LOCO (El Pollo Loco Holdings) Interest Expense: $-4.0 Mil (TTM As of Mar. 2026)


LOCO El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc LOCO
72 GF Score
Price $16.68
GF Value $11.65
Valuation Significantly Overvalued
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is El Pollo Loco Holdings Interest Expense?

El Pollo Loco Holdings LOCO -3.02% 72 Interest Expense is $-4.0 Mil as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates LOCO with a GF Score™ of 72/100 and a GF Value™ of $11.65 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review.

Interest Expense is the amount reported by a company or individual as an expense for borrowed money. El Pollo Loco Holdings's interest expense for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $ -0.7 Mil. Its interest expense for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $-4.0 Mil.

Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income(EBIT) by its Interest Expense. El Pollo Loco Holdings's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $ 12.3 Mil. El Pollo Loco Holdings's Interest Expense for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $ -0.7 Mil. El Pollo Loco Holdings's Interest Coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 16.86. The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's financial strength is. Note: If both Interest Expense and Interest Income are empty, while Net Interest Income is negative, then use Net Interest Income as Interest Expense.


El Pollo Loco Holdings  (NAS:LOCO) Interest Expense Explanation

Interest Coverage is a ratio that determines how easily a company can pay interest expenses on outstanding debt. It is calculated by dividing a company's Operating Income (EBIT) by its Interest Expense. The higher, the better.

Note: If both Interest Expense and Interest Income are empty, while Net Interest Income is negative, then use Net Interest Income as Interest Expense.

El Pollo Loco Holdings's Interest Expense for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $-0.7 Mil. Its Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $12.3 Mil. And its Long-Term Debt & Capital Lease Obligation for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $216.5 Mil.

El Pollo Loco Holdings's Interest Coverage for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as

Interest Coverage=-1* Operating Income (Q: Mar. 2026 )/Interest Expense (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=-1*12.327/-0.731
=16.86

* 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.

The higher the ratio, the stronger the company's financial strength is.


El Pollo Loco Holdings Interest Expense Historical Data

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The historical data trend for El Pollo Loco Holdings's Interest Expense 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.

El Pollo Loco Holdings Interest Expense Chart

El Pollo Loco Holdings Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Interest Expense
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -1.82 -1.68 -4.81 -5.90 -4.47

El Pollo Loco Holdings Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Interest Expense Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -1.18 -1.21 -1.12 -0.97 -0.73
LOCO
72GF Score
El Pollo Loco Holdings Inc LOCO
Interest Expense is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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El Pollo Loco Holdings Interest Expense Calculation

Interest Expense is the amount reported by a company or individual as an expense for borrowed money.

Interest Expense for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $-4.0 Mil.

* 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.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Interest Expense →
What does a Interest Expense of $-4.0 Mil mean?
El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO) has a Interest Expense of $-4.0 Mil as of Mar. 2026. Interest Expense is the amount a company pays on its long-term debt. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings and its competitors.
Is El Pollo Loco Holdings' Interest Expense too high?
El Pollo Loco Holdings' current Interest Expense is $-4.0 Mil. Overall, El Pollo Loco Holdings has a GF Score™ of 72/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does El Pollo Loco Holdings' Interest Expense compare to DIN and NATH?
El Pollo Loco Holdings' Interest Expense of $-4.0 Mil can be compared against companies in the Restaurants industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Interest Expense for a Restaurants company?
A good Interest Expense depends on the Restaurants industry context. However, Interest Expense should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Interest Expense mean?
A high Interest Expense can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Interest Expense is the amount a company pays on its long-term debt. View historical data on El Pollo Loco Holdings and its competitors. El Pollo Loco Holdings's current Interest Expense is $-4.0 Mil. 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 Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $11.65, compared to a current price of $16.68 — trading 43.2% above its estimated fair value. The current Interest Expense is $-4.0 Mil. El Pollo Loco Holdings' overall GF Score™ is 72/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Interest Expense calculated?
Interest Expense is calculated from a company's financial statements. For El Pollo Loco Holdings (LOCO), the current Interest Expense is $-4.0 Mil 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 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 $16.68 is trading 43.2% above its estimated GF Value™ of $11.65. GuruFocus considers El Pollo Loco Holdings to be Significantly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for LOCO:

  • Interest Expense: $-4.0 Mil
  • GF Value™: $11.65 vs. price of $16.68 (43.2% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 72/100 with 7 warning signs

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 Business Description

Other Exchanges EP6:Germany
Address 575 Anton Boulevard, Suite 1100, Costa Mesa, CA, USA, 92626
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.
72GF Score

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Interest Expense is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$16.68
Price
$11.65
GF Value