Sonic Automotive Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Sonic Automotive Inc (SAH) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Sonic Automotive Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 15,482M vs 1,226,238M combined for its competitors (1.2% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+3.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+2.9%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Sonic Automotive Inc generated 0.4% revenue growth year over year in Q3 2026, vs 14.2% for its competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 1.0% net margin compares with 18.4% for the peer group.
- Scale: Sonic Automotive Inc ranks #17 of 37 companies by market capitalization in the Automotive Aftermarket industry, holding 0.6% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Sonic Automotive Inc accounted for 1.3% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 1.4% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $1.41M compares with $2.91M for the peer group (0.5x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
SAH Sales vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Sonic Automotive Inc reported revenue growth of 0.39 % year on year in Q3 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 14.22 %.
With a net margin of 1.03 %, Sonic Automotive Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (18.43 %).
Sonic Automotive Inc generated 1.25 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 1.42 % a year earlier.
API endpoints for this dataset
Sonic Automotive Inc vs. its Competitors, Q3 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in Sonic Automotive Inc reports; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Sonic Automotive Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (4) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar Growth & Profitability (7) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Sonic Automotive Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Automotive Aftermarket industry grew revenue 10.7% year over year, combined, vs 0.4% for Sonic Automotive Inc. Sonic Automotive Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 4.14% to 3.76%, a loss of 0.39 percentage points.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Group definitions: see Methodology: Performance Group Definitions.
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | Yes | Yes | No | No |
| Competitors combined (16) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (9) | ||||
| Similar Growth & Profitability (8) | 100.00 % (8 of 8) | 37.50 % (3 of 8) | 25.00 % (2 of 8) | 12.50 % (1 of 8) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
SAH Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
SAH Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
SAH Stock Performance relative to Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Penske Automotive Group Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Carmax Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Apple Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Lithia Motors Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Alphabet Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Sonic Automotive Inc's best-performing competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Sonic Automotive Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
 Sonic Automotive Inc |
1,987.06 | 15,482.40 |
 Apple Inc |
5,039,791.17 | 478,834.00 |
 Alphabet Inc |
3,522,159.04 | 471,097.00 |
 Alphabet Inc |
3,511,646.24 | 471,097.00 |
 Tesla Inc |
1,268,457.02 | 103,570.00 |
 Uber Technologies Inc |
140,624.93 | 55,227.00 |
| SUBTOTAL | 13,553,389.20 | 1,777,704.56 |
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Sources: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Sonic Automotive Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from Sonic Automotive Inc reports and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Uber Technologies Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Rivian Automotive Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Apple Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Lyft Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Alphabet Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Tesla Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Lucid Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Alphabet Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Lithia Motors Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Group 1 Automotive Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Carmax Inc | Company report | 85% |
| America s Car mart Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Asbury Automotive Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | Company report | 85% |
| Autonation Inc | Company report | 85% |
Company report basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Sonic Automotive Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: see Methodology: Peer & Competitor Identification, Sourcing.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Apple Inc | Americas 41.84 % |
| Alphabet Inc | Google Services 75.49 % |
| Tesla Inc | Automotive 89.73 % |
| Uber Technologies Inc | Mobility 50.93 % |
| Rivian Automotive Inc | Automotive 71.93 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
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Sonic Automotive Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | 1,987 | 1,407,491 | 18,745 |
| Apple Inc | 5,039,791 | 2,867,269 | 791,467 |
| Alphabet Inc | 3,522,159 | 10,191,610 | 5,098,953 |
| Alphabet Inc | 3,511,646 | 10,191,610 | 5,098,953 |
| Tesla Inc | 1,268,457 | 768,409 | 24,202 |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 140,625 | 1,624,324 | 284,324 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 13,551,402 | 2,905,139 | 1,013,279 |
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Sonic Automotive Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent report. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Apple Inc | Other countries 47.76 % |
| Alphabet Inc | United States 53.05 % |
| Tesla Inc | United States 44.55 % |
| Uber Technologies Inc | United States and Canada 52.92 % |
| Lithia Motors Inc | United States 75.93 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's reports (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
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Sonic Automotive Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 34 companies in Sonic Automotive Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Sonic Automotive Inc ranks #17 of 34 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 0.64 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,419, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (see Methodology: Market Structure & Concentration).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O Reilly Automotive Inc | 74,508 | 24.12 % |
| 2 | Carvana Co | 54,409 | 17.61 % |
| 3 | Autozone Inc | 54,202 | 17.54 % |
| 4 | Copart Inc | 30,572 | 9.90 % |
