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

MALIBU BOATS, INC. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($188.6M vs $126.2M, roughly 1.5× El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.). El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 6.5% vs -1.3%, a 7.8% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (5.9% vs -5.8%). Over the past eight quarters, El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (1.6% CAGR vs -3.7%).

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.

Malibu Boats is an American manufacturer of recreational boats, founded in Merced, California in 1982, and currently headquartered in Loudon, Tennessee with additional production facilities in New South Wales, Australia. Malibu is "the world's largest manufacturer of watersports towboats", used both recreationally and in water skiing and wakeboarding events.

LOCO vs MBUU — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
MBUU
MBUU
1.5× larger
MBUU
$188.6M
$126.2M
LOCO
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
LOCO
LOCO
+11.7% gap
LOCO
5.9%
-5.8%
MBUU
Higher net margin
LOCO
LOCO
7.8% more per $
LOCO
6.5%
-1.3%
MBUU
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
LOCO
LOCO
Annualised
LOCO
1.6%
-3.7%
MBUU

Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q2 FY2026

Metric
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Revenue
$126.2M
$188.6M
Net Profit
$8.2M
$-2.5M
Gross Margin
13.3%
Operating Margin
9.7%
-1.9%
Net Margin
6.5%
-1.3%
Revenue YoY
5.9%
-5.8%
Net Profit YoY
48.8%
-204.2%
EPS (diluted)
$0.27
$-0.13

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
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
$126.2M
Q4 25
$123.5M
$188.6M
Q3 25
$121.5M
$194.7M
Q2 25
$125.8M
$207.0M
Q1 25
$119.2M
$228.7M
Q4 24
$114.3M
$200.3M
Q3 24
$120.4M
$171.6M
Q2 24
$122.2M
$158.7M
Net Profit
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
$8.2M
Q4 25
$6.5M
$-2.5M
Q3 25
$7.4M
$-702.0K
Q2 25
$7.1M
$4.7M
Q1 25
$5.5M
$12.9M
Q4 24
$6.0M
$2.4M
Q3 24
$6.2M
$-5.0M
Q2 24
$7.6M
$-19.2M
Gross Margin
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
13.3%
Q3 25
14.3%
Q2 25
15.8%
Q1 25
20.0%
Q4 24
18.7%
Q3 24
16.4%
Q2 24
7.9%
Operating Margin
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
9.7%
Q4 25
8.3%
-1.9%
Q3 25
9.4%
-0.4%
Q2 25
9.0%
3.3%
Q1 25
7.5%
7.6%
Q4 24
7.9%
1.6%
Q3 24
8.4%
-3.3%
Q2 24
10.1%
-15.4%
Net Margin
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
6.5%
Q4 25
5.3%
-1.3%
Q3 25
6.1%
-0.4%
Q2 25
5.6%
2.3%
Q1 25
4.6%
5.6%
Q4 24
5.2%
1.2%
Q3 24
5.1%
-2.9%
Q2 24
6.2%
-12.1%
EPS (diluted)
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
$0.27
Q4 25
$0.22
$-0.13
Q3 25
$0.25
$-0.04
Q2 25
$0.24
$0.23
Q1 25
$0.19
$0.66
Q4 24
$0.21
$0.12
Q3 24
$0.21
$-0.25
Q2 24
$0.25
$-0.93

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$3.9M
$28.2M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$20.0M
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$302.5M
$495.0M
Total Assets
$609.1M
$715.7M
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.04×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
$3.9M
Q4 25
$6.2M
$28.2M
Q3 25
$10.9M
$44.1M
Q2 25
$9.0M
$37.0M
Q1 25
$4.3M
$38.7M
Q4 24
$2.5M
$35.1M
Q3 24
$7.9M
$27.7M
Q2 24
$10.5M
$26.9M
Total Debt
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
$51.0M
$20.0M
Q3 25
$61.0M
$23.0M
Q2 25
$69.0M
$18.0M
Q1 25
$73.0M
$28.0M
Q4 24
$71.0M
$23.0M
Q3 24
$76.0M
$28.0M
Q2 24
$87.0M
$0
Stockholders' Equity
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
$302.5M
Q4 25
$291.1M
$495.0M
Q3 25
$282.9M
$516.4M
Q2 25
$274.2M
$515.5M
Q1 25
$265.7M
$513.0M
Q4 24
$260.7M
$509.8M
Q3 24
$255.2M
$517.7M
Q2 24
$248.6M
$530.0M
Total Assets
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
$609.1M
Q4 25
$606.6M
$715.7M
Q3 25
$602.7M
$755.6M
Q2 25
$596.8M
$734.6M
Q1 25
$590.5M
$758.8M
Q4 24
$592.0M
$738.7M
Q3 24
$590.0M
$759.1M
Q2 24
$593.8M
$739.6M
Debt / Equity
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.18×
0.04×
Q3 25
0.22×
0.04×
Q2 25
0.25×
0.03×
Q1 25
0.27×
0.05×
Q4 24
0.27×
0.05×
Q3 24
0.30×
0.05×
Q2 24
0.35×
0.00×

Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency

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

Metric
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$12.6M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$8.2M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
4.4%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.3%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$33.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
$13.9M
$12.6M
Q3 25
$15.3M
$6.5M
Q2 25
$14.1M
$21.0M
Q1 25
$4.7M
$15.5M
Q4 24
$5.6M
$28.4M
Q3 24
$13.0M
$-8.4M
Q2 24
$17.0M
$16.3M
Free Cash Flow
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
$5.1M
$8.2M
Q3 25
$9.9M
$2.2M
Q2 25
$9.1M
$14.1M
Q1 25
$1.3M
$8.8M
Q4 24
$1.1M
$22.8M
Q3 24
$9.1M
$-17.0M
Q2 24
$10.4M
$4.5M
FCF Margin
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
4.1%
4.4%
Q3 25
8.2%
1.1%
Q2 25
7.2%
6.8%
Q1 25
1.1%
3.8%
Q4 24
1.0%
11.4%
Q3 24
7.6%
-9.9%
Q2 24
8.5%
2.8%
Capex Intensity
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
7.1%
2.3%
Q3 25
4.4%
2.2%
Q2 25
4.0%
3.4%
Q1 25
2.8%
2.9%
Q4 24
3.9%
2.8%
Q3 24
3.2%
5.0%
Q2 24
5.3%
7.5%
Cash Conversion
LOCO
LOCO
MBUU
MBUU
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.13×
Q3 25
2.08×
Q2 25
1.99×
4.50×
Q1 25
0.86×
1.20×
Q4 24
0.95×
12.02×
Q3 24
2.11×
Q2 24
2.22×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

LOCO
LOCO

Segment breakdown not available.

MBUU
MBUU

Boatand Trailer Sales$68.1M36%
Saltwater Fishing$65.3M35%
Cobalt$52.6M28%
Part And Other Sales$2.6M1%

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