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Side-by-side financial comparison of INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC (IIIN) and El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($159.9M vs $126.2M, roughly 1.3× El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.). El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 6.5% vs 4.7%, a 1.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (23.3% vs 5.9%). Over the past eight quarters, INSTEEL INDUSTRIES INC's revenue compounded faster (12.0% CAGR vs 1.6%).
Insteel Industries Inc is a leading U.S. manufacturer of steel reinforcing products including welded wire reinforcement and steel fibers. It primarily serves non-residential construction, infrastructure, and precast concrete segments across North America, delivering high-performance reinforcement solutions for various construction projects.
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.
IIIN vs LOCO — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $159.9M | $126.2M |
| Net Profit | $7.6M | $8.2M |
| Gross Margin | 11.3% | — |
| Operating Margin | 6.0% | 9.7% |
| Net Margin | 4.7% | 6.5% |
| Revenue YoY | 23.3% | 5.9% |
| Net Profit YoY | 602.4% | 48.8% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.39 | $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.
| Q1 26 | — | $126.2M | ||
| Q4 25 | $159.9M | $123.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | $177.4M | $121.5M | ||
| Q2 25 | $179.9M | $125.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $160.7M | $119.2M | ||
| Q4 24 | $129.7M | $114.3M | ||
| Q3 24 | $134.3M | $120.4M | ||
| Q2 24 | $145.8M | $122.2M |
| Q1 26 | — | $8.2M | ||
| Q4 25 | $7.6M | $6.5M | ||
| Q3 25 | $14.6M | $7.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $15.2M | $7.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $10.2M | $5.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.1M | $6.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $4.7M | $6.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $6.6M | $7.6M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 11.3% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 16.1% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 17.1% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 15.3% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 7.3% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 9.1% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 10.6% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | 9.7% | ||
| Q4 25 | 6.0% | 8.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 10.8% | 9.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 11.0% | 9.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 8.3% | 7.5% | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.1% | 7.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 4.5% | 8.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | 6.0% | 10.1% |
| Q1 26 | — | 6.5% | ||
| Q4 25 | 4.7% | 5.3% | ||
| Q3 25 | 8.2% | 6.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 8.4% | 5.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | 6.4% | 4.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.8% | 5.2% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.5% | 5.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.5% | 6.2% |
| Q1 26 | — | $0.27 | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.39 | $0.22 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.74 | $0.25 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.78 | $0.24 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.52 | $0.19 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.06 | $0.21 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.24 | $0.21 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.34 | $0.25 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $15.6M | $3.9M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | — | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $358.8M | $302.5M |
| Total Assets | $456.1M | $609.1M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $3.9M | ||
| Q4 25 | $15.6M | $6.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $38.6M | $10.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $53.7M | $9.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $28.4M | $4.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $36.0M | $2.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $111.5M | $7.9M | ||
| Q2 24 | $97.7M | $10.5M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| 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 26 | — | $302.5M | ||
| Q4 25 | $358.8M | $291.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $371.5M | $282.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $356.2M | $274.2M | ||
| Q1 25 | $341.4M | $265.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $331.6M | $260.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $350.9M | $255.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $346.0M | $248.6M |
| Q1 26 | — | $609.1M | ||
| Q4 25 | $456.1M | $606.6M | ||
| Q3 25 | $462.6M | $602.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $471.9M | $596.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $421.9M | $590.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $404.7M | $592.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $422.6M | $590.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $414.6M | $593.8M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| 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× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $-701.0K | — |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-2.2M | — |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -1.4% | — |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 0.9% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | -0.09× | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $439.0K | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $-701.0K | $13.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-17.0M | $15.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $28.5M | $14.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-3.3M | $4.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $19.0M | $5.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $16.2M | $13.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $18.8M | $17.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $-2.2M | $5.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $-18.7M | $9.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $26.9M | $9.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-5.5M | $1.3M | ||
| Q4 24 | $16.3M | $1.1M | ||
| Q3 24 | $14.5M | $9.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $15.5M | $10.4M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | -1.4% | 4.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | -10.6% | 8.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 15.0% | 7.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | -3.5% | 1.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | 12.6% | 1.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 10.8% | 7.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 10.7% | 8.5% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 0.9% | 7.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.0% | 4.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.9% | 4.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.4% | 2.8% | ||
| Q4 24 | 2.1% | 3.9% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.3% | 3.2% | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.2% | 5.3% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | -0.09× | 2.13× | ||
| Q3 25 | -1.17× | 2.08× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.88× | 1.99× | ||
| Q1 25 | -0.32× | 0.86× | ||
| Q4 24 | 17.56× | 0.95× | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.48× | 2.11× | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.86× | 2.22× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
IIIN
| Welded Wire Reinforcement | $108.4M | 68% |
| PC Strand | $51.6M | 32% |
LOCO
Segment breakdown not available.
