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Sonic Automotive

SAH NYSE Automotive Retail Financials FY2016–FY2025

Sonic Automotive's revenue rose 6.5% to $15.2 billion in fiscal 2025. Its operating margin was 2.4%, down from 3.2% a year earlier. Free cash flow was $418 million. It paid out $131 million in dividends and buybacks, 31% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 0.9%.

Last close · Oct 23, 2026

$61.28

2.9%
Value it Compare
Revenue Total sales reported in the income statement.
$15.2B
6.5% vs prior year
Operating margin Operating income as a share of revenue.
2.4%
0.8 pts
Net income Profit after all expenses, interest and tax.
$119M
45.0%
Free cash flow Cash from operations minus capital spending.
$418M
Return on capital After-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash.
12.2%
1.3 pts
Market cap Last close times the latest diluted share count, so it is approximate.
$2.0B
Oct 23 close
P/E Last close divided by diluted earnings per share over the last four quarters.
9.8x
On $6.27 EPS (TTM)

What Sonic Automotive does

No business description yet.

Legal name
SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
Fiscal year ends
December 31, 2025
Latest annual report
—
Accession · CIK
0001628280-26-010570
0001043509

Revenue and margins

Sonic Automotive had $15.2B of revenue in fiscal 2025, up 6.5% on the year before.

Revenue
Revenue
Margins, % of revenue
Gross Operating Net FCF
Margins, % of revenue
Gross Operating Net FCF

Net income and earnings per share

From fiscal 2016 to 2025, diluted EPS grew 6.0% a year. Loss periods are shown in red.

Net income
Net income
Diluted EPS
Diluted EPS

Returns on capital

After-tax operating income as a share of the money invested in the business: debt plus equity, minus cash.

Return on capital, equity and assets (annual)
Return on capital Return on equity Return on assets

Cash flow

Free cash flow was $418M in fiscal 2025, 2.8% of revenue. Cash from operations minus capital spending.

Free cash flow
Free cash flow
Cash from operations vs capital spending
Cash from operations Capital spending
Cash from operations vs capital spending
Cash from operations Capital spending

Dividends, buybacks and share count

Sonic Automotive returned $131M to shareholders in fiscal 2025, 31% of free cash flow. The diluted share count fell 0.9%.

Dividends and buybacks
Dividends Buybacks
Dividends and buybacks
Dividends Buybacks
Diluted shares outstanding (annual)

Value Sonic Automotive yourself

Change the assumptions and see what they imply per share. These are models, not forecasts or price targets — the answer depends entirely on what you put in.

Discounted cash flow

Value per share

—

Adds net cash of −$2.0B and divides by 34.7M diluted shares. Ten years of cash flows plus a terminal value, discounted to today.

Earnings multiple

Value per share

—

Reference multiples: today 9.8x · peers 19.2x · sector 17.9x.

Balance sheet

Cash, debt and the ratios that show how comfortably Sonic Automotive can carry it.

Cash vs debt (incl. leases)
Cash Debt
Fiscal year endFY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Cash and short-term investments $299M$229M$28.9M$44.0M$6.3M
Debt incl. finance leases $1.7B$2.0B$1.9B$1.9B$2.0B
Net debt / EBITDA 2.3x4.0x3.4x3.1x3.7x
Debt / equity 1.6x2.2x2.2x1.8x1.9x
Interest coverage 9.4x2.7x2.5x2.3x1.9x
Current ratio 1.1x1.2x1.1x1.1x1.1x
Quick ratio 0.4x0.5x0.4x0.4x0.3x
Total assets $5.0B$5.0B$5.4B$5.9B$6.0B
Total liabilities $3.9B$4.1B$4.5B$4.8B$4.9B
Shareholders' equity $1.1B$895M$892M$1.1B$1.1B
Net debt (− = net cash) $1.5B$1.8B$1.9B$1.9B$2.0B

Insider trades

Open-market purchases and sales by officers, directors and 10% owners, from Form 4 filings. 'Plan' marks trades under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan.

Bought, 12 months

$6.0M

1 insider

Sold, 12 months

$9.6M

2 insiders

Of sales under plans

100%

$9.6M

DateInsiderTradeSharesPriceValueFiling
Jun 10, 2026 Jeff DykePresident, Director Sold plan 35,114 $85.22 $3.0M Form 4
Jun 9, 2026 Jeff DykePresident, Director Sold plan 14,886 $85.13 $1.3M Form 4
Jun 8, 2026 Jeff DykePresident, Director Sold plan 50,000 $82.97 $4.1M Form 4
Jun 2, 2026 Heath ByrdEVP and CFO Sold plan 5,061 $85.00 $0.4M Form 4
May 28, 2026 Heath ByrdEVP and CFO Sold plan 9,526 $85.00 $0.8M Form 4
Feb 17, 2026 Paul P. Rusnak10% owner Bought 11,481 $59.95 $0.7M Form 4
Feb 13, 2026 Paul P. Rusnak10% owner Bought 48,540 $59.92 $2.9M Form 4
Feb 12, 2026 Paul P. Rusnak10% owner Bought 11,483 $59.97 $0.7M Form 4
Feb 11, 2026 Paul P. Rusnak10% owner Bought 1,931 $59.98 $0.1M Form 4
Feb 10, 2026 Paul P. Rusnak10% owner Bought 7,827 $59.96 $0.5M Form 4
Feb 5, 2026 Paul P. Rusnak10% owner Bought 18,738 $59.98 $1.1M Form 4

