SAH (Sonic Automotive) Operating Income: $528 Mil (TTM As of Mar. 2026)


SAH Sonic Automotive Inc SAH
82 GF Score
Price $95.31
GF Value $64.43
Valuation Significantly Overvalued
! 7 Warning Signs
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What is Sonic Automotive Operating Income?

Sonic Automotive SAH +8.29% 82 Operating Income is $528 Mil as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus rates SAH with a GF Score™ of 82/100 and a GF Value™ of $64.43 (Significantly Overvalued). The stock has 7 warning signs investors should review.

Sonic Automotive's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $133 Mil. Its Operating Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 was $528 Mil.

Operating Margin % is calculated as Operating Income divided by its Revenue. Sonic Automotive's Operating Income for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $133 Mil. Sonic Automotive's Revenue for the three months ended in Mar. 2026 was $3,689 Mil. Therefore, Sonic Automotive's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 3.61%.

Warning Sign:

Sonic Automotive Inc operating margin has been in a 5-year decline. The average rate of decline per year is -1.2%.

Sonic Automotive's 5-Year average Growth Rate for Operating Margin % was -1.20% per year.

Operating Income or EBIT is linked to Return on Capital for both regular definition and Joel Greenblatt's definition. Sonic Automotive's annualized ROC % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 6.97%. Sonic Automotive's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 was 12.36%.


Sonic Automotive  (NYSE:SAH) Operating Income Explanation

1. Operating Income or EBIT is linked to Return on Capital for both regular definition and Joel Greenblatt's definition.

Sonic Automotive's annualized ROC % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

ROC % (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=NOPAT/Average Invested Capital
=Operating Income * ( 1 - Tax Rate % )/( (Invested Capital (Q: Dec. 2025 ) + Invested Capital (Q: Mar. 2026 ))/ count )
=532.4 * ( 1 - 28.55% )/( (5404.3 + 5515.5)/ 2 )
=380.3998/5459.9
=6.97 %

where

Note: The Operating Income data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) data.

2. Joel Greenblatt's definition of Return on Capital:

Sonic Automotive's annualized ROC (Joel Greenblatt) % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

ROC (Joel Greenblatt) %(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=EBIT/Average of (Net fixed Assets + Net Working Capital)
=EBIT/Average of (Property, Plant and Equipment+Net Working Capital)
     Q: Dec. 2025  Q: Mar. 2026
=EBIT/( ( (Property, Plant and Equipment + Net Working Capital) + (Property, Plant and Equipment + Net Working Capital) )/ count )
=525.6/( ( (2170.4 + max(1797.1, 0)) + (2175.4 + max(2362.2, 0)) )/ 2 )
=525.6/( ( 3967.5 + 4537.6 )/ 2 )
=525.6/4252.55
=12.36 %

where Working Capital is:

Working Capital(Q: Dec. 2025 )
=(Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Defer. Rev. + Other Current Liabilities)
=(0 + 2012.9 + 344.3) - (560.1 + 0 + 0)
=1797.1

Working Capital(Q: Mar. 2026 )
=(Accounts Receivable + Total Inventories + Other Current Assets) - (Accounts Payable & Accrued Expense + Defer. Rev. + Other Current Liabilities)
=(415.4 + 2123.6 + 419.6) - (596.4 + 0 + 0)
=2362.2

When net working capital is negative, 0 is used.

Note: The EBIT data used here is four times the quarterly (Mar. 2026) EBIT data.

3. Operating Income is also linked to Operating Margin %:

Sonic Automotive's Operating Margin % for the quarter that ended in Mar. 2026 is calculated as:

Operating Margin %=Operating Income (Q: Mar. 2026 )/Revenue (Q: Mar. 2026 )
=133.1/3688.5
=3.61 %

* 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.

4. Please click Growth Rate Calculation Example (GuruFocus) to see how GuruFocus calculates Wal-Mart Stores Inc (WMT)'s revenue growth rate. You can apply the same method to get the Operating Income growth rate using Operating Income per share data.


Be Aware

Compared with a company's EBITDA margin, Operating Margin can be manipulated by adjusting the rate of depreciation, depletion and amortization (DDA).

If a company is facing competition, its Operating Margin may decline. Often the Operating Margin declines well before the company's revenue or even profit decline. Therefore, Operating Margin is a very important indicator of whether the company is facing problems.

For instance, by 2012, Nokia (NOK)'s problems were well known and its stock had lost more than 90% of its market value since 2007. But Nokia's Operating Margin had already been in decline since 2002, although its earnings per share were still rising. Investors who paid attention to Operating Margin would have avoided this huge loss. The same can be said for Research-in-Motion (RIMM).

