Sonic Automotive (SAH Quick QuoteSAH - Free Report) reported $3.99 billion in revenue for the quarter ended September 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 0.4%. EPS of $1.30 for the same period compares to $1.41 a year ago.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.77% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.02 billion. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.66, the EPS surprise was -21.69%.

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.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

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

• Franchised Dealerships Segment - Same Store - Unit Sales Volume - Used vehicles: 26,526 versus 26,472 estimated by two analysts on average.
• Franchised Dealerships Segment - Same Store - Unit Sales Volume - Total new vehicles: 28,096 versus 28,141 estimated by two analysts on average.
• Franchised Dealerships Segment - Gross Profit Per Unit - New vehicles: $3,037.00 versus the two-analyst average estimate of $2,903.29.
• Franchised Dealerships Segment - Gross Profit Per Unit - Used vehicles: $1,500.00 compared to the $1,361.92 average estimate based on two analysts.
• Revenues- Franchised Dealerships: $3.28 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $3.36 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -2.6%.
• Revenues- Franchised Dealerships Segment- Same Store- Used vehicles: $835.4 million compared to the $797.43 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +8.9% year over year.
• Revenues- Franchised Dealerships Segment- Total new vehicles: $1.73 billion versus the two-analyst average estimate of $1.79 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -7%.
• Revenues- Franchised Dealerships Segment- Used vehicles: $844.9 million versus $812.41 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +6.1% change.
• Revenues- Franchised Dealerships Segment- Parts, service and collision repair: $515.3 million compared to the $521.11 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1% year over year.
• Revenues- Franchised Dealerships Segment- Finance, insurance and other, net: $142.6 million compared to the $148.18 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of -3.4% year over year.
• Revenues- EchoPark Segment- Used vehicles: $509.9 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $511.65 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +16.1%.
• Revenues- EchoPark Segment- Finance, insurance and other, net: $54.9 million compared to the $60.15 million average estimate based on two analysts. The reported number represents a change of +3.8% year over year.

View all Key Company Metrics for Sonic Automotive here>>>

Shares of Sonic Automotive have returned +4.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.9% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.