For the quarter ended September 2026, Lithia Motors (LAD Quick QuoteLAD - Free Report) reported revenue of $9.95 billion, up 2.8% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $10.34, compared to $9.50 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $9.71 billion, representing a surprise of +2.4%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +6.6%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $9.70.

While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Lithia Motors performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Unit sales - New vehicle: 105,471 versus the three-analyst average estimate of 101,604.
• Unit sales - Used vehicle retail: 109,791 versus 113,169 estimated by three analysts on average.
• Average selling price - New vehicle: $46,777.00 versus $47,267.50 estimated by three analysts on average.
• Average selling price - Used vehicle retail: $29,499.00 compared to the $29,340.49 average estimate based on three analysts.
• Revenues- Finance and insurance: $361.4 million versus $374.14 million estimated by four analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -4.5% change.
• Revenues- Used vehicle: $3.63 billion compared to the $3.38 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +17.2% year over year.
• Revenues- New vehicle: $4.87 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $4.86 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +5.2%.
• Revenues- Aftersales: $1.09 billion compared to the $1.09 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +4.8% year over year.
• Same Store Operating- Revenues- Finance and insurance: $345.1 million compared to the $352.02 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -7.1% year over year.
• Same Store Operating- Revenues- Used vehicle: $3.42 billion compared to the $3.15 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +13.1% year over year.
• Same Store Operating- Revenues- New vehicle: $4.61 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $4.68 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +1.9%.
• Same Store Operating- Revenues- Aftersales: $1.03 billion compared to the $1.04 billion average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.8% year over year.

View all Key Company Metrics for Lithia Motors here>>>

Shares of Lithia Motors have returned -4.1% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +1% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.