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Side-by-side financial comparison of SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC (SAH) and Union Pacific Corporation (UNP). Click either name above to swap in a different company.
Union Pacific Corporation is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($6.2B vs $3.9B, roughly 1.6× SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC). Union Pacific Corporation runs the higher net margin — 27.4% vs 1.2%, a 26.1% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Union Pacific Corporation posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (3.2% vs -0.6%). Union Pacific Corporation produced more free cash flow last quarter ($631.0M vs $-195.6M). Over the past eight quarters, SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC's revenue compounded faster (7.0% CAGR vs 1.7%).
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.
The Union Pacific Railroad Company is a Class I freight-hauling railroad that operates 8,300 locomotives over 32,200 miles (51,800 km) routes in 23 U.S. states west of Chicago and New Orleans. Union Pacific is the second-largest railroad in the United States after BNSF.
SAH vs UNP — Head-to-Head
Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $3.9B | $6.2B |
| Net Profit | $46.9M | $1.7B |
| Gross Margin | 15.5% | — |
| Operating Margin | 3.2% | 39.5% |
| Net Margin | 1.2% | 27.4% |
| Revenue YoY | -0.6% | 3.2% |
| Net Profit YoY | -20.0% | 4.6% |
| EPS (diluted) | $1.39 | $2.87 |
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 | — | $6.2B | ||
| Q4 25 | $3.9B | $6.1B | ||
| Q3 25 | $4.0B | $6.2B | ||
| Q2 25 | $3.7B | $6.2B | ||
| Q1 25 | $3.7B | $6.0B | ||
| Q4 24 | $3.9B | $6.1B | ||
| Q3 24 | $3.5B | $6.1B | ||
| Q2 24 | $3.5B | $6.0B |
| Q1 26 | — | $1.7B | ||
| Q4 25 | $46.9M | $1.8B | ||
| Q3 25 | $46.8M | $1.8B | ||
| Q2 25 | $-45.6M | $1.9B | ||
| Q1 25 | $70.6M | $1.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $58.6M | $1.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | $74.2M | $1.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $41.2M | $1.7B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 15.5% | — | ||
| Q3 25 | 15.5% | — | ||
| Q2 25 | 16.5% | — | ||
| Q1 25 | 15.5% | — | ||
| Q4 24 | 14.7% | — | ||
| Q3 24 | 15.6% | — | ||
| Q2 24 | 15.6% | — |
| Q1 26 | — | 39.5% | ||
| Q4 25 | 3.2% | 39.5% | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.1% | 40.8% | ||
| Q2 25 | -0.6% | 41.0% | ||
| Q1 25 | 4.0% | 39.3% | ||
| Q4 24 | 3.4% | 41.3% | ||
| Q3 24 | 3.3% | 39.7% | ||
| Q2 24 | 3.1% | 40.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | 27.4% | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.2% | 30.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.2% | 28.6% | ||
| Q2 25 | -1.2% | 30.5% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.9% | 27.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.5% | 28.8% | ||
| Q3 24 | 2.1% | 27.4% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.2% | 27.9% |
| Q1 26 | — | $2.87 | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.39 | $3.12 | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.33 | $3.01 | ||
| Q2 25 | $-1.34 | $3.15 | ||
| Q1 25 | $2.04 | $2.70 | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.67 | $2.91 | ||
| Q3 24 | $2.13 | $2.75 | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.18 | $2.74 |
Balance Sheet & Financial Strength
Snapshot of each company's liquidity, leverage and book value from the latest quarter.
