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Autonation, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 23 October 2025: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 7% to $7.0 billion: Revenue was $7.0 billion, up 7% from a year earlier. Net income rose 16% to $215.1 million, and operating income rose 6% to $372.4 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS up 23%: Diluted EPS was $5.65 against $4.61 a year earlier, up 23%. Adjusted diluted EPS was $5.01, up 25%, after excluding cybersecurity insurance recoveries and acquisition-related expenses. Source
  • Domestic segment income up 30%: Domestic segment income was $81 million against $62 million a year earlier, up 30%, on revenue of $1.9 billion, up 10%. Source
  • Customer Financial Services gross profit up 12%: Customer Financial Services gross profit was $375 million, up 12%. On a same-store basis it was $368 million, up 11%, with unit profitability of $2,775. Source
  • New vehicle unit profit fell: New vehicle gross profit fell $27 million to $150 million on same-store basis, as gross profit per unit dropped to $2,290 from $2,820, partly offset by 4% more units. Source
  • Quarterly buybacks of $181 million: The company repurchased 0.8 million shares for $181 million, or $217 per share, in the quarter. About $338 million of authorization remained as of October 21, 2025. Source
  • Chicago and Denver acquisitions add density: The Chicago and Denver acquisitions together represent more than $500 million of annual revenue, according to the company, and add density in Illinois and Colorado. Source

“AutoNation Finance continued to scale, growing the portfolio to more than $2 billion while improving profitability.”

Mike Manley, Chief Executive Officer of AutoNation

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The company acquired an Audi and a Mercedes-Benz store in Chicago in September, following a Mazda and a Ford store in Denver earlier in 2025. Source
  • Ended: The Import segment description no longer lists Nissan. The previous release included Nissan among the Import brands. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 7% to $7.0 billion: Revenue was $7.0 billion, up 7% from a year earlier. Net income rose 16% to $215.1 million, and operating income rose 6% to $372.4 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS up 23%: Diluted EPS was $5.65 against $4.61 a year earlier, up 23%. Adjusted diluted EPS was $5.01, up 25%, after excluding cybersecurity insurance recoveries and acquisition-related expenses. Source
  • Same-store revenue up 6%: Same-store revenue was $6.9 billion, up $422 million or 6%, mainly from more new vehicle unit sales and higher average new vehicle selling prices. Source
  • Adjusted operating income up 9%: Adjusted operating income was $348.1 million, up 9%, and adjusted net income was $190.9 million, up 18%. Operating income included $40 million of insurance recoveries tied to the CDK outage. Source

Segments and regions

  • Domestic segment income up 30%: Domestic segment income was $81 million against $62 million a year earlier, up 30%, on revenue of $1.9 billion, up 10%. Source
  • Import segment income up 4%: Import segment income was $124 million, up 4% from $119 million, on revenue of $2.2 billion, up 6%. Source
  • Premium Luxury income up 4%: Premium Luxury segment income was $161 million, up 4% from $155 million, on revenue of $2.6 billion, up 5%. Source
  • AutoNation Finance income turned positive: AutoNation Finance income was $2 million, compared with a loss of $6 million a year earlier. Source

“Cash flow was strong, and we deployed significant capital for share repurchases and acquisitions to improve density in existing markets.”

