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Side-by-side financial comparison of SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC (SAH) and Xylem Inc. (XYL). Click either name above to swap in a different company.

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC is the larger business by last-quarter revenue ($3.9B vs $2.1B, roughly 1.8× Xylem Inc.). Xylem Inc. runs the higher net margin — 8.9% vs 1.2%, a 7.7% gap on every dollar of revenue. On growth, Xylem Inc. posted the faster year-over-year revenue change (2.7% vs -0.6%). Over the past eight quarters, SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC's revenue compounded faster (7.0% CAGR vs -1.0%).

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.

Xylem is one of the two types of transport tissue in vascular plants, the other being phloem; both of these are part of the vascular bundle. The basic function of the xylem is to transport water upward from the roots to parts of the plants such as stems and leaves, but it also transports nutrients. The word xylem is derived from the Ancient Greek word ξύλον (xúlon), meaning "wood"; the best-known xylem tissue is wood, though it is found throughout a plant.

SAH vs XYL — Head-to-Head

Bigger by revenue
SAH
SAH
1.8× larger
SAH
$3.9B
$2.1B
XYL
Growing faster (revenue YoY)
XYL
XYL
+3.3% gap
XYL
2.7%
-0.6%
SAH
Higher net margin
XYL
XYL
7.7% more per $
XYL
8.9%
1.2%
SAH
Faster 2-yr revenue CAGR
SAH
SAH
Annualised
SAH
7.0%
-1.0%
XYL

Income Statement — Q4 FY2025 vs Q1 FY2026

Metric
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Revenue
$3.9B
$2.1B
Net Profit
$46.9M
$189.0M
Gross Margin
15.5%
37.8%
Operating Margin
3.2%
11.5%
Net Margin
1.2%
8.9%
Revenue YoY
-0.6%
2.7%
Net Profit YoY
-20.0%
13.2%
EPS (diluted)
$1.39
$0.79

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
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
$2.1B
Q4 25
$3.9B
$2.4B
Q3 25
$4.0B
$2.3B
Q2 25
$3.7B
$2.3B
Q1 25
$3.7B
$2.1B
Q4 24
$3.9B
$2.3B
Q3 24
$3.5B
$2.1B
Q2 24
$3.5B
$2.2B
Net Profit
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
$189.0M
Q4 25
$46.9M
$335.0M
Q3 25
$46.8M
$227.0M
Q2 25
$-45.6M
$226.0M
Q1 25
$70.6M
$169.0M
Q4 24
$58.6M
$326.0M
Q3 24
$74.2M
$217.0M
Q2 24
$41.2M
$194.0M
Gross Margin
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
37.8%
Q4 25
15.5%
38.9%
Q3 25
15.5%
38.9%
Q2 25
16.5%
38.8%
Q1 25
15.5%
37.1%
Q4 24
14.7%
38.0%
Q3 24
15.6%
37.3%
Q2 24
15.6%
37.8%
Operating Margin
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
11.5%
Q4 25
3.2%
14.7%
Q3 25
3.1%
14.7%
Q2 25
-0.6%
13.3%
Q1 25
4.0%
11.2%
Q4 24
3.4%
11.8%
Q3 24
3.3%
13.3%
Q2 24
3.1%
11.7%
Net Margin
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
8.9%
Q4 25
1.2%
14.0%
Q3 25
1.2%
10.0%
Q2 25
-1.2%
9.8%
Q1 25
1.9%
8.2%
Q4 24
1.5%
14.5%
Q3 24
2.1%
10.3%
Q2 24
1.2%
8.9%
EPS (diluted)
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
$0.79
Q4 25
$1.39
$1.37
Q3 25
$1.33
$0.93
Q2 25
$-1.34
$0.93
Q1 25
$2.04
$0.69
Q4 24
$1.67
$1.33
Q3 24
$2.13
$0.89
Q2 24
$1.18
$0.80

Balance Sheet & Financial Strength

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

Metric
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Cash + ST InvestmentsLiquidity on hand
$6.3M
$808.0M
Total DebtLower is stronger
$1.6B
$1.9B
Stockholders' EquityBook value
$1.1B
$11.0B
Total Assets
$6.0B
$17.0B
Debt / EquityLower = less leverage
1.51×
0.18×