Piotroski F-score

Nine pass/fail tests of profitability, funding and efficiency. 8–9 is strong, 0–2 weak.

TestFY23FY24FY25
Net income is positive ✓ ✓ ✓
Cash from operations is positive ✕ ✓ ✓
Return on assets rose ✓ ✓ ✕
Cash from operations exceeds net income ✕ ✕ ✓
Debt fell relative to assets ✓ ✓ ✓
Current ratio rose ✕ ✕ ✕
Share count didn't rise ✓ ✓ ✓
Gross margin rose ✕ ✕ ✓
Revenue rose relative to assets ✓ ✕ ✕
F-score 5 / 95 / 96 / 9
Accruals ratio 3.8%1.9%−7.6%
Altman Z'' 1.771.811.71

Similar companies

Each company's latest fiscal year. Fiscal years end in different months, so periods don't line up exactly.

CompanyMarket capGrowthOp. marginFCF marginROICP/EF-score
Sonic Automotive SAH $2.0B 6.5% 2.4% 2.8% 12.2% 9.8x 6
O'Reilly Automotive ORLY $74.5B 6.4% 19.5% 9.0% 59.7% 28.6x 7 Compare →
Asbury Automotive Group ABG $3.2B 4.7% 4.8% — 9.2% 6.5x 6 Compare →
AutoZone AZO $54.1B 2.4% 19.1% 9.5% 58.2% 22.0x 6 Compare →
Murphy USA MUSA $9.9B −4.3% 3.7% 1.9% 20.5% 16.3x 5 Compare →

10 years of figures

US$ millions unless stated. Hover a ratio's name for its definition.