| 5 | Casey s General Stores Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Penske Automotive Group Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Murphy Usa Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Carmax Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Lithia Motors Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 10 | Autonation Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 17 | Sonic Automotive Inc | 1,981 | 0.64 % |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Sonic Automotive Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-11-06.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Asbury Automotive Group Inc | 3,708 | -12.74 % |
| 13 | Rush Enterprises Inc | 3,546 | -5.42 % |
| 14 | Group 1 Automotive Inc | 3,095 | -33.30 % |
| 15 | Advance Auto Parts Inc | 2,776 | -5.13 % |
| 16 | Boyd Group Services Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 17 | Sonic Automotive Inc | 1,981 | 0.25 % |
| 18 | Driven Brands Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 19 | Marinemax Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 20 | Monro Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 21 | Camping World Holdings Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 22 | Evgo Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Sonic Automotive Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-11-06. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Automotive Aftermarket industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (50 companies). See the full Automotive Aftermarket industry profitability benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 15.70 % | 18.74 % (avg) | -3.0 pp |
| Operating Margin | 3.23 % | industry median | -0.5 pp |
| EBITDA Margin | 3.44 % | 0.69 % (avg) | +2.7 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 1.69 % | 3.83 % (avg) | -2.1 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Automotive Aftermarket industry average (50 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns. See the full Automotive Aftermarket industry valuation benchmarks.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 13.3x | 17.8x | -4.5x |
| EV / EBITDA | 8.4x | 13.1x | -4.7x |
| P/B | 2.6x | 2.8x | -0.2x |
| Return on Equity | 19.94 % | industry aggregate | 15.18 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 10.90 % | 1.89 % (avg) | 9.01 % |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in company reports.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 0.86 % | 5.05 % | -6.57 % | 26.92 % | 12.94 % | 2.65 % | -1.03 % | 6.53 % |
| Operating Margin | 1.79 % | 2.94 % | 0.35 % | 4.34 % | 2.24 % | 2.95 % | 3.24 % | 2.43 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 6.65 % | 10.19 % | 1.23 % | 15.78 % | 7.55 % | 11.05 % | 11.35 % | 8.70 % |
| P/E | 13.0x | 9.7x | - | 6.1x | 29.4x | 10.1x | 10.0x | 19.6x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Strategic Group Map
Sonic Automotive Inc is shown in red; its closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC are labeled. See Methodology: Strategic Group Map for how this chart is built.
Sonic Automotive Inc's trailing-12-month revenue growth of 2.0% and operating margin of 3.2% compares with an average of 0.7% growth and 3.9% margin across its 8 closest peers by combined growth, margin and ROIC -- Sonic Automotive Inc sits above that peer average on growth and below it on margin.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Extreme outlier values (from near-zero-revenue companies) are excluded from the plotted cloud but never from the highlighted company or its labeled peers.
Sonic Automotive Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
See Methodology: BCG Growth-Share Matrix for how relative share and growth are calculated and thresholded.
Sonic Automotive Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.03x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 4.8% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 1,419 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 1.69 % vs industry average 3.83 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
Note: see Methodology: Porter's Five Forces. Supplier power and buyer power are covered on Sonic Automotive Inc's dedicated Suppliers and Customers pages, not here.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
See Methodology: GE/McKinsey Matrix for how the two axes are built.
Sonic Automotive Inc falls in the Low attractiveness / Medium strength cell: Harvest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Sonic Automotive Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Return on equity 15.2 points above the industry aggregate.
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+3.1% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
Weaknesses
- Underperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.03x).
Opportunities
- Trades at a lower P/E than the industry average (13.3x vs 17.8x) despite a higher return on invested capital -- a possible re-rating opportunity.
- A meaningful share of competitors (31.30 %) show financial-distress signals, a possible opening to gain share.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: see Methodology: SWOT Analysis.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | 0.00 | 1.02 | 1.75 |
| Apple Inc | 0.27 | 1.02 | 0.88 |
| Alphabet Inc | 0.63 | 2.40 | 0.16 |
| Alphabet Inc | 0.63 | 2.40 | 0.16 |
| Tesla Inc | 0.47 | 1.96 | 0.05 |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 0.54 | 1.04 | 0.42 |
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Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | Q3 2026 | +0.4 % | -12.2 % |
| Apple Inc | Q3 2026 | +11.7 % | +11.8 % |
| Alphabet Inc | Q3 2026 | +24.7 % | -24.3 % |
| Alphabet Inc | Q3 2026 | +24.7 % | -24.3 % |
| Tesla Inc | Q3 2026 | -0.2 % | -43.3 % |
| Uber Technologies Inc | Q2 2026 | +12.2 % | +79.0 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +16.6 % | -13.9 % |
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Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Sonic Automotive Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | Q3 2026 | +0.4 % | +106.6 % |
| Apple Inc | Q3 2026 | +10.2 % | -30.8 % |
| Alphabet Inc | Q3 2026 | +24.3 % | +114.4 % |
| Alphabet Inc | Q3 2026 | +24.3 % | +114.4 % |
| Tesla Inc | Q3 2026 | -2.1 % | +110.5 % |
| Uber Technologies Inc | Q2 2026 | +2.7 % | -21.3 % |
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Sonic Automotive Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | 3.30% | 5.81% | 19.94% |
| Apple Inc | 34.37% | 57.35% | 127.61% |
| Alphabet Inc | 29.24% | 34.26% | 42.62% |
| Alphabet Inc | 29.24% | 34.26% | 42.62% |
| Tesla Inc | 2.22% | 3.04% | 3.80% |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 15.42% | 18.91% | 34.91% |
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ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Sonic Automotive Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Sonic Automotive Inc | 9.94 | 0.13 |
| Apple Inc | 38.21 | 10.53 |
| Alphabet Inc | 14.86 | 7.48 |
| Alphabet Inc | 14.82 | 7.45 |
| Tesla Inc | 393.65 | 12.25 |
| Uber Technologies Inc | 15.07 | 2.55 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 22.04 | 7.62 |
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P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.