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GPI vs SAH
Revenue, margins, valuation, and 5-year total return — side by side.
Auto - Dealerships
GPI vs SAH — Key Financials
Market cap, revenue, margins, and valuation side-by-side.
| Company Snapshot | ||
|---|---|---|
| Industry | Auto - Dealerships | Auto - Dealerships |
| Market Cap | $4.08B | $2.69B |
| Revenue (TTM) | $22.47B | $15.15B |
| Net Income (TTM) | $326M | $119M |
| Gross Margin | 15.5% | 14.6% |
| Operating Margin | 4.3% | 3.6% |
| Forward P/E | 8.3x | 12.2x |
| Total Debt | $5.87B | $4.23B |
| Cash & Equiv. | $33M | $6M |
GPI vs SAH — Long-Term Stock Performance
Price return indexed to 100 at period start. Dividends excluded.
| Stock | May 20 | May 26 | Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group 1 Automotive,… (GPI) | 100 | 546.5 | +446.5% |
| Sonic Automotive, I… (SAH) | 100 | 300.6 | +200.6% |
Price return only. Dividends and distributions are not included.
Quick Verdict: GPI vs SAH
Each card shows where this stock fits in a portfolio — not just who wins on paper.
GPI carries the broadest edge in this set and is the clearest fit for growth exposure and long-term compounding.
- Rev growth 13.2%, EPS growth -31.6%, 3Y rev CAGR 11.6%
- 474.1% 10Y total return vs SAH's 387.7%
- Lower volatility, beta 0.77, current ratio 1.08x
SAH is the clearest fit if your priority is income & stability and defensive.
- Dividend streak 10 yrs, beta 1.05, yield 1.8%
- Beta 1.05, yield 1.8%, current ratio 1.09x
- 1.8% yield, 10-year raise streak, vs GPI's 0.6%
See the full category breakdown
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | 13.2% revenue growth vs SAH's 6.5% | |
| Value | Lower P/E (8.3x vs 12.2x) | |
| Quality / Margins | 1.5% margin vs SAH's 0.8% | |
| Stability / Safety | Beta 0.77 vs SAH's 1.05, lower leverage | |
| Dividends | 1.8% yield, 10-year raise streak, vs GPI's 0.6% | |
| Momentum (1Y) | +28.1% vs GPI's -15.8% | |
| Efficiency (ROA) | 3.9% ROA vs SAH's 2.0%, ROIC 8.5% vs 7.8% |
GPI vs SAH — Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
GPI vs SAH — Financial Metrics
Side-by-side numbers across 2 stocks — who leads on profitability, valuation, growth, and risk.
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
GPI leads this category, winning 4 of 6 comparable metrics.
Income & Cash Flow (Last 12 Months)
GPI and SAH operate at a comparable scale, with $22.5B and $15.2B in trailing revenue. Profitability is closely matched — net margins range from 1.5% (GPI) to 0.8% (SAH).
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $22.5B | $15.2B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | $1.1B | $705M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | $326M | $119M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | $288M | $425M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +15.5% | +14.6% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | +4.3% | +3.6% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | +1.5% | +0.8% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | +1.3% | +2.8% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -1.8% | -0.6% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | +11.4% | -18.6% |
Valuation Metrics
GPI leads this category, winning 4 of 6 comparable metrics.
Valuation Metrics
At 13.7x trailing earnings, GPI trades at a 41% valuation discount to SAH's 23.1x P/E. On an enterprise value basis, GPI's 9.3x EV/EBITDA is more attractive than SAH's 9.8x.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $4.1B | $2.7B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $9.9B | $6.9B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | 13.69x | 23.10x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | 8.26x | 12.20x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | 1.35x | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | 9.27x | 9.80x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.18x | 0.18x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 1.57x | 2.57x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | 9.62x | 6.43x |
Profitability & Efficiency
Evenly matched — GPI and SAH each lead in 4 of 8 comparable metrics.
Profitability & Efficiency
SAH delivers a 11.2% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $11 in annual profit, vs $11 for GPI. GPI carries lower financial leverage with a 2.10x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to SAH's 3.96x.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | +11.0% | +11.2% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | +3.9% | +2.0% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | +8.5% | +7.8% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | +14.2% | +16.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 6 | 6 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 2.10x | 3.96x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $5.8B | $4.2B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $33M | $6M |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $5.9B | $4.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | 3.15x | 1.89x |
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
SAH leads this category, winning 4 of 6 comparable metrics.
