0.89 Max: 1.41
Current: 0.69
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of El Pollo Loco Holdings was 1.41. The lowest was 0.25. And the median was 0.89.
LOCO's Debt-to-Equity is ranked better than 55.31% of 320
companies
in the Restaurants industry
Industry Median: 0.9
vs LOCO: 0.69
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
El Pollo Loco Holdings Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-Equity 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.
LOCO vs KRUS, DIN, NATH: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Restaurants subindustry, El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity 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.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Debt-to-Equity vs Restaurants Industry
For the Restaurants industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where El Pollo Loco Holdings's Debt-to-Equity 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.
El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.69 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings and its competitors. This is 22% below median its historical median of 0.89. Over the past decade, El Pollo Loco Holdings' Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.25 to 1.41. According to the industry distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #143 out of 320 companies in the Restaurants industry, placing it in the top 44.7%.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings' Debt-to-Equity too high?
El Pollo Loco Holdings' current Debt-to-Equity of 0.69 is 22% below median its 10-year median of 0.89. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.25 to a high of 1.41. The Restaurants industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.90. El Pollo Loco Holdings' value of 0.69 is 23.3% below this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #143 out of 320 companies in the Restaurants industry, which is above the industry midpoint. Overall, El Pollo Loco Holdings has a GF Score™ of 65/100 and is considered Modestly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does El Pollo Loco Holdings' Debt-to-Equity compare to KRUS and DIN?
According to the Restaurants industry distribution chart, El Pollo Loco Holdings ranks #143 out of 320 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This puts El Pollo Loco Holdings in the upper half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.90. El Pollo Loco Holdings' value of 0.69 is 23.3% below this benchmark. Historically, El Pollo Loco Holdings' own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.25 to 1.41 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.89 vs. the industry median of 0.90, El Pollo Loco Holdings has consistently been below 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-Equity for a Restaurants company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Restaurants companies is 0.90, based on 320 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. El Pollo Loco Holdings's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.69 is 23.3% below 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-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings and its competitors. For the Restaurants industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.90 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. El Pollo Loco Holdings's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.69, which is 22% below median its own 10-year median of 0.89. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) is currently considered Modestly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $11.83, compared to a current price of $15.28 — trading 29.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.69, which is 22% below median its 10-year median of 0.89 and 23.3% below the Restaurants industry median of 0.90. El Pollo Loco Holdings' overall GF Score™ is 65/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.69 as of Jun. 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 El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, El Pollo Loco Holdings stock appears to be overvalued.
The current stock price of $15.28 is trading 29.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $11.83.
GuruFocus considers El Pollo Loco Holdings to be Modestly Overvalued.
Key valuation signals for LOCO:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.69 (22% below median its 10-year median of 0.89)
GF Value™: $11.83 vs. price of $15.28 (29.2% above fair value)
Industry Position: 23.3% below the Restaurants median (#143 of 320)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LOCO stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc operates and franchises hundreds of fast-casual chicken restaurants in the United States. It specializes in fire-grilling citrus-marinated chicken and operates in the limited service restaurant market segment. Its offerings include Mexican-inspired menu items, including burritos, tostadas, bowls, salads, and bone-in chicken meals in various portion sizes. It also offers citrus-marinated fire-grilled chicken, along with a range of salsas and dressings that allow customers to customize their meals. The company operates in one operating segment. The majority of the company's revenue is derived from company-operated restaurant revenue.
65GF Score
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