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Autonation, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 1 May 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue fell 2%; GAAP EPS rose: Revenue was $6.6 billion, down 2%. GAAP diluted EPS was $5.85 against $4.45, on 35.1 million diluted weighted average shares against 39.4 million a year earlier. Net income rose 17% to $205.4 million. Source
  • Record After-Sales gross profit: The company reported record first-quarter After-Sales gross profit. Total gross profit was $1,211.1 million, down 0.7% from $1,219.9 million. Source
  • Premium luxury revenue and profit fell: Premium luxury revenue fell 5.2% to $2,441.5 million and segment income fell 13.4% to $154.8 million. Premium luxury retail new vehicle units fell 15.7% to 14,845. Source
  • New vehicle units and revenue fell: New vehicle revenue fell 7.3% to $3,011.0 million, and retail new vehicle units fell 7.9% to 57,482. Source
  • Gross profit per new vehicle fell 10%: Gross profit per new vehicle retailed fell 10.3% to $2,514, and per used vehicle fell 4.1% to $1,594. Finance and insurance gross profit per vehicle rose 5.6% to $2,855. Source
  • Adjusted free cash flow and conversion: Adjusted free cash flow was $256 million, or 155% of adjusted net income, against $236.8 million and 129% a year earlier. Capital expenditures were $56.4 million, against $75.2 million. Source
  • Q1 buybacks of $300 million: The company repurchased 1.5 million shares for $300 million, or $201 per share, against $224.8 million a year earlier. Shares outstanding at period end were 33.9 million, against 37.9 million. Source
  • Debt funded status reached 90%: Management said the January securitization helped improve the debt funded status of the AN Finance portfolio to 90 percent. Source

“Unit profitability for new and used vehicles increased sequentially.”

Mike Manley, Chief Executive Officer of AutoNation

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue fell 2%; GAAP EPS rose: Revenue was $6.6 billion, down 2%. GAAP diluted EPS was $5.85 against $4.45, on 35.1 million diluted weighted average shares against 39.4 million a year earlier. Net income rose 17% to $205.4 million. Source
  • Adjusted operating and net income fell: Operating income was $314.3 million, down 6%. Adjusted operating income was $311.7 million, down 7%, and adjusted net income was $164.6 million, down 11%. Adjusted diluted EPS was $4.69, against $4.68. Source
  • Equity investment gains excluded from adjusted EPS: Adjusted diluted EPS excludes $54 million of net gains on equity investments. Other income was $51.2 million, against a $13.2 million loss a year earlier. Source
  • Record After-Sales gross profit: The company reported record first-quarter After-Sales gross profit. Total gross profit was $1,211.1 million, down 0.7% from $1,219.9 million. Source

Segments and regions

  • Premium luxury revenue and profit fell: Premium luxury revenue fell 5.2% to $2,441.5 million and segment income fell 13.4% to $154.8 million. Premium luxury retail new vehicle units fell 15.7% to 14,845. Source
  • Domestic segment income rose 13%: Domestic revenue was $1,716.6 million, flat, and segment income rose 13.2% to $78.1 million. Import revenue was $2,048.1 million, flat, while import segment income fell 9.8% to $113.8 million. Source
  • Franchised dealerships revenue down 2%: Total franchised dealerships revenue was $6,206.2 million, down 2.1%. Corporate and other revenue was $345.9 million, down 0.9%, and its segment income was $(83.6) million against $(84.5) million. Source

“Adjusted earnings per share increased year-over-year for the fifth consecutive quarter, and strong cash flow conversion supported our continued deployment of capital toward share repurchases.”

