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Side-by-side financial comparison of AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES INC (ACLS) and El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($238.3M vs $123.5M, roughly 1.9× El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.). AXCELIS TECHNOLOGIES INC runs the higher net margin — 14.4% vs 5.3%, a 9.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (8.1% vs -5.6%). El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. produced more free cash flow last quarter ($5.1M vs $-8.9M). Over the past eight quarters, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (3.1% CAGR vs -2.8%).

Axcelis Technologies, Inc. is an American company engaging in the design, manufacture, and servicing of capital equipment for the semiconductor manufacturing industry worldwide. It produces ion implantation systems, including high and medium current implanters, and high energy implanters, and curing systems used in the fabrication of semiconductor chips. The company was incorporated in 1995 and is headquartered in Beverly, Massachusetts, United States.

El Pollo Loco, Inc., is a restaurant chain based in the United States, specializing in Mexican-style grilled chicken. Restaurant service consists of dine-in and take-out, with some locations offering drive-through options. The company is headquartered in Costa Mesa, California, and operates about 500 company-owned and franchised restaurants in the Southwestern United States.

ACLS vs LOCO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
ACLS
ACLS
1.9× larger
ACLS
$238.3M
$123.5M
LOCO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
LOCO
LOCO
+13.7% gap
LOCO
8.1%
-5.6%
ACLS
Higher net margin
ACLS
ACLS
9.1% more per $
ACLS
14.4%
5.3%
LOCO
More free cash flow
LOCO
LOCO
$14.0M more FCF
LOCO
$5.1M
$-8.9M
ACLS
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
LOCO
LOCO
Annualised
LOCO
3.1%
-2.8%
ACLS

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q4 FY2025

Metric
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Revenue
$238.3M
$123.5M
Net Profit
$34.3M
$6.5M
Gross Margin
47.0%
Operating Margin
15.2%
8.3%
Net Margin
14.4%
5.3%
Revenue YoY
-5.6%
8.1%
Net Profit YoY
-31.3%
9.9%
EPS (diluted)
$1.11
$0.22

Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.

8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend

Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.

Revenue
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$238.3M
$123.5M
Q3 25
$213.6M
$121.5M
Q2 25
$194.5M
$125.8M
Q1 25
$192.6M
$119.2M
Q4 24
$252.4M
$114.3M
Q3 24
$256.6M
$120.4M
Q2 24
$256.5M
$122.2M
Q1 24
$252.4M
$116.2M
Net Profit
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$34.3M
$6.5M
Q3 25
$26.0M
$7.4M
Q2 25
$31.4M
$7.1M
Q1 25
$28.6M
$5.5M
Q4 24
$50.0M
$6.0M
Q3 24
$48.6M
$6.2M
Q2 24
$50.9M
$7.6M
Q1 24
$51.6M
$5.9M
Gross Margin
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
47.0%
Q3 25
41.6%
Q2 25
44.9%
Q1 25
46.1%
Q4 24
46.0%
Q3 24
42.9%
Q2 24
43.8%
Q1 24
46.0%
Operating Margin
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
15.2%
8.3%
Q3 25
11.7%
9.4%
Q2 25
14.9%
9.0%
Q1 25
15.1%
7.5%
Q4 24
21.6%
7.9%
Q3 24
18.3%
8.4%
Q2 24
20.6%
10.1%
Q1 24
22.4%
8.3%
Net Margin
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
14.4%
5.3%
Q3 25
12.2%
6.1%
Q2 25
16.1%
5.6%
Q1 25
14.8%
4.6%
Q4 24
19.8%
5.2%
Q3 24
18.9%
5.1%
Q2 24
19.8%
6.2%
Q1 24
20.4%
5.1%
EPS (diluted)
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$1.11
$0.22
Q3 25
$0.83
$0.25
Q2 25
$0.98
$0.24
Q1 25
$0.88
$0.19
Q4 24
$1.54
$0.21
Q3 24
$1.49
$0.21
Q2 24
$1.55
$0.25
Q1 24
$1.57
$0.19

