Verdict: Side-by-side breakdown using the Bull Rankings model. SAH scored 64.1, AN scored 53.1 — SAH leads.
Compare another set
Different reporting periods. SAH's fundamentals are as of June 2026, but AN's are as of March 2026 — a 3-month gap. Growth, margin and valuation figures below therefore describe different windows and aren't strictly like-for-like.
SAH
Sonic Automotive, Inc.
Auto & Truck Dealerships · Quality-Growth
64.1
$60.56 · $1.9B
fundamentals as of
Score gap
11.0
SAH leads
AN
AutoNation, Inc.
Auto & Truck Dealerships · Quality-Growth
53.1
$157.38 · $5.2B
fundamentals as of
At a glance · who leads each dimension, on the model's own rules
Fastest growthSAH+5.3%
Strongest balance sheetSAH4.56
Highest qualityAN72 / 100
Side by side · every name on one set of axes
The model, pillar by pillar (0–100 each)
SAH
stronger →← stronger
AN
72
Qualityreturns · margins · balance sheet
72
54
Growthrevenue & earnings expansion
50
68
Valuevaluation vs sector peers
41
SAH is stronger on 2 of 3 pillars.
Fundamentals, head-to-head
SAH
AN
—
FCF
-$104mF
+5.3%C+
Rev
+3.2%C+
4.56D
D/E
5.02D
9.7xA-
P/E
—
0.59A-
PEG
0.43A
—
P/S
0.2xA
Winner per row is the stronger grade; where grades tie, the better figure breaks it. A true tie or a missing value shows no highlight.
Model signals
SAH
Why this score
Raising its dividend
AN
Why this score
Buying back stock
Durable high returns
The companies
SAHSonic Automotive, Inc.
Auto & Truck Dealerships · $60.56 · beta 0.93
Why now
Auto & Truck Dealerships · market cap $1.9b. Down 47% from 52-week high of $113.67 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.59 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 11 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $92.36 (implying +53% upside).
Moat
ROE 21% is above 15% — the equity base is compounding at a rate the market struggles to discount accurately.
Risk
D/E 4.56 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Down 47% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up. Net margin 1.4% is thin — operating leverage cuts both ways; input-cost inflation or pricing pressure hits the bottom line first.
ANAutoNation, Inc.
Auto & Truck Dealerships · $157.38 · beta 0.81
Why now
Auto & Truck Dealerships · market cap $5.2b. Down 33% from 52-week high of $235.81 — deep drawdown territory. PEG 0.43 — paying under fair value for the growth rate. 12 sell-side analysts rate this a Buy with a mean 1-yr target of $226.75 (implying +44% upside).
Moat
ROE 33% — top-decile capital efficiency. Either pricing leverage, low capital intensity, or aggressive buybacks; the durability story depends on which.
Risk
D/E 5.02 is elevated — limits strategic flexibility and raises refinancing exposure if rates stay higher for longer. Free cash flow is negative (-$104m) — capital raises or debt issuance likely required; dilution / leverage risk. Down 33% from the 52-week high — the market is pricing in something the screen can't see; verify the bear case before sizing up.
Verdict — model-derived comparison
Generating verdict… typically 5–10 seconds
Not investment advice. The Bull Rankings publishes a quantitative ranking model and accompanying analysis for general informational purposes only. Nothing on this page is a recommendation to buy, sell, or hold any security; nothing is personalized to your circumstances, risk tolerance, or tax situation. Investing carries the risk of loss — invest at your own risk and consider consulting a licensed financial professional before acting on anything you read here. See terms and methodology for full disclosures.
Where SAH and AN diverge
On the headline score the gap is 11.0 points in favor of SAH. The widest single difference is Value, where SAH leads by 26.4 points.
ValueSAH 67.6 · AN 41.2SAH +26.4
GrowthSAH 54.1 · AN 50.3SAH +3.8
QualitySAH 72.2 · AN 72.3level
Pillars run 0–100. Value is judged against each company's own sector, so a Value score is a statement about a company relative to its own industry rather than to the other name here. A wide Value gap usually means the market already prices the difference in quality or growth — which is the trade-off this comparison comes down to.
Common questions
Is SAH or AN the better stock?
SAH scores higher: SAH 64.1, AN 53.1 out of 100 on the Bull Rankings quality-growth score, which blends business quality, growth and valuation into one number. A higher score means a stronger business at a more reasonable price — it is not a price target or a recommendation.
Where do SAH and AN differ most?
The widest gap is value, where SAH leads by 26 points on the 0–100 pillar scale. SAH also leads growth, while quality is effectively level between them.
How are SAH and AN scored?
Each carries the same 0–100 quality-growth score used everywhere on the site, built from three pillars — quality (profitability and returns on capital), growth (revenue and earnings), and value (what you pay for them) — combined as a geometric mean, so a weak pillar cannot be papered over by a strong one.
How current is this comparison?
The whole universe is re-scored every trading day after the US market close, so the scores and fundamentals here reflect the latest published edition.