Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) Financial Ratios
30 years of historical data (1996–2025) · Consumer Cyclical · Auto - Dealerships
EV/EBITDA
↑
9.89
+15% vs avg
5yr avg: 8.61
30Y Low5.9·High13.1
P/FCF
↑
6.57
↓-11% vs avg
5yr avg: 7.37
30Y Low1.6·High20.2
P/B Ratio
↑
2.62
↑+25% vs avg
5yr avg: 2.11
30Y Low0.7·High3.0
ROE
↓
11.1%
↑-44% vs avg
5yr avg: 19.8%
30Y Low-113%·High37%
Debt/EBITDA
↑
6.00
+6% vs avg
5yr avg: 5.67
30Y Low4.6·High10.6
Percentile shows where the current value sits in 30-year historical distribution. Sparklines show 5-year trend.
SAH Valuation Multiples
Price-based multiples — how expensive the stock is relative to earnings, sales, book value, and cash flow
Sonic Automotive, Inc. trades at 23.6x earnings, 74% above its 5-year average of 13.6x, sitting at the 100th percentile of its historical range. Compared to the Consumer Cyclical sector median P/E of 21.2x, the stock trades at a premium of 12%. On a free-cash-flow basis, the stock trades at 6.6x P/FCF, 11% below the 5-year average of 7.4x.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Market Cap | $2.7B | $2.1B | $2.2B | $2.0B | $2.0B | $2.1B | $1.6B | $1.4B | $591M | $818M | $1.1B |
| Enterprise Value | $7.0B | $6.4B | $6.3B | $5.9B | $5.2B | $5.2B | $3.9B | $4.0B | $3.1B | $3.4B | $3.5B |
| P/E Ratio → | 23.61 | 18.09 | 10.25 | 11.33 | 22.09 | 6.14 | — | 9.37 | 11.47 | 8.83 | 11.28 |
| P/S Ratio | 0.18 | 0.14 | 0.16 | 0.14 | 0.14 | 0.17 | 0.17 | 0.13 | 0.06 | 0.08 | 0.11 |
| P/B Ratio | 2.62 | 2.01 | 2.09 | 2.26 | 2.19 | 1.99 | 2.01 | 1.43 | 0.72 | 1.04 | 1.45 |
| P/FCF | 6.57 | 5.14 | — | — | 12.71 | 4.25 | 3.81 | 244.54 | — | — | 19.83 |
| P/OCF | 4.84 | 3.78 | 22.69 | — | 5.13 | 2.67 | 2.94 | 10.33 | 4.66 | 3.91 | 4.06 |
P/E links to full P/E history page with 30-year chart
SAH EV Ratios
Enterprise-value multiples — capital-structure-neutral measures of total business value
Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s enterprise value stands at 9.9x EBITDA, 15% above its 5-year average of 8.6x. The Consumer Cyclical sector median is 12.2x, placing the stock at a 19% discount on an enterprise-value basis.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| EV / Revenue | — | 0.42 | 0.44 | 0.41 | 0.37 | 0.42 | 0.40 | 0.38 | 0.31 | 0.34 | 0.36 |
| EV / EBITDA | 9.89 | 9.04 | 10.33 | 8.79 | 6.84 | 8.08 | 10.13 | 11.26 | 10.16 | 10.79 | 10.82 |
| EV / EBIT | 12.87 | 17.32 | 13.69 | 13.84 | 16.63 | 9.90 | 113.96 | 13.02 | 17.23 | 17.25 | 15.17 |
| EV / FCF | — | 15.25 | — | — | 33.88 | 10.25 | 9.12 | 714.18 | — | — | 65.16 |
SAH Profitability
Margins and return-on-capital ratios measuring operating efficiency
Sonic Automotive, Inc. earns an operating margin of 3.6%, roughly in line with the Consumer Cyclical sector average. ROE of 11.1% is modest. ROIC of 7.8% represents adequate returns on invested capital versus a sector median of 5.2%.