Download CSV
Fiscal yearFY16FY17FY18FY19FY20FY21FY22FY23FY24FY25
Income statement
Revenue $9.7B $9.9B $10.0B $10.5B $9.8B $12.4B $14.0B $14.4B $14.2B $15.2B
Gross profit $1.4B $1.5B $1.4B $1.5B $1.4B $1.9B $2.3B $2.2B $2.2B $2.4B
Operating income $233M $212M $178M $308M $33.9M $538M $314M $424M $462M $368M
Interest expense $1.0M $0.6M $0.5M $104M $69.3M $57.4M $117M $172M $199M $190M
Pretax income $155M $108M $75.3M $200M −$34.8M $458M $190M $242M $256M $173M
Income tax $60.7M $14.0M $22.9M $55.1M $15.9M $109M $102M $63.7M $40.1M −$54.1M
Net income $93.2M $93.0M $51.6M $144M −$51.4M $349M $88.5M $178M $216M $119M
Diluted EPS $2.03 $2.09 $1.20 $3.30 −$1.21 $8.06 $2.23 $4.97 $6.18 $3.42
Diluted shares 0.05B 0.04B 0.04B 0.04B 0.04B 0.04B 0.04B 0.04B 0.04B 0.03B
Cash flow
Cash from operations $216M $163M $144M $171M $281M $306M $406M −$15.7M $109M $567M
Capital expenditure $206M $234M $164M $126M $127M $298M $227M $204M $187M $150M
Free cash flow $10.1M −$71.4M −$19.9M $45.2M $154M $8.1M $179M −$219M −$78.1M $418M
Depreciation and amortization $77.4M $88.9M $93.6M $93.1M $91.0M $101M $128M $142M $150M $163M
Stock-based compensation $11.2M $11.1M $11.9M $10.8M $11.7M $15.0M $20.5M $23.3M $23.5M $23.1M
Acquisitions $15.9M $76.6M $0.0M $0.0M $19.7M $1.0B $102M $75.1M $54.8M $440M
Share buybacks $100M $37.3M $24.1M $2.4M $71.7M $93.3M $262M $178M $34.4M $82.4M
Dividends paid $8.7M $8.9M $9.8M $15.5M $17.1M $18.3M $34.5M $40.0M $40.8M $48.8M
Dividends and buybacks $109M $46.2M $33.9M $17.9M $88.8M $112M $296M $218M $75.2M $131M
Balance sheet
Cash and short-term investments $3.1M $6.4M $5.9M $29.1M $170M $299M $229M $28.9M $44.0M $6.3M
Total debt $883M $1.0B $945M $707M $720M $1.6B $1.8B $1.7B $1.6B $1.6B
Finance lease liabilities $0.0M $0.0M $0.0M $37.9M $65.8M $188M $240M $265M $356M $378M
Current assets $2.0B $2.0B $2.0B $2.0B $1.9B $2.1B $2.2B $2.5B $2.9B $2.8B
Current liabilities $1.9B $2.0B $1.9B $2.1B $1.8B $1.9B $1.8B $2.3B $2.6B $2.6B
Inventory $1.6B $1.5B $1.5B $1.5B $1.2B $1.3B $1.2B $1.6B $2.0B $2.0B
Property and equipment, net $1.0B $1.1B $1.2B $1.1B $1.1B $1.5B $1.6B $1.6B $1.6B $1.6B
Total assets $3.6B $3.8B $3.8B $4.1B $3.7B $5.0B $5.0B $5.4B $5.9B $6.0B
Total liabilities $2.9B $3.0B $3.0B $3.1B $2.9B $3.9B $4.1B $4.5B $4.8B $4.9B
Shareholders' equity $725M $787M $823M $945M $815M $1.1B $895M $892M $1.1B $1.1B
Margins
Gross margin 14.7% 14.8% 14.5% 14.6% 14.6% 15.4% 16.6% 15.6% 15.4% 15.7%
Operating margin 2.4% 2.1% 1.8% 2.9% 0.4% 4.3% 2.2% 3.0% 3.2% 2.4%
EBITDA margin 3.2% 3.1% 2.7% 3.8% 1.3% 5.2% 3.2% 3.9% 4.3% 3.5%
Net margin 1.0% 0.9% 0.5% 1.4% −0.5% 2.8% 0.6% 1.2% 1.5% 0.8%
FCF margin 0.1% −0.7% −0.2% 0.4% 1.6% 0.1% 1.3% −1.5% −0.6% 2.8%
Returns
Return on capital 9.0% 10.8% 6.9% 13.0% 1.7% 20.7% 6.1% 11.4% 13.5% 12.2%
Return on capital employed 13.9% 11.9% 9.6% 16.0% 1.7% 21.5% 10.1% 13.7% 14.6% 11.1%
Return on equity 12.8% 12.3% 6.4% 16.3% −5.8% 36.9% 9.0% 19.9% 22.1% 11.1%
Return on assets 2.6% 2.5% 1.4% 3.7% −1.3% 8.0% 1.8% 3.5% 3.8% 2.0%
Growth
Revenue growth 1.1% 1.4% 0.9% 5.1% −6.6% 26.9% 12.9% 2.7% −1.0% 6.5%
Net income growth 8.0% −0.2% −44.5% 179.0% −135.7% — −74.6% 101.4% 21.2% −45.1%
EPS growth 19.4% 3.0% −42.6% 175.0% −136.7% — −72.3% 122.9% 24.4% −44.7%
FCF growth — −804.0% — — 240.5% −94.7% 2,109.9% −222.5% — —
Share count change −9.7% −3.5% −3.2% 1.8% −2.8% 1.9% −8.3% −9.6% −2.5% −0.9%
Financial health
Net debt / EBITDA 2.8x 3.4x 3.5x 1.8x 4.9x 2.3x 4.0x 3.4x 3.1x 3.7x
Debt / equity 1.2x 1.3x 1.2x 0.8x 1.0x 1.6x 2.2x 2.2x 1.8x 1.9x
Interest coverage 232.9x 352.6x 355.3x 3.0x 0.5x 9.4x 2.7x 2.5x 2.3x 1.9x
Current ratio 1.1x 1.0x 1.0x 1.0x 1.0x 1.1x 1.2x 1.1x 1.1x 1.1x
Quick ratio 0.2x 0.3x 0.2x 0.2x 0.4x 0.4x 0.5x 0.4x 0.4x 0.3x
Capital allocation
Capex / revenue 2.1% 2.4% 1.6% 1.2% 1.3% 2.4% 1.6% 1.4% 1.3% 1.0%
Stock comp / revenue 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.1% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2% 0.2%
Payouts / FCF 1,072.1% — — 39.6% 57.7% 1,377.8% 165.6% — — 31.4%
Quality scores
Piotroski F-score 4.0 5.0 5.0 7.0 5.0 6.0 7.0 5.0 5.0 6.0
Altman Z'' 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.1 2.0 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.7
Accruals ratio −3.4% −1.9% −2.4% −0.7% −8.5% 1.0% −6.4% 3.8% 1.9% −7.6%

Source: SEC EDGAR XBRL filings (CIK 0001043509). Data updated October 20, 2026. Quarterly fourth quarters are the full year minus the first nine months. For information only — not investment advice. Check the original filings before relying on any figure.

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