Mike Manley, Chief Executive Officer of AutoNation

Products and customers

  • New vehicle units and revenue fell: New vehicle revenue fell 7.3% to $3,011.0 million, and retail new vehicle units fell 7.9% to 57,482. Source
  • Used revenue and wholesale rose: Retail used revenue rose 1.5% to $1,819.6 million, while used units fell 3.2% to 65,818. Wholesale revenue rose 10.7% to $144.2 million. Source
  • Parts and service gross profit rose: Parts and service revenue rose 4.9% to $1,220.9 million, and parts and service gross profit rose 4.5% to $593.4 million. Source
  • Toyota share rose, premium luxury share fell: Toyota's share of retail new units rose to 22.7% from 20.2%. Premium Luxury's share fell to 25.8% from 28.2%, with Mercedes-Benz at 9.2% against 9.7%. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross profit per new vehicle fell 10%: Gross profit per new vehicle retailed fell 10.3% to $2,514, and per used vehicle fell 4.1% to $1,594. Finance and insurance gross profit per vehicle rose 5.6% to $2,855. Source
  • New vehicle gross profit fell 17%: New vehicle gross profit fell 17.4% to $144.5 million, and retail used gross profit fell 7.2% to $104.9 million. Source
  • SG&A rose faster than gross profit: SG&A rose 2.5% to $842.2 million while gross profit fell 0.7%. SG&A was 69.5% of gross profit against 67.4%; adjusted SG&A was 69.8% against 67.5%. Source
  • Operating margin on revenue narrowed: Operating income was 4.8% of revenue, against 5.0%, and 26.0% of total gross profit against 27.5%. SG&A was 12.9% of revenue against 12.3%. Source
  • Floorplan interest down, other interest up: Floorplan interest expense fell to $41.8 million from $46.5 million. Other interest expense rose to $48.0 million from $42.3 million. Source

“Our diversified earnings profile, flexible cost structure, and strong balance sheet and cash flows continue to support resilient performance and disciplined capital deployment to generate shareholder returns in a dynamic operating environment,”

Mike Manley, Chief Executive Officer of AutoNation

Demand and inventory

  • Same-store unit sales declined: Same-store new retail units fell 9.4% to 56,316, used fell 4.7% to 64,182, and total same-store retail units fell 7.0% to 120,498. Source
  • New vehicle days supply higher: New days supply was 46 days, against 45 days at December 31, 2025 and 38 days a year earlier. Used days supply was 35 days, against 38 days and 36 days. Source
  • Floorplan carrying expense declined: Net new vehicle inventory carrying expense was $9.6 million, against $12.9 million, after $30.4 million of floorplan assistance earned against $31.1 million. Source

Capital, cash and returns to shareholders

  • Adjusted free cash flow and conversion: Adjusted free cash flow was $256 million, or 155% of adjusted net income, against $236.8 million and 129% a year earlier. Capital expenditures were $56.4 million, against $75.2 million. Source
  • Operating cash flow figure differs: The text calls it cash used in operating activities of $22 million, while the free cash flow table shows net cash provided by operating activities of $22.2 million. Source
  • Q1 buybacks of $300 million: The company repurchased 1.5 million shares for $300 million, or $201 per share, against $224.8 million a year earlier. Shares outstanding at period end were 33.9 million, against 37.9 million. Source
  • Liquidity of $1.6 billion: Liquidity was $1.6 billion at March 31, 2026, including $66 million in cash. Covenant leverage ratio was 2.57x against a 3.75x maximum; interest coverage was 4.73x against a 3.00x minimum. Source
  • No acquisitions; divestiture proceeds: The company paid nothing for acquisitions in the quarter, against $69.6 million a year earlier, and received $12.7 million from divestitures. Source

AN Finance and strategy

  • Debt funded status reached 90%: Management said the January securitization helped improve the debt funded status of the AN Finance portfolio to 90 percent. Source
  • AN Finance income and interest margin rose: AN Finance income was $9.4 million, against $0.1 million. Total interest margin rose to $38.3 million from $28.0 million, and provision for credit losses was $19.5 million against $18.9 million. Source
  • Auto loans and non-recourse debt rose: Auto loans receivable, net rose to $2,371.2 million from $1,397.7 million a year earlier. Non-recourse debt rose to $2,185.6 million from $1,080.2 million. Source

Coming up, as management said on 1 May 2026

  • Remaining buyback authorization: Year to date through April 29, 2026, the company repurchased 1.9 million shares for $391 million, and more than $685 million of authorization remains under the current program. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales Sourcesame-store revenue down 3.7% to $6,404.7 million
Average ticket Sourcerevenue per vehicle retailed: new $52,379, used $27,631 (same-store)
Inventory Source$3,444.4 million at March 31, 2026; floorplan notes payable $3,759.0 million
Store count Sourcetotal store growth of 5%
Gross margin Sourcetotal gross profit 18.5% of revenue, against 18.2%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management expects year-over-year declines in unit sales, which it said gains in unit profitability largely offset. 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.