Therefore, Operating Margin is a very important screening filter for GuruFocus. GuruFocus's Buffett-Munger screener requires that the profit margin is either consistent or expanding. The Model Portfolio of the Buffett-Munger screener has outperformed the market every year since inception in 2009.


Sonic Automotive Operating Income Related Terms


Sonic Automotive Operating Income Historical Data

* Premium members only.

The historical data trend for Sonic Automotive's Operating Income 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.

Sonic Automotive Operating Income Chart

Sonic Automotive Annual Data
Trend Dec16 Dec17 Dec18 Dec19 Dec20 Dec21 Dec22 Dec23 Dec24 Dec25
Operating Income
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 538.50 634.40 502.90 465.40 541.30

Sonic Automotive Quarterly Data
Jun21 Sep21 Dec21 Mar22 Jun22 Sep22 Dec22 Mar23 Jun23 Sep23 Dec23 Mar24 Jun24 Sep24 Dec24 Mar25 Jun25 Sep25 Dec25 Mar26
Operating Income Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only 146.40 149.10 122.70 123.20 133.10
SAH
82GF Score
Sonic Automotive Inc SAH
Operating Income is just one metric. See GF Score™, valuation, warning signs, and more.
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Sonic Automotive Operating Income Calculation

Operating Income, is the profit a company earned through operations. All expenses, including cash expenses such as cost of goods sold (COGS), research & development, wages, and non-cash expenses, such as depreciation, depletion and amortization, have been deducted from the sales.

Operating Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Mar. 2026 adds up the quarterly data reported by the company within the most recent 12 months, which was $528 Mil.

* 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.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Operating Income →
What does a Operating Income of $528 Mil mean?
Sonic Automotive (SAH) has a Operating Income of $528 Mil as of Mar. 2026. Operating Income equals sales less all operating expenses. It is linked to EBIT. View historical data on Sonic Automotive and its competitors.
Is Sonic Automotive's Operating Income too high?
Sonic Automotive's current Operating Income is $528 Mil. Overall, Sonic Automotive has a GF Score™ of 82/100 and is considered Significantly Overvalued, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Sonic Automotive's Operating Income compare to CARG and DRVN?
Sonic Automotive's Operating Income of $528 Mil can be compared against companies in the Vehicles & Parts industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Operating Income for a Vehicles & Parts company?
A good Operating Income depends on the Vehicles & Parts industry context. However, Operating Income should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Operating Income mean?
A high Operating Income can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Operating Income equals sales less all operating expenses. It is linked to EBIT. View historical data on Sonic Automotive and its competitors. Sonic Automotive's current Operating Income is $528 Mil. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Sonic Automotive stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sonic Automotive (SAH) is currently considered Significantly Overvalued. The stock's GF Value™ is $64.43, compared to a current price of $95.31 — trading 47.9% above its estimated fair value. The current Operating Income is $528 Mil. Sonic Automotive's overall GF Score™ is 82/100 with 7 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Operating Income calculated?
Operating Income is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Sonic Automotive (SAH), the current Operating Income is $528 Mil as of Mar. 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 Sonic Automotive (SAH) Overvalued in 2026?

Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Sonic Automotive stock appears to be overvalued. The current stock price of $95.31 is trading 47.9% above its estimated GF Value™ of $64.43. GuruFocus considers Sonic Automotive to be Significantly Overvalued.

Key valuation signals for SAH:

  • Operating Income: $528 Mil
  • GF Value™: $64.43 vs. price of $95.31 (47.9% above fair value)
  • GF Score™: 82/100 with 7 warning signs

No single metric tells the full story. See the SAH stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.


Sonic Automotive Business Description

Other Exchanges SA8A:Germany
Address 4401 Colwick Road, Charlotte, NC, USA, 28211
Sonic Automotive is one of the largest auto dealership groups in the United States. The company has 107 franchised stores in 18 states, primarily in metropolitan areas in California, Texas, and the Southeast, plus 18 EchoPark used-vehicle stores in 10 states, 16 collision centers, and 20 powersports locations. The franchise stores derive revenue from new and used vehicles plus parts and collision repair, finance, insurance, and wholesale auctions. Luxury and import dealerships make up about 86% of franchise new-vehicle revenue, while Honda, BMW, Mercedes, and Toyota constitute about 56% of new-vehicle revenue. BMW is the largest brand at about 23%. 2025 revenue was $15.2 billion, with Texas and California constituting 51% of the total. EchoPark's portion was $2.1 billion.
82GF Score

Get the complete analysis for SAH

Operating Income is just one metric. See GF Value™, 30-year financials, guru trades, warning signs, and more.

$95.31
Price
$64.43
GF Value