Total Returns (Dividends Reinvested)
A $10,000 investment in GPI five years ago would be worth $20,167 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $16,162 for SAH. Over the past 12 months, SAH leads with a +28.1% total return vs GPI's -15.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors SAH at 27.3% vs GPI's 16.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | -12.2% | +28.8% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -15.8% | +28.1% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +58.4% | +106.3% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +101.7% | +61.6% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | +474.1% | +387.7% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | +16.6% | +27.3% |
Risk & Volatility
Evenly matched — GPI and SAH each lead in 1 of 2 comparable metrics.
Risk & Volatility
GPI is the less volatile stock with a 0.77 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than SAH's 1.05 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. SAH currently trades 88.1% from its 52-week high vs GPI's 70.4% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 0.77x | 1.05x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $488.39 | $89.62 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $292.44 | $54.11 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +70.4% | +88.1% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 51.5 | 70.2 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 153K | 308K |
Analyst Outlook
SAH leads this category, winning 2 of 2 comparable metrics.
Analyst Outlook
Wall Street rates GPI as "Buy" and SAH as "Hold". Consensus price targets imply 38.6% upside for GPI (target: $477) vs -14.8% for SAH (target: $67). For income investors, SAH offers the higher dividend yield at 1.78% vs GPI's 0.58%.
| Metric | ||
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | Buy | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | $476.67 | $67.33 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | 24 | 16 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | +0.6% | +1.8% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 5 | 10 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | $2.01 | $1.41 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +13.6% | +3.1% |
GPI leads in 2 of 6 categories (Income & Cash Flow, Valuation Metrics). SAH leads in 2 (Total Returns, Analyst Outlook). 2 tied.
GPI vs SAH: Frequently Asked Questions
10 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is GPI or SAH a better buy right now?
For growth investors, Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) is the stronger pick with 13. 2% revenue growth year-over-year, versus 6. 5% for Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH). Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI) offers the better valuation at 13. 7x trailing P/E (8. 3x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI) a "Buy" — based on 24 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which has the better valuation — GPI or SAH?
On trailing P/E, Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) is the cheapest at 13. 7x versus Sonic Automotive, Inc. at 23. 1x. On forward P/E, Group 1 Automotive, Inc. is actually cheaper at 8. 3x.
03Which is the better long-term investment — GPI or SAH?
Over the past 5 years, Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) delivered a total return of +101. 7%, compared to +61. 6% for Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: GPI returned +474. 1% versus SAH's +387. 7%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
04Which is safer — GPI or SAH?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) is the lower-risk stock at 0. 77β versus Sonic Automotive, Inc. 's 1. 05β — meaning SAH is approximately 36% more volatile than GPI relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 2% versus 4% for Sonic Automotive, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
05Which is growing faster — GPI or SAH?
By revenue growth (latest reported year), Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) is pulling ahead at 13. 2% versus 6. 5% for Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH). On earnings-per-share growth, the picture is similar: Group 1 Automotive, Inc. grew EPS -31. 6% year-over-year, compared to -44. 7% for Sonic Automotive, Inc.. Over a 3-year CAGR, GPI leads at 11. 6% annualised revenue growth. Higher growth typically commands a higher valuation multiple — check whether the premium P/E or P/S is justified by the growth rate using the PEG ratio.
06Which has better profit margins — GPI or SAH?
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) is the more profitable company, earning 1. 4% net margin versus 0. 8% for Sonic Automotive, Inc. — meaning it keeps 1. 4% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: GPI leads at 4. 2% versus 3. 6% for SAH. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — GPI leads at 15. 5%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
07Is GPI or SAH more undervalued right now?
On forward earnings alone, Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) trades at 8. 3x forward P/E versus 12. 2x for Sonic Automotive, Inc. — 3. 9x cheaper on a one-year earnings basis. Analyst consensus price targets imply the most upside for GPI: 38. 6% to $476. 67.
08Which pays a better dividend — GPI or SAH?
All stocks in this comparison pay dividends.
Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) offers the highest yield at 1. 8%, versus 0. 6% for Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI).
09Is GPI or SAH better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
(GPI) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 0. 77), 0. 6% yield, +474. 1% 10Y return). Both have compounded well over 10 years (GPI: +474. 1%, SAH: +387. 7%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
10What are the main differences between GPI and SAH?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both.
In terms of investment character: GPI is a small-cap deep-value stock; SAH is a small-cap quality compounder stock. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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