AutoNation vs AutoZone
AutoNation reported revenue of $27.6 billion in fiscal 2025, 1.4 times AutoZone's $20.3 billion in fiscal 2026. AutoNation's revenue grew 3.2% in its latest year, and AutoZone's grew 7.4%. AutoNation had an operating margin of 4.5%, against 18.3% at AutoZone. Free cash flow was −$198 million at AutoNation and $1.8 billion at AutoZone. Their fiscal years end in different months (December 31 and August 29), so the periods don't line up exactly.
Side by side
| AutoNation | AutoZone | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest fiscal year | FY2025, Dec 31, 2025 | FY2026, Aug 29, 2026 |
| Revenue | $27.6B | $20.3B |
| Revenue growth | 3.2% | 7.4% |
| Revenue growth a year, last 5 years | 6.3% | 6.8% |
| Gross margin | 17.9% | 52.3% |
| Operating margin | 4.5% | 18.3% |
| Net margin | 2.4% | 12.7% |
| Free cash flow | −$198M | $1.8B |
| Free cash flow margin | −0.7% | 8.9% |
| Return on capital | 14.7% | 48.4% |
| Net debt to EBITDA | — | 2.1x |
| Dividends and buybacks | $792M | $2.0B |
| Change in diluted share count | −6.8% | −2.2% |
| Last close | $160.20 | $3,190.07 |
| P/E at the last close | 7.4× | 20.9× |
| Insider trades, last 12 months | sold $710,275 | bought $1.7 million, sold $40.0 million |
| Piotroski F-score | 6 of 9 | 6 of 9 |
Amounts in each company's own currency, US$ unless marked (a foreign company may report in another), each company's latest fiscal year from its 10-K, or 20-F or 40-F for a foreign company. Growth rates compare with the year before; the five-year rate is the average a year. Free cash flow is cash from operations minus capital spending; return on capital is after-tax operating income over the money invested in the business; P/E is the last close over the latest earnings per share. Banks are measured differently (return on equity, efficiency ratio), so some rows apply to one company only.
Ten years
Revenue
US$ billions, fiscal years
AutoNationAutoZone
Operating margin
Percent of revenue
AutoNationAutoZone
Free cash flow
US$ billions. Cash from operations minus capital expenditure.
AutoNationAutoZone
Source: the companies' Form 10-K filings, from SEC EDGAR, and the last close. For information only, not investment advice: the figures describe results, not which company is the better investment. The Filing Desk is not affiliated with either company. Full figures on the AutoNation and AutoZone pages.