vs

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

Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($155.7M vs $126.2M, roughly 1.2× El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.). Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc. runs the higher net margin — 10.3% vs 6.5%, a 3.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (26.9% vs 5.9%).

Bowhead Specialty Holdings Inc. is a specialty insurance holding company that offers a diversified portfolio of property and casualty insurance products, focusing on underserved niche market segments primarily across North America. It provides tailored risk management solutions and specialized coverage options for both commercial and individual clients.

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.

BOW vs LOCO — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
BOW
BOW
1.2× larger
BOW
$155.7M
$126.2M
LOCO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
BOW
BOW
+21.0% gap
BOW
26.9%
5.9%
LOCO
Higher net margin
BOW
BOW
3.8% more per $
BOW
10.3%
6.5%
LOCO

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Revenue
$155.7M
$126.2M
Net Profit
$16.0M
$8.2M
Gross Margin
Operating Margin
9.7%
Net Margin
10.3%
6.5%
Revenue YoY
26.9%
5.9%
Net Profit YoY
48.8%
EPS (diluted)
$0.48
$0.27

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
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
$155.7M
$126.2M
Q4 25
$151.7M
$123.5M
Q3 25
$143.9M
$121.5M
Q2 25
$133.3M
$125.8M
Q1 25
$122.7M
$119.2M
Q4 24
$114.3M
Q3 24
$116.8M
$120.4M
Q2 24
$98.9M
$122.2M
Net Profit
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
$16.0M
$8.2M
Q4 25
$14.8M
$6.5M
Q3 25
$15.2M
$7.4M
Q2 25
$12.3M
$7.1M
Q1 25
$11.4M
$5.5M
Q4 24
$6.0M
Q3 24
$12.1M
$6.2M
Q2 24
$5.5M
$7.6M
Operating Margin
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
9.7%
Q4 25
11.7%
8.3%
Q3 25
13.3%
9.4%
Q2 25
11.9%
9.0%
Q1 25
11.8%
7.5%
Q4 24
7.9%
Q3 24
13.5%
8.4%
Q2 24
7.5%
10.1%
Net Margin
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
10.3%
6.5%
Q4 25
9.8%
5.3%
Q3 25
10.5%
6.1%
Q2 25
9.3%
5.6%
Q1 25
9.3%
4.6%
Q4 24
5.2%
Q3 24
10.4%
5.1%
Q2 24
5.6%
6.2%
EPS (diluted)
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
$0.48
$0.27
Q4 25
$0.44
$0.22
Q3 25
$0.45
$0.25
Q2 25
$0.36
$0.24
Q1 25
$0.34
$0.19
Q4 24
$0.21
Q3 24
$0.36
$0.21
Q2 24
$0.20
$0.25

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$97.2M
$3.9M
Total DebtLower is stronger
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$457.9M
$302.5M
Total Assets
$2.5B
$609.1M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
$97.2M
$3.9M
Q4 25
$193.5M
$6.2M
Q3 25
$197.9M
$10.9M
Q2 25
$114.8M
$9.0M
Q1 25
$88.0M
$4.3M
Q4 24
$2.5M
Q3 24
$132.9M
$7.9M
Q2 24
$180.3M
$10.5M
Total Debt
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
Q4 25
$146.4M
$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
Stockholders' Equity
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
$457.9M
$302.5M
Q4 25
$448.3M
$291.1M
Q3 25
$430.2M
$282.9M
Q2 25
$407.2M
$274.2M
Q1 25
$391.0M
$265.7M
Q4 24
$260.7M
Q3 24
$364.7M
$255.2M
Q2 24
$339.9M
$248.6M
Total Assets
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
$2.5B
$609.1M
Q4 25
$2.4B
$606.6M
Q3 25
$2.1B
$602.7M
Q2 25
$1.9B
$596.8M
Q1 25
$1.8B
$590.5M
Q4 24
$592.0M
Q3 24
$1.5B
$590.0M
Q2 24
$1.4B
$593.8M
Debt / Equity
BOW
BOW
LOCO
LOCO
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.33×
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×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Related Comparisons