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Side-by-side financial comparison of Hormel Foods (HRL) 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 $3.2B, roughly 1.2× Hormel Foods). SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC runs the higher net margin — 1.6% vs -1.8%, a 3.4% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Hormel Foods posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (1.5% vs 1.0%). Over the past eight quarters, SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC's revenue compounded faster (3.4% CAGR vs 3.1%).

Hormel Foods Corporation, doing business as Hormel Foods or simply Hormel, is an American multinational food processing company founded in 1891 in Austin, Minnesota, by George A. Hormel as George A. Hormel & Company. The company originally focused on the packaging and selling of ham, sausage and other pork, chicken, beef and lamb products to consumers, adding Spam in 1937. By the 1980s, Hormel began offering a wider range of packaged and refrigerated foods.

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.

HRL vs SAH — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SAH
SAH
1.2× larger
SAH
$3.7B
$3.2B
HRL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
HRL
HRL
+0.5% gap
HRL
1.5%
1.0%
SAH
Higher net margin
SAH
SAH
3.4% more per $
SAH
1.6%
-1.8%
HRL
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SAH
SAH
Annualised
SAH
3.4%
3.1%
HRL

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Revenue
$3.2B
$3.7B
Net Profit
$-56.1M
$60.8M
Gross Margin
14.0%
16.2%
Operating Margin
0.1%
3.1%
Net Margin
-1.8%
1.6%
Revenue YoY
1.5%
1.0%
Net Profit YoY
-125.5%
EPS (diluted)
$-0.10
$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.

Revenue
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
$3.7B
Q4 25
$3.2B
$3.9B
Q3 25
$3.0B
$4.0B
Q2 25
$2.9B
$3.7B
Q1 25
$3.0B
$3.7B
Q4 24
$3.1B
$3.9B
Q3 24
$2.9B
$3.5B
Q2 24
$2.9B
$3.5B
Net Profit
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
$60.8M
Q4 25
$-56.1M
$46.9M
Q3 25
$183.7M
$46.8M
Q2 25
$180.0M
$-45.6M
Q1 25
$170.6M
$70.6M
Q4 24
$220.2M
$58.6M
Q3 24
$176.7M
$74.2M
Q2 24
$189.3M
$41.2M
Gross Margin
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
16.2%
Q4 25
14.0%
15.5%
Q3 25
16.1%
15.5%
Q2 25
16.7%
16.5%
Q1 25
15.9%
15.5%
Q4 24
16.6%
14.7%
Q3 24
16.8%
15.6%
Q2 24
17.4%
15.6%
Operating Margin
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
3.1%
Q4 25
0.1%
3.2%
Q3 25
7.9%
3.1%
Q2 25
8.6%
-0.6%
Q1 25
7.6%
4.0%
Q4 24
9.4%
3.4%
Q3 24
8.2%
3.3%
Q2 24
8.7%
3.1%
Net Margin
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
1.6%
Q4 25
-1.8%
1.2%
Q3 25
6.1%
1.2%
Q2 25
6.2%
-1.2%
Q1 25
5.7%
1.9%
Q4 24
7.0%
1.5%
Q3 24
6.1%
2.1%
Q2 24
6.6%
1.2%
EPS (diluted)
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
$1.79
Q4 25
$-0.10
$1.39
Q3 25
$0.33
$1.33
Q2 25
$0.33
$-1.34
Q1 25
$0.31
$2.04
Q4 24
$0.41
$1.67
Q3 24
$0.32
$2.13
Q2 24
$0.34
$1.18

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.

Metric
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$703.6M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$2.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$7.9B
Total Assets
$13.4B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
0.36×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
$703.6M
$6.3M
Q3 25
$630.7M
$89.4M
Q2 25
$699.0M
$110.4M
Q1 25
$866.4M
$64.6M
Q4 24
$766.6M
$44.0M
Q3 24
$561.9M
$17.6M
Q2 24
$1.5B
$67.2M
Total Debt
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
$2.9B
$1.6B
Q3 25
$2.9B
$1.5B
Q2 25
$2.9B
$1.5B
Q1 25
$2.9B
$1.6B
Q4 24
$2.9B
$1.6B
Q3 24
$2.9B
$1.7B
Q2 24
$2.9B
$1.7B
Stockholders' Equity
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
$7.9B
$1.1B
Q3 25
$8.1B
$1.1B
Q2 25
$8.0B
$1.0B
Q1 25
$8.0B
$1.1B
Q4 24
$8.0B
$1.1B
Q3 24
$7.9B
$1.0B
Q2 24
$7.9B
$944.7M
Total Assets
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
$13.4B
$6.0B
Q3 25
$13.5B
$6.0B
Q2 25
$13.4B
$5.9B
Q1 25
$13.4B
$5.9B
Q4 24
$13.4B
$5.9B
Q3 24
$13.1B
$5.8B
Q2 24
$14.1B
$5.8B
Debt / Equity
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
0.36×
1.51×
Q3 25
0.35×
1.39×
Q2 25
0.35×
1.48×
Q1 25
0.36×
1.44×
Q4 24
0.36×
1.49×
Q3 24
0.36×
1.67×
Q2 24
0.36×
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
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$322.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$231.4M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
7.3%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
2.9%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$534.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
$322.9M
$66.9M
Q3 25
$156.7M
$167.9M
Q2 25
$56.4M
$136.8M
Q1 25
$309.2M
$195.8M
Q4 24
$408.6M
$87.7M
Q3 24
$218.0M
$87.8M
Q2 24
$236.1M
$-136.4M
Free Cash Flow
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
$231.4M
$-195.6M
Q3 25
$84.5M
$134.4M
Q2 25
$-18.6M
$102.7M
Q1 25
$237.0M
$150.8M
Q4 24
$324.8M
$-245.5M
Q3 24
$152.5M
$34.5M
Q2 24
$176.2M
$-185.2M
FCF Margin
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
7.3%
-5.1%
Q3 25
2.8%
3.4%
Q2 25
-0.6%
2.8%
Q1 25
7.9%
4.1%
Q4 24
10.4%
-6.3%
Q3 24
5.3%
1.0%
Q2 24
6.1%
-5.4%
Capex Intensity
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
2.9%
6.8%
Q3 25
2.4%
0.8%
Q2 25
2.6%
0.9%
Q1 25
2.4%
1.2%
Q4 24
2.7%
8.6%
Q3 24
2.3%
1.5%
Q2 24
2.1%
1.4%
Cash Conversion
HRL
HRL
SAH
SAH
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.43×
Q3 25
0.85×
3.59×
Q2 25
0.31×
Q1 25
1.81×
2.77×
Q4 24
1.86×
1.50×
Q3 24
1.23×
1.18×
Q2 24
1.25×
-3.31×

Financial Flow Comparison

Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

HRL
HRL

Retail Segment$1.9B60%
Foodservice Segment$1.1B34%
Other$174.7M5%

SAH
SAH

Retail new vehicles$1.6B44%
Used vehicles$1.3B34%
Parts, service and collision repair$516.6M14%
Finance, insurance and other, net$202.4M5%
Wholesale vehicles$71.8M2%
Fleet new vehicles$20.7M1%

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