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AutoNationSTU:RWI -1.66%79 Debt-to-Equity is 5.02 as of Jun. 2026, which is 92% above its 10-year median of 2.62. GuruFocus rates STU:RWI with a GF Score™ of 79/100 and a GF Value™ of €187.85 (Fairly Valued). The stock has 6 warning signs investors should review. Among 1,216 Vehicles & Parts companies, AutoNation ranks worse than 98.52% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
STU:RWI'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 1.35 Med: 2.62 Max: 5.02
Current: 5.02
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of AutoNation was 5.02. The lowest was 1.35. And the median was 2.62.
STU:RWI's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 98.52% of 1216
companies
in the Vehicles & Parts industry
Industry Median: 0.46
vs STU:RWI: 5.02
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
AutoNation Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
AutoNation Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
STU:RWI vs LAD, ALTB, RUSHA: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Auto & Truck Dealerships subindustry, AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
AutoNation Debt-to-Equity vs Vehicles & Parts Industry
For the Vehicles & Parts industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
AutoNation (STU:RWI) has a Debt-to-Equity of 5.02 as of Jun. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on AutoNation and its competitors. This is 92% above median its historical median of 2.62. Over the past decade, AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 1.35 to 5.02. According to the industry distribution chart, AutoNation ranks #1198 out of 1216 companies in the Vehicles & Parts industry, placing it in the top 98.5%.
Is AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity too high?
AutoNation's current Debt-to-Equity of 5.02 is 92% above median its 10-year median of 2.62. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 1.35 to a high of 5.02. The Vehicles & Parts industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.46. AutoNation's value of 5.02 is 991.3% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, AutoNation ranks #1198 out of 1216 companies in the Vehicles & Parts industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, AutoNation has a GF Score™ of 79/100 and is considered Fairly Valued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does AutoNation's Debt-to-Equity compare to LAD and ALTB?
According to the Vehicles & Parts industry distribution chart, AutoNation ranks #1198 out of 1216 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places AutoNation in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.46. AutoNation's value of 5.02 is 991.3% above this benchmark. Historically, AutoNation's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 1.35 to 5.02 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 2.62 vs. the industry median of 0.46, AutoNation has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for a Vehicles & Parts company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Vehicles & Parts companies is 0.46, based on 1,216 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. AutoNation's current Debt-to-Equity of 5.02 is 991.3% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on AutoNation and its competitors. For the Vehicles & Parts industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.46 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. AutoNation's current Debt-to-Equity is 5.02, which is 92% above median its own 10-year median of 2.62. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is AutoNation stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, AutoNation (STU:RWI) is currently considered Fairly Valued. The stock's GF Value™ is €187.85, compared to a current price of €183.50 — trading 2.3% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 5.02, which is 92% above median its 10-year median of 2.62 and 991.3% above the Vehicles & Parts industry median of 0.46. AutoNation's overall GF Score™ is 79/100 with 6 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For AutoNation (STU:RWI), the current Debt-to-Equity is 5.02 as of Jun. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is AutoNation (STU:RWI) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, AutoNation stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of €183.50 is trading 2.3% below its estimated GF Value™ of €187.85.
GuruFocus considers AutoNation to be Fairly Valued.
Key valuation signals for STU:RWI:
Debt-to-Equity: 5.02 (92% above median its 10-year median of 2.62)
GF Value™: €187.85 vs. price of €183.50 (2.3% below fair value)
Industry Position: 991.3% above the Vehicles & Parts median (#1198 of 1216)
No single metric tells the full story. See the STU:RWI stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
AutoNation is the second-largest automotive dealer in the United States, with 2025 revenue of $27.6 billion and over 240 dealerships, plus 52 collision centers. The firm also has 25 AutoNation USA used-vehicle stores, a captive lender, four auction sites, and three parts distributors across 20 states primarily in Sunbelt metropolitan areas. New-vehicle sales account for nearly half of revenue; the company also sells used vehicles, parts, and repair services as well as auto financing. The company (formerly Republic Industries) divested its waste management unit (Republic Services) in 1999 and its car rental businesses (ANC Rental) in 2000. Wayne Huizenga founded the company in the 1990s to bring the rollup acquisition strategy to auto retailing, which proved to be a smart move.
79GF Score
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