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Lithia Motors Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 February 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year revenue hit a record: Full-year revenue rose 4.0% to a record $37.63 billion, up from $36.19 billion in 2024. Fourth-quarter revenue was $9.20 billion, up 0.3%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter EPS fell 28%: Fourth-quarter diluted EPS was $5.72, down 28% from $7.98. Adjusted diluted EPS was $6.74, down 12% from $7.62. Net income was $137.9 million, down 35.5%. Source
  • Aftersales revenue and profit grew: Aftersales revenue rose 10.9% and gross profit rose 9.8% on a same-store basis in the quarter. Source
  • New vehicle units fell in Q4: New vehicle unit sales were 97,424 in the quarter, down 8.1%, and 402,575 for the year, down 0.9%. Source
  • Financing income hit quarterly record: Financing operations delivered record quarterly income of $23 million, up $19 million from the prior year. Source
  • SG&A rose faster than gross profit: SG&A expense rose 8.6% to $979.3 million in Q4. Adjusted SG&A was 71.4% of gross profit, versus 66.3% a year earlier. Source
  • Repurchased 11.4% of shares in 2025: The company repurchased $947 million of shares in 2025, or 11.4% of shares outstanding, including 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Source

“We remained disciplined in capital allocation, repurchasing over 11% of outstanding shares in 2025 while maintaining balance sheet strength.”

Bryan DeBoer, President and CEO

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Eleven stores were acquired in the fourth quarter across North America and the UK, expected to generate $1.6 billion in annualized revenue. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Full-year revenue hit a record: Full-year revenue rose 4.0% to a record $37.63 billion, up from $36.19 billion in 2024. Fourth-quarter revenue was $9.20 billion, up 0.3%. Source
  • Fourth-quarter EPS fell 28%: Fourth-quarter diluted EPS was $5.72, down 28% from $7.98. Adjusted diluted EPS was $6.74, down 12% from $7.62. Net income was $137.9 million, down 35.5%. Source
  • Full-year EPS and net income rose: Full-year diluted EPS rose 10% to $32.32, and adjusted diluted EPS rose 16% to $33.46. Full-year net income rose 1% to $825.9 million; adjusted net income rose 8%. Source
  • Same-store gross profit fell about 1%: Management cited a same-store gross profit decline of only 1% in the quarter. Source
  • Revenue mix by country: Q4 revenue was 79.5% from the United States and 17.4% from the United Kingdom, and the UK generated 13.6% of gross profit. Source

Used vehicles and aftersales

  • Same-store used revenue grew: Same-store used revenue rose 6.1% and same-store used retail units rose 4.7% in the quarter. Source
  • Aftersales revenue and profit grew: Aftersales revenue rose 10.9% and gross profit rose 9.8% on a same-store basis in the quarter. Source
  • Full-year used retail units grew: Full-year used retail units were 425,381, up 3.3%. Fourth-quarter used retail units were 99,905, up 4.8%. Source

“despite headwinds in new vehicles and continued margin pressures.”

Bryan DeBoer, President and CEO

New vehicle units and pricing

  • New vehicle units fell in Q4: New vehicle unit sales were 97,424 in the quarter, down 8.1%, and 402,575 for the year, down 0.9%. Source
  • New vehicle revenue down in Q4: New vehicle revenue fell 5.7% to $4.63 billion in the quarter and rose 2.1% to $18.70 billion for the year. Source
  • New gross profit per unit fell: Average new vehicle gross profit per unit was $2,781 in Q4, down 8.9%, and $2,904 for the year, down 8.2%. Source

Driveway Finance Corporation

  • Financing income hit quarterly record: Financing operations delivered record quarterly income of $23 million, up $19 million from the prior year. Source
  • Penetration and credit quality reported: Driveway Finance Corporation reported a 15.0% penetration rate and an average FICO of 751 in the quarter. Source
  • Managed receivables rose on year: Average managed finance receivables were $4.77 billion in Q4, up from $3.93 billion a year earlier. Source

“As we look ahead, our diversified platform and operational discipline position us to navigate a dynamic market”

Bryan DeBoer, President and CEO

Costs, margins and other expense

  • SG&A rose faster than gross profit: SG&A expense rose 8.6% to $979.3 million in Q4. Adjusted SG&A was 71.4% of gross profit, versus 66.3% a year earlier. Source
  • New vehicle gross margin fell: New vehicle gross margin was 5.9% in Q4, down 70 basis points, and 6.3% for the year, also down 70 basis points. Source
  • Aftersales gross margin rose for year: Aftersales gross margin was 57.7% for the year, up 180 basis points from 55.9%, and 57.3% in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Other expense versus prior-year income: Other expense was $18.5 million in Q4, against other income of $3.9 million a year earlier. Adjusted results excluded a $27.9 million investment loss. Source

Capital, buybacks and dividend

  • Repurchased 11.4% of shares in 2025: The company repurchased $947 million of shares in 2025, or 11.4% of shares outstanding, including 3.8% in the fourth quarter. Source
  • Fourth-quarter buyback volume and price: About 917,427 shares were repurchased in the fourth quarter at a weighted average price of $314. Source
  • Remaining authorization $621.6 million: About $621.6 million remains under the current repurchase authorization, down from $889.3 million at the third quarter release. Source
  • Dividend held at $0.55: The Board approved a $0.55 per share dividend tied to fourth-quarter results, the same amount as the third-quarter dividend. Source

Acquisitions and balance sheet

  • Full-year acquisitions added $2.4 billion: Acquisitions added $2.4 billion of expected annualized revenue in 2025. Source
  • Year-end liquidity about $1.5 billion: Cash, marketable securities and revolver availability totaled about $1.5 billion at year-end, against about $1.9 billion at the third quarter. Source
  • Net debt to adjusted EBITDA rose: The company reported net debt to adjusted EBITDA of 2.92 times, up from 2.71 times a year earlier. Source

Coming up, as management said on 11 February 2026

  • Dividend payment and record date: The $0.55 dividend is expected to be paid March 20, 2026, to holders of record on March 6, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales SourceSame-store total revenues down 0.5% in Q4; up 3.4% for 2025
Average ticket SourceNew vehicle average selling price $48,239 in Q4, up 1.6% (excluding agency)
Inventory SourceDays' supply: new 54, used 48 at December 31, 2025
Gross margin SourceGross profit margin 14.9% in Q4, versus 15.0%; 15.2% for 2025
Store openings and closings SourceStores divested: $1.3 billion of annualized revenue in 2025

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management named headwinds in new vehicles as a factor in the quarter's results. Source
  • External: Management described the market as dynamic and said the company must navigate it. 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.