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$374.3M
$6.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$51.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.0B
$291.1M
Total Assets
$1.4B
$606.6M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.18×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$374.3M
$6.2M
Q3 25
$449.6M
$10.9M
Q2 25
$549.8M
$9.0M
Q1 25
$587.1M
$4.3M
Q4 24
$571.3M
$2.5M
Q3 24
$579.4M
$7.9M
Q2 24
$548.3M
$10.5M
Q1 24
$530.2M
$9.1M
Total Debt
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$51.0M
Q3 25
$61.0M
Q2 25
$69.0M
Q1 25
$73.0M
Q4 24
$71.0M
Q3 24
$76.0M
Q2 24
$87.0M
Q1 24
$80.0M
Stockholders' Equity
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$1.0B
$291.1M
Q3 25
$1.0B
$282.9M
Q2 25
$1.0B
$274.2M
Q1 25
$1.0B
$265.7M
Q4 24
$1.0B
$260.7M
Q3 24
$975.6M
$255.2M
Q2 24
$934.9M
$248.6M
Q1 24
$901.7M
$256.3M
Total Assets
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$1.4B
$606.6M
Q3 25
$1.4B
$602.7M
Q2 25
$1.3B
$596.8M
Q1 25
$1.3B
$590.5M
Q4 24
$1.3B
$592.0M
Q3 24
$1.3B
$590.0M
Q2 24
$1.3B
$593.8M
Q1 24
$1.3B
$598.0M
Debt / Equity
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
0.18×
Q3 25
0.22×
Q2 25
0.25×
Q1 25
0.27×
Q4 24
0.27×
Q3 24
0.30×
Q2 24
0.35×
Q1 24
0.31×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.

Metric
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$-6.6M
$13.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-8.9M
$5.1M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-3.7%
4.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
1.0%
7.1%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
-0.19×
2.13×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$107.0M
$25.4M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$-6.6M
$13.9M
Q3 25
$45.4M
$15.3M
Q2 25
$39.7M
$14.1M
Q1 25
$39.8M
$4.7M
Q4 24
$12.8M
$5.6M
Q3 24
$45.7M
$13.0M
Q2 24
$40.1M
$17.0M
Q1 24
$42.2M
$11.2M
Free Cash Flow
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
$-8.9M
$5.1M
Q3 25
$43.3M
$9.9M
Q2 25
$37.7M
$9.1M
Q1 25
$34.8M
$1.3M
Q4 24
$8.1M
$1.1M
Q3 24
$41.8M
$9.1M
Q2 24
$38.1M
$10.4M
Q1 24
$40.6M
$7.0M
FCF Margin
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
-3.7%
4.1%
Q3 25
20.3%
8.2%
Q2 25
19.4%
7.2%
Q1 25
18.1%
1.1%
Q4 24
3.2%
1.0%
Q3 24
16.3%
7.6%
Q2 24
14.8%
8.5%
Q1 24
16.1%
6.0%
Capex Intensity
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
1.0%
7.1%
Q3 25
0.9%
4.4%
Q2 25
1.0%
4.0%
Q1 25
2.6%
2.8%
Q4 24
1.8%
3.9%
Q3 24
1.5%
3.2%
Q2 24
0.8%
5.3%
Q1 24
0.6%
3.6%
Cash Conversion
ACLS
ACLS
LOCO
LOCO
Q4 25
-0.19×
2.13×
Q3 25
1.75×
2.08×
Q2 25
1.27×
1.99×
Q1 25
1.39×
0.86×
Q4 24
0.26×
0.95×
Q3 24
0.94×
2.11×
Q2 24
0.79×
2.22×
Q1 24
0.82×
1.89×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

ACLS
ACLS

Products$224.6M94%
Services$13.7M6%

LOCO
LOCO

Services$102.4M83%
Franchise$13.0M11%
Franchise Advertising Fee$8.1M7%

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