AutoNation (AN) reported $7.21 billion in revenue for the quarter ended December 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 6.6%. EPS of $4.97 for the same period compares to $5.02 a year ago.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $6.64 billion, representing a surprise of +8.56%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +16.67%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $4.26.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how AutoNation performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

• Retail vehicle unit sales - Total: 136,263 versus the four-analyst average estimate of 128,985.
• Revenue per vehicle retailed - New: $52,849 versus $50,903.06 estimated by four analysts on average.
• Revenue per vehicle retailed - Used: $27,119 compared to the $25,965.63 average estimate based on four analysts.
• Gross profit per vehicle retailed - Finance and insurance: $2,686 versus the four-analyst average estimate of $2,678.80.
• Retail vehicle unit sales - Used: 64,829 compared to the 64,696 average estimate based on four analysts.
• Revenue- Other: $6.50 million compared to the $7.38 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +6.6% year over year.
• Revenue- New Vehicle: $3.78 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $3.29 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +12.1%.
• Revenue- Used Vehicle: $1.91 billion versus the four-analyst average estimate of $1.78 billion. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +0.3%.
• Revenue- Parts and service: $1.15 billion compared to the $1.21 billion average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +1.1% year over year.
• Revenue- Finance and insurance net: $366 million compared to the $345.62 million average estimate based on four analysts. The reported number represents a change of +5.4% year over year.
• Revenue- Used Vehicle- Retail used vehicle: $1.76 billion versus $1.62 billion estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a -1.3% change.
• Revenue- Used Vehicle- Wholesale: $153.20 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $124.12 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of +22.9%.

View all Key Company Metrics for AutoNation here>>>

Shares of AutoNation have returned +9.8% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +4.2% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

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