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Penske Automotive Group, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 July 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 2 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 6% to $8.5 billion: Revenue was $8,512.7 million against $8,032.5 million. Net income attributable to common stockholders was $260.4 million, against $266.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EPS of $3.62 excludes gain: GAAP diluted EPS was $3.96 against $4.03. Excluding the gain on sale of dealerships, which was $0.34 per share, adjusted EPS was $3.62. Source
  • Retail automotive revenue up 6%: Retail automotive revenue was $7.3 billion, up 6%, with gross profit of $1,156.5 million, down 0.7%, and gross margin of 15.8% against 16.9%. Source
  • Gross margin fell to 15.9%: Total gross margin was 15.9% against 16.8%. Retail automotive gross margin was 15.8% against 16.9%, with new vehicle gross margin at 8.6% against 9.6%. Source
  • Class 8 orders more than doubled: North American Class 8 commercial truck orders rose 118% in the six months to June 30, 2026, against the prior-year period, according to industry sources. Source
  • Leverage ratio at 1.7x: The leverage ratio was 1.7x, against 1.8x at March 31 and 1.5x at December 31. Debt to total capitalization was 30.0% against 28.0%. Source

“In the second quarter of 2026, our diversified business delivered over 125,000 retail automotive units and more than 5,400 commercial truck units.”

Chair Roger Penske

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Acquisitions SourceLexus of Orlando and Lexus of Winter Park, expected annualized revenue after February 2026 completion$450 million in estimated annualized revenueKept
Acquisitions Sourcetwo Toyota and four Lexus dealerships acquired over the last nine monthsapproximately $2 billion in estimated annualized revenueKept
Dividend Sourcequarterly dividend payable September 1, 2026$1.44 per shareRaised
Dividend yield Sourceforward2.7%

What changed from last quarter

  • New: The quarterly dividend was raised again, to $1.44 per share, the 23rd consecutive quarterly increase. Source
  • New: The company disclosed an unsolicited, preliminary, non-binding take-private proposal from Penske Corporation and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. and affiliates for shares not already owned. The first-quarter release did not mention it. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 6% to $8.5 billion: Revenue was $8,512.7 million against $8,032.5 million. Net income attributable to common stockholders was $260.4 million, against $266.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EPS of $3.62 excludes gain: GAAP diluted EPS was $3.96 against $4.03. Excluding the gain on sale of dealerships, which was $0.34 per share, adjusted EPS was $3.62. Source
  • Operating income fell 7.6%: Operating income was $337.6 million against $365.3 million, and operating margin was 4.0% against 4.5%. Gross profit rose 0.4% while SG&A rose 3.2%. Source
  • Six-month revenue up 2.4%: Six-month revenue was $16.4 billion against $16.0 billion. Six-month GAAP EPS was $7.52 against $7.89, and adjusted EPS was $6.66. Source
  • Currency added to revenue and EPS: Foreign currency exchange added $47.2 million to revenue, $1.7 million to net income attributable to common stockholders, and $0.02 to EPS. Source

Segments and regions

  • Retail automotive revenue up 6%: Retail automotive revenue was $7.3 billion, up 6%, with gross profit of $1,156.5 million, down 0.7%, and gross margin of 15.8% against 16.9%. Source
  • Commercial truck income fell: Retail commercial truck revenue was $927.8 million, down 1.7%. Income before taxes was $47.2 million against $54.2 million, while units retailed rose 1.7% to 5,431. Source
  • Truck service and parts up 5%: Retail commercial truck service and parts revenue rose 5% during the quarter. Source
  • Commercial vehicle distribution revenue rose: Commercial vehicle distribution and other revenue was $283.9 million against $201.2 million, with gross profit of $57.7 million against $44.2 million. The release gives no driver for the change. Source
  • North America share fell: North America was 62.2% of revenue against 63.6%. The U.K. was 26.1% against 26.0%, and other international was 11.7% against 10.4%. Source
  • Penske Transportation Solutions earnings rose: PTS earnings rose 7% to $57.4 million in the quarter and 14% to $98.5 million for six months. The company holds a 28.9% stake, and PTS manages over 379,200 units. Source

“Additionally, I am encouraged with the trends we are experiencing across the commercial truck market from an improved freight environment”

Chair Roger Penske

Products and customers

  • Retail units delivered rose 4.6%: Total new and used retail units delivered were 125,401, up 4.6%. Agency new units rose 11.1% and used retail units rose 4.0%. Source
  • New vehicle availability improved: Management attributed the new unit increase to resilient consumer demand and improved availability of new vehicles from certain manufacturers. Source
  • Premium brands at 70% of revenue: Premium brands made up 70% of retail automotive revenue, against 71% a year earlier. Toyota was 13% of non-U.S. volume revenue, unchanged. Source
  • Used vehicle revenue grew faster: Used vehicle revenue rose 9.4% to $2,471.9 million, and revenue per used vehicle retailed rose 5.2% to $41,847. New vehicle revenue rose 5.9%. Source

