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Side-by-side financial comparison of El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. (LOCO) and CPI Card Group Inc. (PMTS). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
CPI Card Group Inc. is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($153.1M vs $126.2M, roughly 1.2× El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc.). El Pollo Loco Holdings, Inc. runs the higher net margin — 6.5% vs 4.8%, a 1.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, CPI Card Group Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (22.3% vs 5.9%). Over the past eight quarters, CPI Card Group Inc.'s revenue compounded faster (16.9% CAGR vs 1.6%).
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.
CPI Card Group Inc. is a leading provider of payment card production and associated solutions, including contactless and contact credit/debit cards, prepaid cards, and card personalization services. It primarily serves financial institutions, fintech firms, and retail brands across its core North American market.
LOCO vs PMTS — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q1 FY2026 vs Q4 FY2025
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $126.2M | $153.1M |
| Net Profit | $8.2M | $7.3M |
| Gross Margin | — | 31.5% |
| Operating Margin | 9.7% | 12.0% |
| Net Margin | 6.5% | 4.8% |
| Revenue YoY | 5.9% | 22.3% |
| Net Profit YoY | 48.8% | 8.5% |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.27 | $0.62 |
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 | $123.5M | $153.1M | ||
| Q3 25 | $121.5M | $138.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $125.8M | $129.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $119.2M | $122.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $114.3M | $125.1M | ||
| Q3 24 | $120.4M | $124.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $122.2M | $118.8M |
| Q1 26 | $8.2M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $6.5M | $7.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $7.4M | $2.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $7.1M | $518.0K | ||
| Q1 25 | $5.5M | $4.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $6.0M | $6.8M | ||
| Q3 24 | $6.2M | $1.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $7.6M | $6.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 31.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 29.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 30.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 33.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 34.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | — | 35.8% | ||
| Q2 24 | — | 35.7% |
| Q1 26 | 9.7% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 8.3% | 12.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 9.4% | 9.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 9.0% | 7.3% | ||
| Q1 25 | 7.5% | 11.5% | ||
| Q4 24 | 7.9% | 12.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 8.4% | 14.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 10.1% | 12.5% |
| Q1 26 | 6.5% | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 5.3% | 4.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | 6.1% | 1.7% | ||
| Q2 25 | 5.6% | 0.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 4.6% | 3.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | 5.2% | 5.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 5.1% | 1.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 6.2% | 5.1% |
| Q1 26 | $0.27 | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.22 | $0.62 | ||
| Q3 25 | $0.25 | $0.19 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.24 | $0.04 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.19 | $0.40 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.21 | $0.56 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.21 | $0.11 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.25 | $0.51 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $3.9M | $21.7M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | — | $286.7M |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $302.5M | $-17.3M |
| Total Assets | $609.1M | $403.2M |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | — | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | $3.9M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $6.2M | $21.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $10.9M | $16.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $9.0M | $17.1M | ||
| Q1 25 | $4.3M | $31.5M | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.5M | $33.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $7.9M | $14.7M | ||
| Q2 24 | $10.5M | $7.5M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $51.0M | $286.7M | ||
| Q3 25 | $61.0M | $308.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $69.0M | $310.9M | ||
| Q1 25 | $73.0M | $280.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $71.0M | $280.4M | ||
| Q3 24 | $76.0M | $280.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $87.0M | $269.7M |
| Q1 26 | $302.5M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $291.1M | $-17.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $282.9M | $-25.7M | ||
| Q2 25 | $274.2M | $-29.0M | ||
| Q1 25 | $265.7M | $-29.7M | ||
| Q4 24 | $260.7M | $-35.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $255.2M | $-42.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $248.6M | $-44.6M |
| Q1 26 | $609.1M | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $606.6M | $403.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $602.7M | $407.1M | ||
| Q2 25 | $596.8M | $399.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $590.5M | $351.9M | ||
| Q4 24 | $592.0M | $349.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $590.0M | $342.3M | ||
| Q2 24 | $593.8M | $321.4M |
| 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 | — | $39.6M |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | — | $35.2M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | — | 23.0% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | — | 2.9% |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | — | 5.39× |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | — | $41.3M |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $13.9M | $39.6M | ||
| Q3 25 | $15.3M | $10.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $14.1M | $4.3M | ||
| Q1 25 | $4.7M | $5.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $5.6M | $26.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $13.0M | $12.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $17.0M | $-4.8M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $5.1M | $35.2M | ||
| Q3 25 | $9.9M | $5.3M | ||
| Q2 25 | $9.1M | $533.0K | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.3M | $292.0K | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.1M | $21.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $9.1M | $11.1M | ||
| Q2 24 | $10.4M | $-6.0M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 4.1% | 23.0% | ||
| Q3 25 | 8.2% | 3.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 7.2% | 0.4% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.1% | 0.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.0% | 17.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 7.6% | 8.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | 8.5% | -5.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 7.1% | 2.9% | ||
| Q3 25 | 4.4% | 3.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 4.0% | 2.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.8% | 4.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.9% | 4.0% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.2% | 1.2% | ||
| Q2 24 | 5.3% | 1.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 2.13× | 5.39× | ||
| Q3 25 | 2.08× | 4.32× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.99× | 8.39× | ||
| Q1 25 | 0.86× | 1.17× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.95× | 3.94× | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.11× | 9.70× | ||
| Q2 24 | 2.22× | -0.79× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
LOCO
Segment breakdown not available.
PMTS
| US Debit And Credit | $128.9M | 84% |
| US Prepaid Debit | $24.4M | 16% |