Margins
Full margin charts and quarterly trend are on the Earnings History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 14.6% | 14.6% | 14.4% | 14.6% | 15.6% | 14.6% | 13.6% | 13.7% | 13.6% | 13.9% | 13.9% |
| Operating Margin | 3.6% | 3.6% | 3.2% | 3.6% | 4.5% | 4.3% | 3.0% | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 2.5% |
| Net Profit Margin | 0.8% | 0.8% | 1.5% | 1.2% | 0.6% | 2.8% | -0.5% | 1.4% | 0.5% | 0.9% | 1.0% |
Return on Capital
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ROE | 11.1% | 11.1% | 22.1% | 19.9% | 9.0% | 36.9% | -5.8% | 16.4% | 6.4% | 12.3% | 12.8% |
| ROA | 2.0% | 2.0% | 3.8% | 3.4% | 1.8% | 8.0% | -1.3% | 3.7% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 2.6% |
| ROIC | 7.8% | 7.8% | 7.0% | 8.8% | 11.5% | 11.2% | 6.7% | 5.7% | 4.7% | 5.1% | 5.9% |
| ROCE | 16.3% | 16.3% | 14.5% | 16.9% | 20.4% | 21.5% | 15.1% | 13.4% | 11.2% | 12.4% | 14.4% |
SAH Leverage & Debt
Solvency and debt-coverage ratios — lower is generally safer
Sonic Automotive, Inc. carries a Debt/EBITDA ratio of 6.0x, which is highly leveraged (26% above the sector average of 4.8x). Net debt stands at $4.2B ($4.2B total debt minus $6M cash). Interest coverage of just 1.9x is concerning — the company has limited headroom to absorb earnings volatility before struggling with debt service.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Debt / Equity | 3.96 | 3.96 | 3.89 | 4.33 | 3.89 | 3.08 | 3.01 | 2.79 | 3.01 | 3.23 | 3.32 |
| Debt / EBITDA | 6.00 | 6.00 | 6.77 | 5.80 | 4.57 | 5.20 | 6.33 | 7.49 | 8.22 | 8.18 | 7.54 |
| Net Debt / Equity | — | 3.95 | 3.85 | 4.30 | 3.64 | 2.81 | 2.80 | 2.75 | 3.00 | 3.22 | 3.32 |
| Net Debt / EBITDA | 5.99 | 5.99 | 6.70 | 5.76 | 4.27 | 4.73 | 5.89 | 7.40 | 8.20 | 8.16 | 7.53 |
| Debt / FCF | — | 10.11 | — | — | 21.17 | 6.00 | 5.30 | 469.63 | — | — | 45.33 |
| Interest Coverage | 1.89 | 1.89 | 2.25 | 2.34 | 2.54 | 8.25 | 0.50 | 2.91 | 1.73 | 2.26 | 3.13 |
SAH Liquidity & Efficiency
Short-term solvency ratios and asset-utilisation metrics
A current ratio of 1.09x means Sonic Automotive, Inc. can comfortably meet its short-term obligations, though there is limited excess liquidity. The quick ratio of 0.32x is notably lower than the current ratio, indicating a significant portion of current assets is tied up in inventory.
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio | 1.09 | 1.09 | 1.09 | 1.10 | 1.20 | 1.10 | 1.03 | 0.98 | 1.02 | 1.03 | 1.05 |
| Quick Ratio | 0.32 | 0.32 | 0.35 | 0.41 | 0.54 | 0.44 | 0.35 | 0.24 | 0.24 | 0.26 | 0.24 |
| Cash Ratio | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 0.12 | 0.16 | 0.09 | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Asset Turnover | — | 2.54 | 2.41 | 2.68 | 2.81 | 2.49 | 2.61 | 2.57 | 2.62 | 2.58 | 2.67 |
| Inventory Turnover | 6.43 | 6.43 | 6.22 | 7.77 | 9.71 | 8.39 | 6.76 | 5.95 | 5.63 | 5.62 | 5.34 |
| Days Sales Outstanding | — | 11.30 | 12.72 | 13.41 | 12.05 | 11.81 | 13.89 | 15.11 | 16.07 | 17.83 | 16.14 |
SAH Shareholder Yields
Earnings, FCF, buyback, and dividend yields — total returns to shareholders
Sonic Automotive, Inc. returns 4.7% to shareholders annually — split between a 1.7% dividend yield and 3.0% buyback yield. A payout ratio of 41.1% is moderate and appears sustainable, balancing shareholder returns with reinvestment capacity. The earnings yield of 4.2% (inverse of P/E) provides a useful comparison to bond yields when assessing the stock's relative attractiveness to fixed income.