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin fell to 15.9%: Total gross margin was 15.9% against 16.8%. Retail automotive gross margin was 15.8% against 16.9%, with new vehicle gross margin at 8.6% against 9.6%. Source
  • New vehicle gross profit per unit down: New vehicle gross profit per unit excluding agency fell 10.4% to $4,782. Used vehicle gross profit per unit fell 8.8% to $2,095. Source
  • Sequential per-unit gross profit movement: Compared with the first quarter of 2026, new vehicle gross profit per unit fell $1 and used vehicle gross profit per unit rose $19. Source
  • Service and parts margin up 80 basis points: Same-store service and parts revenue rose 2%, gross profit rose 3%, and gross margin reached 59.5%, up 80 basis points. Source
  • SG&A rose faster than gross profit: SG&A expenses rose 3.2% to $974.0 million, and SG&A as a share of gross profit was 71.8% against 69.8%. Source
  • Other interest expense rose 53%: Other interest expense rose to $33.1 million from $21.6 million, while floor plan interest expense fell 12.1% to $38.5 million. Source

Demand and the order book

  • Class 8 orders more than doubled: North American Class 8 commercial truck orders rose 118% in the six months to June 30, 2026, against the prior-year period, according to industry sources. Source
  • Truck order activity turned up: Class 8 market order activity began to rise in late 2025 as freight conditions started to show signs of improvement, according to the release. Source
  • Inventory days' supply moved: New vehicle days' supply rose to 51 days from 49 at year-end, while used days' supply fell to 44 days from 49. Inventories were $5,109.7 million. Source

Capital, cash and shareholder returns

  • Payout ratio 41% and yield 2.7%: On a trailing twelve-month basis the dividend payout ratio was 41%. Dividends paid in the quarter were $93.6 million, against $83.6 million. Source
  • Buybacks slowed sharply: Quarterly repurchases were $16.1 million for 94,711 shares, against $93.3 million a year earlier. Six-month buybacks were $42.5 million, with $221.2 million left under the program. Source
  • Acquisitions cost $670 million in six months: Cash paid for acquisitions was $669.7 million in the six months, including $115 million for property and floor plan. No acquisition cash was paid in the quarter. Source
  • Leverage ratio at 1.7x: The leverage ratio was 1.7x, against 1.8x at March 31 and 1.5x at December 31. Debt to total capitalization was 30.0% against 28.0%. Source
  • Liquidity about $1.4 billion: Liquidity was about $1.4 billion at June 30, including $70 million of cash and $1.3 billion of availability under credit agreements and revolving mortgage facilities. Source
  • Capital expenditures slightly lower: Capital expenditures were $72.3 million in the quarter, against $72.9 million. The six-month total was $134.9 million, against $157.6 million. Source

Strategy and investment

  • Lexus acquisitions add $450 million: The Lexus of Orlando and Lexus of Winter Park acquisition was completed in February 2026. Management expects it to add $450 million in estimated annualized revenue. Source
  • Recent dealership deals total about $2 billion: Since November 2025 the company has acquired two Toyota and four Lexus dealerships, expected to generate about $2 billion in annualized revenue. Source
  • Dealership sale produced a gain: The company recorded a $30.5 million gain on sale of dealerships in the quarter and received $73.7 million of sale proceeds. The gain is excluded from adjusted results. Source
  • Flexible capital allocation approach: Management said the balance sheet, cash flow generation and leverage continue to support a flexible capital allocation approach. Source

People and leadership

  • Headcount reported at 28,600: PAG reported it employs over 28,600 people worldwide, against over 28,800 in the first-quarter release. It also owns 28.9% of PTS. Source
  • PTS workforce above 40,000: Penske Transportation Solutions employs over 40,000 people worldwide, against nearly 41,000 in the first-quarter release. Source
  • Chair framed the quarter: Chair Roger Penske summarised unit volumes, same-store trends and commercial truck conditions in the release. Source

Non-GAAP presentation and adjustments

  • Gain on dealership sale excluded: Adjusted results exclude the gain on sale of dealerships, which was $30.5 million in the quarter and $90.9 million in six months. Source
  • Disposals and other charges in six months: Six-month disposals and other charges were $13.0 million, excluded from adjusted SG&A and adjusted results, against $25.2 million a year earlier. Source
  • Common control accounting for Penske Motor Group: Penske Motor Group results are included in full in both periods under common control accounting. A separate table presents them excluding common control. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 July 2026

  • Dividend payment and record dates: The $1.44 quarterly dividend is payable September 1, 2026, to holders of record as of August 14, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable sales Source+5.7% same-store retail automotive revenue (three months)
Gross margin Source15.9% total; 15.8% retail automotive
Inventory Source$5,109.7 million
Average ticket (revenue per vehicle retailed, new excluding agency) Source$60,701

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Continued rental market challenges and a lower gain on used-truck sales partly offset PTS earnings growth in the quarter. Source
  • Demand: Lower order intake from late 2025 reduced commercial truck deliveries in the quarter, with the Class 8 order recovery only starting to show. 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.