| Metric | | |
|---|---|---|
| Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand | $6.3M | $735.0M |
| Total DebtLower is stronger | $1.6B | — |
| Stockholders' EquityBook value | $1.1B | — |
| Total Assets | $6.0B | $69.6B |
| Debt / EquityLower = less leverage | 1.51× | — |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | $735.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $6.3M | $1.3B | ||
| Q3 25 | $89.4M | $808.0M | ||
| Q2 25 | $110.4M | $1.1B | ||
| Q1 25 | $64.6M | $1.4B | ||
| Q4 24 | $44.0M | $1.0B | ||
| Q3 24 | $17.6M | $947.0M | ||
| Q2 24 | $67.2M | $1.1B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.6B | $30.3B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.5B | $30.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.5B | $30.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.6B | $30.6B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.6B | $29.8B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.7B | $29.8B | ||
| Q2 24 | $1.7B | $31.2B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $1.1B | $18.5B | ||
| Q3 25 | $1.1B | $17.3B | ||
| Q2 25 | $1.0B | $16.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $1.1B | $16.0B | ||
| Q4 24 | $1.1B | $16.9B | ||
| Q3 24 | $1.0B | $16.6B | ||
| Q2 24 | $944.7M | $16.5B |
| Q1 26 | — | $69.6B | ||
| Q4 25 | $6.0B | $69.7B | ||
| Q3 25 | $6.0B | $68.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $5.9B | $68.6B | ||
| Q1 25 | $5.9B | $68.5B | ||
| Q4 24 | $5.9B | $67.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $5.8B | $67.6B | ||
| Q2 24 | $5.8B | $67.8B |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.51× | 1.64× | ||
| Q3 25 | 1.39× | 1.75× | ||
| Q2 25 | 1.48× | 1.86× | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.44× | 1.91× | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.49× | 1.76× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.67× | 1.79× | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.81× | 1.89× |
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 | $66.9M | — |
| Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex | $-195.6M | $631.0M |
| FCF MarginFCF / Revenue | -5.1% | 10.1% |
| Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue | 6.8% | — |
| Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit | 1.43× | — |
| TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters | $192.3M | $4.8B |
8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | $66.9M | $2.2B | ||
| Q3 25 | $167.9M | $2.5B | ||
| Q2 25 | $136.8M | $2.3B | ||
| Q1 25 | $195.8M | $2.2B | ||
| Q4 24 | $87.7M | $2.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $87.8M | $2.7B | ||
| Q2 24 | $-136.4M | $1.9B |
| Q1 26 | — | $631.0M | ||
| Q4 25 | $-195.6M | $1.2B | ||
| Q3 25 | $134.4M | $1.6B | ||
| Q2 25 | $102.7M | $1.4B | ||
| Q1 25 | $150.8M | $1.3B | ||
| Q4 24 | $-245.5M | $1.7B | ||
| Q3 24 | $34.5M | $1.8B | ||
| Q2 24 | $-185.2M | $1.0B |
| Q1 26 | — | 10.1% | ||
| Q4 25 | -5.1% | 20.1% | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.4% | 25.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 2.8% | 22.7% | ||
| Q1 25 | 4.1% | 21.6% | ||
| Q4 24 | -6.3% | 28.4% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.0% | 29.9% | ||
| Q2 24 | -5.4% | 16.8% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 6.8% | 16.4% | ||
| Q3 25 | 0.8% | 15.2% | ||
| Q2 25 | 0.9% | 15.2% | ||
| Q1 25 | 1.2% | 15.0% | ||
| Q4 24 | 8.6% | 15.1% | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.5% | 13.6% | ||
| Q2 24 | 1.4% | 15.0% |
| Q1 26 | — | — | ||
| Q4 25 | 1.43× | 1.20× | ||
| Q3 25 | 3.59× | 1.41× | ||
| Q2 25 | — | 1.24× | ||
| Q1 25 | 2.77× | 1.36× | ||
| Q4 24 | 1.50× | 1.51× | ||
| Q3 24 | 1.18× | 1.59× | ||
| Q2 24 | -3.31× | 1.14× |
Financial Flow Comparison
Revenue → gross profit → operating profit → net profit for each company.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
SAH
| Retail New Vehicles | $1.9B | 48% |
| Other | $1.2B | 31% |
| Parts Serviceand Collision Repair | $515.2M | 13% |
| Finance Insurance And Other Net | $202.2M | 5% |
| Wholesale Vehicles | $63.9M | 2% |
| Fleet New Vehicles | $24.0M | 1% |
UNP
| Freight revenues | $5.9B | 95% |
| Other revenues | $324.0M | 5% |
