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Side-by-side financial comparison of Ball Corporation (BALL) and SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC (SAH). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.7B vs $3.3B, roughly 1.1× Ball Corporation). Ball Corporation runs the higher net margin — 6.0% vs 1.6%, a 4.3% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Ball Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (16.2% vs 1.0%). Over the past eight quarters, Ball Corporation's revenue compounded faster (7.9% CAGR vs 3.4%).
Ball Corporation is a leading global provider of innovative, sustainable aluminum packaging solutions for beverage, personal care, and household product brands. It also operates an aerospace segment that delivers advanced technologies, systems, and services to government and commercial customers worldwide, prioritizing environmental responsibility and product reliability across all operations.
Sonic Automotive is a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, and is the fifth largest automotive retailer in the United States as measured by total revenues. The company was founded by O Bruton Smith and completed its initial public offering on the NYSE in 1997.
BALL vs SAH — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3.3B | $3.7B |
| Net Profit | $200.0M | $60.8M |
| Gross Margin | — | 16.2% |
| Operating Margin | 7.2% | 3.1% |
| Net Margin | 6.0% | 1.6% |
| Revenue YoY | 16.2% | 1.0% |
| Net Profit YoY | 766.7% | — |
| EPS (diluted) | $0.73 | $1.79 |
Green = leading value per metric. Periods may differ when fiscal calendars don't align.
8-Quarter Revenue & Profit Trend
Side-by-side quarterly history. Quarters aligned by calendar period so offset fiscal years line up.
| Q1 26 | — | $3.7B | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.3B | $3.9B | ||
| Q3 25 | $3.4B | $4.0B | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.3B | $3.7B | ||
| Q1 25 | $3.1B | $3.7B | ||
| Q4 24 | $2.9B | $3.9B | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.1B | $3.5B | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.0B | $3.5B |
| Q1 26 | — | $60.8M | ||
| Q4 25 | $200.0M | $46.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $321.0M | $46.8M | ||
| Q2 25 | $215.0M | $-45.6M | ||
| Q1 25 | $179.0M | $70.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $-30.0M | $58.6M | ||
| Q3 24 | $199.0M | $74.2M | ||
| Q2 24 | $159.0M | $41.2M |
| Q1 26 | — | 16.2% | ||
| Q4 25 | — | 15.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | — | 15.5% | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 16.5% | ||
| Q1 25 | — | 15.5% | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 14.7% | ||
| Q3 24 | 17.7% | 15.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 16.5% | 15.6% |
| Q1 26 | — | 3.1% | ||
| Q4 25 | 7.2% | 3.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 11.6% | 3.1% | ||
| Q2 25 | 8.0% | -0.6% | ||
| Q1 25 | 7.4% | 4.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.2% | 3.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 7.4% | 3.3% | ||
| Q2 24 | 6.8% | 3.1% |
| Q1 26 | — | 1.6% | ||
| Q4 25 | 6.0% | 1.2% | ||
| Q3 25 | 9.5% | 1.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 6.4% | -1.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 5.8% | 1.9% | ||
| Q4 24 | -1.0% | 1.5% | ||
| Q3 24 | 6.5% | 2.1% | ||
| Q2 24 | 5.4% | 1.2% |
| Q1 26 | — | $1.79 | ||
| Q4 25 | $0.73 | $1.39 | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.18 | $1.33 | ||
| Q2 25 | $0.76 | $-1.34 | ||
| Q1 25 | $0.63 | $2.04 | ||
| Q4 24 | $0.23 | $1.67 | ||
| Q3 24 | $0.65 | $2.13 | ||
| Q2 24 | $0.51 | $1.18 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $1.2B | — |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $7.0B | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $5.4B | — |
| Total Assets | $19.5B | — |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 1.29× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.2B | $6.3M | ||
| Q3 25 | $568.0M | $89.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $296.0M | $110.4M | ||
| Q1 25 | $449.0M | $64.6M | ||
| Q4 24 | $885.0M | $44.0M | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.4B | $17.6M | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.3B | $67.2M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $7.0B | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 25 | $6.9B | $1.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $6.5B | $1.5B | ||
| Q1 25 | $6.1B | $1.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $5.3B | $1.6B | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.4B | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $5.5B | $1.7B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $5.4B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $5.4B | $1.1B | ||
| Q2 25 | $5.2B | $1.0B | ||
| Q1 25 | $5.5B | $1.1B | ||
| Q4 24 | $5.9B | $1.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $6.7B | $1.0B | ||
| Q2 24 | $6.9B | $944.7M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $19.5B | $6.0B | ||
| Q3 25 | $18.7B | $6.0B | ||
| Q2 25 | $18.6B | $5.9B | ||
| Q1 25 | $18.0B | $5.9B | ||
| Q4 24 | $17.6B | $5.9B | ||
| Q3 24 | $18.8B | $5.8B | ||
| Q2 24 | $19.0B | $5.8B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.29× | 1.51× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.26× | 1.39× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.24× | 1.48× | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.12× | 1.44× | ||
| Q4 24 | 0.91× | 1.49× | ||
| Q3 24 | 0.80× | 1.67× | ||
| Q2 24 | 0.80× | 1.81× |
Cash Flow & Capital Efficiency
How much cash each business actually produces after reinvestment. Cash flow is harder to manipulate than net income.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash FlowLast quarter | $1.2B | — |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $1.0B | — |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | 31.1% | — |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 5.1% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 6.05× | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $788.0M | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.2B | $66.9M | ||
| Q3 25 | $384.0M | $167.9M | ||
| Q2 25 | $332.0M | $136.8M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-665.0M | $195.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $500.0M | $87.7M | ||
| Q3 24 | $610.0M | $87.8M | ||
| Q2 24 | $252.0M | $-136.4M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.0B | $-195.6M | ||
| Q3 25 | $257.0M | $134.4M | ||
| Q2 25 | $236.0M | $102.7M | ||
| Q1 25 | $-746.0M | $150.8M | ||
| Q4 24 | $393.0M | $-245.5M | ||
| Q3 24 | $493.0M | $34.5M | ||
| Q2 24 | $146.0M | $-185.2M |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 31.1% | -5.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 7.6% | 3.4% | ||
| Q2 25 | 7.1% | 2.8% | ||
| Q1 25 | -24.1% | 4.1% | ||
| Q4 24 | 13.6% | -6.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 16.0% | 1.0% | ||
| Q2 24 | 4.9% | -5.4% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 5.1% | 6.8% | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.8% | 0.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.9% | 0.9% | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.6% | 1.2% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.7% | 8.6% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.8% | 1.5% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.6% | 1.4% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 6.05× | 1.43× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.20× | 3.59× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.54× | — | ||
| Q1 25 | -3.72× | 2.77× | ||
| Q4 24 | — | 1.50× | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.07× | 1.18× | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.58× | -3.31× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
BALL
| Transferred Over Time | $2.7B | 82% |
| Transferred At Point In Time | $602.0M | 18% |
SAH
| Retail new vehicles | $1.6B | 44% |
| Used vehicles | $1.3B | 34% |
| Parts, service and collision repair | $516.6M | 14% |
| Finance, insurance and other, net | $202.4M | 5% |
| Wholesale vehicles | $71.8M | 2% |
| Fleet new vehicles | $20.7M | 1% |