Dividends
Full dividend history and growth charts are on the Dividend History page
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dividend Yield | 1.7% | 2.3% | 1.8% | 2.0% | 1.8% | 0.9% | 1.0% | 1.1% | 1.7% | 1.1% | 0.8% |
| Payout Ratio | 41.1% | 41.1% | 18.9% | 22.4% | 39.0% | 5.2% | — | 10.7% | 19.0% | 9.5% | 9.3% |
Total Shareholder Return Metrics
| Metric | TTM | FY 2025 | FY 2024 | FY 2023 | FY 2022 | FY 2021 | FY 2020 | FY 2019 | FY 2018 | FY 2017 | FY 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Earnings Yield | 4.2% | 5.5% | 9.8% | 8.8% | 4.5% | 16.3% | — | 10.7% | 8.7% | 11.3% | 8.9% |
| FCF Yield | 15.2% | 19.4% | — | — | 7.9% | 23.5% | 26.2% | 0.4% | — | — | 5.0% |
| Buyback Yield | 3.0% | 3.8% | 1.6% | 8.8% | 13.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 0.2% | 4.1% | 4.6% | 9.5% |
| Total Shareholder Yield | 4.7% | 6.1% | 3.4% | 10.8% | 15.2% | 5.2% | 5.4% | 1.3% | 5.7% | 5.6% | 10.3% |
| Shares Outstanding | — | $35M | $35M | $36M | $40M | $43M | $42M | $44M | $43M | $44M | $46M |
Peer Comparison
Compare SAH with 10 similar companies in its peer group
| Company | Market Cap | P/E | EV/EBITDA | P/FCF | Gross Margin | Op Margin | ROE | ROIC | Debt/EBITDA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 SAHYou | $3B | 23.6 | 9.9 | 6.6 | 14.6% | 3.6% | 11.1% | 7.8% | 6.0 |
 AN | $6B | 11.1 | 10.5 | — | 17.0% | 4.8% | 27.1% | 8.5% | 6.4 |
 PAG | $12B | 12.4 | 14.0 | 15.6 | 16.4% | 4.0% | 17.3% | 6.9% | 6.1 |
 LAD | $7B | 9.1 | 11.4 | 35.0 | 15.2% | 3.8% | 12.3% | 5.2% | 8.0 |
 ABG | $4B | 7.8 | 9.3 | 6.6 | 16.6% | 5.6% | 13.3% | 8.0% | 5.8 |
 GPI | $4B | 12.5 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 15.5% | 4.2% | 11.2% | 8.5% | 5.5 |
 CVNA | $72B | 39.4 | 32.7 | 81.1 | 20.6% | 9.3% | 50.4% | 34.3% | 0.3 |
 KMX | $8B | 31.9 | — | 6.1 | 10.8% | -1.6% | 4.1% | -1.3% | — |
 VRM | $53M | -6.6 | 179.2 | 0.8 | 81.2% | 0.2% | -18.6% | 0.0% | 169.9 |
 ACVA | $1B | -16.6 | — | 16.4 | 62.1% | -8.1% | -15.2% | -13.5% | — |
 CPRT | $28B | 19.0 | 13.2 | 22.7 | 45.2% | 36.5% | 18.5% | 20.1% | 0.1 |
| Consumer Cyclical Median | — | 21.2 | 12.2 | 15.6 | 36.2% | 2.0% | 5.3% | 5.2% | 4.8 |
Peer selection based on competitive and market overlap. Compare multiple stocks →
Download Financial Ratios Data
Includes 30+ ratios · 30 years · Updated daily
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SAH — Frequently Asked Questions
Quick answers to the most common questions about buying SAH stock.
What is Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s P/E ratio?
Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s current P/E ratio is 23.6x. The historical average is 12.4x. This places it at the 100th percentile of its historical range.
What is Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s EV/EBITDA?
Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s current EV/EBITDA is 9.9x. This enterprise value multiple compares the company's total value (equity + debt - cash) to its EBITDA. The historical average is 10.0x.
What is Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s ROE?
Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s return on equity (ROE) is 11.1%. The historical average is 9.8%.
Is SAH stock overvalued?
Based on historical data, Sonic Automotive, Inc. is trading at a P/E of 23.6x. This is at the 100th percentile of its historical P/E range. Compare with industry peers and growth rates for a complete picture.
What is Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s dividend yield?
Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s current dividend yield is 1.74% with a payout ratio of 41.1%.
What are Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s profit margins?
Sonic Automotive, Inc. has 14.6% gross margin and 3.6% operating margin.
How much debt does Sonic Automotive, Inc. have?
Sonic Automotive, Inc.'s Debt/EBITDA ratio is 6.0x, indicating high leverage. A ratio above 4x may signal elevated financial risk.