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Cash + ST Investments
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
$808.0M
Q4 25
$6.3M
$1.5B
Q3 25
$89.4M
$1.2B
Q2 25
$110.4M
$1.2B
Q1 25
$64.6M
$1.1B
Q4 24
$44.0M
$1.1B
Q3 24
$17.6M
$989.0M
Q2 24
$67.2M
$815.0M
Total Debt
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
$1.9B
Q4 25
$1.6B
$2.0B
Q3 25
$1.5B
$2.0B
Q2 25
$1.5B
$2.0B
Q1 25
$1.6B
$2.0B
Q4 24
$1.6B
$2.0B
Q3 24
$1.7B
Q2 24
$1.7B
Stockholders' Equity
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
$11.0B
Q4 25
$1.1B
$11.5B
Q3 25
$1.1B
$11.2B
Q2 25
$1.0B
$11.1B
Q1 25
$1.1B
$10.8B
Q4 24
$1.1B
$10.6B
Q3 24
$1.0B
$10.6B
Q2 24
$944.7M
$10.3B
Total Assets
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
$17.0B
Q4 25
$6.0B
$17.6B
Q3 25
$6.0B
$17.3B
Q2 25
$5.9B
$17.2B
Q1 25
$5.9B
$16.6B
Q4 24
$5.9B
$16.5B
Q3 24
$5.8B
$16.0B
Q2 24
$5.8B
$15.8B
Debt / Equity
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
0.18×
Q4 25
1.51×
0.17×
Q3 25
1.39×
0.18×
Q2 25
1.48×
0.18×
Q1 25
1.44×
0.19×
Q4 24
1.49×
0.19×
Q3 24
1.67×
Q2 24
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
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Operating Cash FlowLast quarter
$66.9M
Free Cash FlowOCF − Capex
$-195.6M
FCF MarginFCF / Revenue
-5.1%
Capex IntensityCapex / Revenue
6.8%
4.2%
Cash ConversionOCF / Net Profit
1.43×
TTM Free Cash FlowTrailing 4 quarters
$192.3M

8-quarter trend — quarters aligned by calendar period.

Operating Cash Flow
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
Q4 25
$66.9M
$543.0M
Q3 25
$167.9M
$360.0M
Q2 25
$136.8M
$305.0M
Q1 25
$195.8M
$33.0M
Q4 24
$87.7M
$575.0M
Q3 24
$87.8M
$311.0M
Q2 24
$-136.4M
$288.0M
Free Cash Flow
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
Q4 25
$-195.6M
$460.0M
Q3 25
$134.4M
$281.0M
Q2 25
$102.7M
$207.0M
Q1 25
$150.8M
$-38.0M
Q4 24
$-245.5M
$475.0M
Q3 24
$34.5M
$237.0M
Q2 24
$-185.2M
$215.0M
FCF Margin
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
Q4 25
-5.1%
19.2%
Q3 25
3.4%
12.4%
Q2 25
2.8%
9.0%
Q1 25
4.1%
-1.8%
Q4 24
-6.3%
21.1%
Q3 24
1.0%
11.3%
Q2 24
-5.4%
9.9%
Capex Intensity
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
4.2%
Q4 25
6.8%
3.5%
Q3 25
0.8%
3.5%
Q2 25
0.9%
4.3%
Q1 25
1.2%
3.4%
Q4 24
8.6%
4.4%
Q3 24
1.5%
3.5%
Q2 24
1.4%
3.4%
Cash Conversion
SAH
SAH
XYL
XYL
Q1 26
Q4 25
1.43×
1.62×
Q3 25
3.59×
1.59×
Q2 25
1.35×
Q1 25
2.77×
0.20×
Q4 24
1.50×
1.76×
Q3 24
1.18×
1.43×
Q2 24
-3.31×
1.48×

Financial Flow Comparison

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

Revenue Breakdown by Segment

SAH
SAH

Retail New Vehicles$1.9B48%
Other$1.2B31%
Parts Serviceand Collision Repair$515.2M13%
Finance Insurance And Other Net$202.2M5%
Wholesale Vehicles$63.9M2%
Fleet New Vehicles$24.0M1%

XYL
XYL

Revenue from products$1.8B83%
Revenue from services$368.0M17%

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