Mike Manley, Chief Executive Officer of AutoNation

Products and customers

  • Same-store new units up 4%: Same-store retail new vehicle unit sales were 65,425, up 4% from 62,628 a year earlier. Source
  • Total retail units up 4.2%: Total retail vehicle unit sales were 135,085, up 4.2% from 129,604. Used retail units were 68,896, up 3.7%. Source
  • New vehicle revenue up 7%: New vehicle revenue was $3.4 billion, an increase of $229 million or 7%, on same-store basis. Source
  • After-Sales gross profit up 7%: After-Sales gross profit was $597 million, up 7%, and its gross margin was 48.7%, up 100 basis points. Source
  • Customer Financial Services gross profit up 12%: Customer Financial Services gross profit was $375 million, up 12%. On a same-store basis it was $368 million, up 11%, with unit profitability of $2,775. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • New vehicle unit profit fell: New vehicle gross profit fell $27 million to $150 million on same-store basis, as gross profit per unit dropped to $2,290 from $2,820, partly offset by 4% more units. Source
  • Used vehicle gross profit up $2 million: Used vehicle gross profit was $114 million, up $2 million, with unit profitability of $1,510 against $1,609 a year earlier. Source
  • SG&A ratio flat on adjusted basis: SG&A as a percentage of gross profit was 68.6%, or 67.4% adjusted, the same adjusted ratio as in the prior year. Source
  • Floorplan interest expense down: Floorplan interest expense was $47.5 million, down from $60.5 million. Other interest expense was $45.1 million, compared with $44.9 million. Source

Demand and inventory

  • New days supply 47 days: New vehicle days supply was 47 days at September 30, 2025, against 52 days a year earlier. Used days supply was 37 days, against 36 days a year earlier. Source
  • Brand mix shifted toward Domestic: Domestic brands were 29.6% of retail new vehicle units, up from 27.8%. Import brands were 45.3%, against 45.8%. Source
  • Same-store retail units up 3.4%: Same-store total retail vehicle units were 132,713, up 3.4% from 128,316 a year earlier, based on the same-store table. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Quarterly buybacks of $181 million: The company repurchased 0.8 million shares for $181 million, or $217 per share, in the quarter. About $338 million of authorization remained as of October 21, 2025. Source
  • Year-to-date buybacks reach $523 million: Through October 21, 2025, the company repurchased 2.8 million shares for $523 million, or $188 per share, year to date. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow $786 million: Cash used in operating activities was $39 million for the first nine months. Adjusted free cash flow was $786 million, equal to 134% of adjusted net income. Source
  • Leverage ratio 2.35x at quarter end: The covenant leverage ratio was 2.35x at quarter-end, against a 3.75x covenant maximum. Liquidity was $1.8 billion, including $98 million of cash. Source
  • Auto loans receivable rose: Auto loans receivable, net, rose to $1.95 billion at September 30, 2025, from $1.06 billion at December 31, 2024. Non-recourse debt rose to $1.74 billion. Source

Strategy: acquisitions and finance

  • Chicago and Denver acquisitions add density: The Chicago and Denver acquisitions together represent more than $500 million of annual revenue, according to the company, and add density in Illinois and Colorado. Source
  • Acquisition cash paid $279 million: Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, was $278.8 million in the quarter and $348.4 million for the first nine months. Source
  • Credit provisioning rose with loan growth: Provision for credit losses was $22.0 million in the quarter, up from $18.4 million. The company attributed higher non-cash provisioning to significant loan origination growth. Source

Share count and non-GAAP items

  • Diluted share count down 5%: Diluted weighted average shares were 38.1 million, down 5% from 40.3 million. Period-end shares outstanding were 36.9 million, against 39.6 million. Source
  • Adjusted EPS excludes cyber recoveries: Adjusted diluted EPS excludes $40 million of cybersecurity insurance recoveries and $8 million of acquisition-related expenses, with a combined after-tax effect of $24.2 million, or $0.63 per share. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Same-store revenue Source$6.9 billion, up 6%
Same-store new vehicle retail units Source65,425, up 4%
Same-store used vehicle retail units Source67,288, up 2%
Inventory Source$3,489.2 million
New days supply Source47 days
Used days supply Source37 days
Gross margin (gross profit as % of revenue) Source17.6%
Average revenue per used vehicle retailed Source$27,205
Stores acquired in quarter Source2 (Chicago: Audi, Mercedes-Benz)

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Credit provisioning rose as auto loan originations grew. Management cited higher non-cash credit provisioning as partly offsetting AutoNation Finance results. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.