Top 13 Auto Dealership Stocks, Ranked by Marvin Score
Marvin's rules selected 13 auto dealership stocks above about $300 million in size. Carvana, Penske Automotive Group and Rush Enterprises score highest overall against their industry peers.
Auto dealership stocks are companies that sell vehicles, and in this group, related services, to customers. Marvin's rules found 13 of them above about $300 million in size. The list below runs from the highest Overall score to the lowest, as of the end of October 2026.
Dealerships tend to earn thin profit margins on each dollar of sales, so small differences in operating margin, free cash flow margin and debt matter. Revenue growth can also swing with the economy and the car market. Look at several figures together instead of relying on one.
The scores describe how each company compares with others in the same industry today. They are not forecasts or recommendations. Some figures are missing for a few companies, and each blurb notes where that limits the picture.
The list
How Marvin ranked these stocks
Marvin included companies above about $300 million in size and ranked them by Marvin scores, with the highest Overall score first. The scores are relative to each company's own industry, here Auto - Dealerships, so a high score means a company looks strong against its dealership peers, not against every stock in the market. Quality and opportunity scores sit alongside the Overall score and show where each company is strong or weak.
Companies above about $300 million in size, ranked by Marvin scores (0-100, relative to each company's own industry). The Auto - Dealerships industry, highest Overall score first.
The stocks, one by one
Carvana Co. CVNA
Carvana has the top Overall score (93) and the fastest revenue growth on the list at 48.6%. Return on equity is high at 38.9%. The caution: debt-to-equity is 1.43 and the free cash flow margin is a thin 3.7%.
Penske Automotive Group, Inc. PAG
Penske Automotive Group scores 86 overall, with a moderate debt load (debt-to-equity of 0.86) and return on equity of 15.6%. The caution: revenue growth was -0.2%, so sales were roughly flat, and the operating margin of 3.8% is slim.
Rush Enterprises, Inc. RUSHA
Rush Enterprises has the highest quality score here (93) and low debt, with debt-to-equity of 0.22. Its free cash flow margin is 4.8%. The caution: revenue growth was -4.7%, meaning sales shrank last year.
Group 1 Automotive, Inc. GPI
Group 1 Automotive has an Overall score of 73 and revenue growth of 13.2%, the second-fastest on this list. The caution: profitability is modest, with an operating margin of 3.1% and a free cash flow margin of only 0.8%.
Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. ABG
Asbury Automotive Group has a quality score of 86, revenue growth of 4.7% and return on equity of 13.0%. Debt-to-equity of 0.83 is moderate. The caution: its free cash flow margin is not available, so cash generation can't be judged here.
Sonic Automotive, Inc. SAH
Sonic Automotive has return on equity of 20.7% and an opportunity score of 80, but its quality score is only 27. The main caution is debt: its debt-to-equity ratio of 2.37 is among the higher levels in this list.
Driven Brands Holdings Inc. DRVN
Driven Brands has a healthy operating margin of 14.0% and a free cash flow margin of 6.9%, with revenue growth of 6.3%. The caution: debt-to-equity is 2.63, which is high, and return on equity and gross margin are not available.
Lithia Motors, Inc. LAD
Lithia Motors has an Overall score of 47 and revenue growth of 4.0%. Cash flow is the weak spot: its free cash flow margin is -1.3%, which is negative, and its quality score is 21. Debt-to-equity is not available.
AutoNation, Inc. AN
AutoNation has a high return on equity of 34.3% and an operating margin of 4.8%. The caution: its free cash flow margin is only 0.0%, its quality score is 34, and debt-to-equity is not available, so leverage can't be checked.
CarMax, Inc. KMX
CarMax has an Overall score of 33. Its free cash flow margin of 4.1% is decent, but revenue growth was -1.8% (sales slipped) and the operating margin of 1.6% is very thin. Debt-to-equity of 2.77 is also on the high side.
OPENLANE, Inc. OPLN
OPENLANE has a solid operating margin of 11.5%, low debt (debt-to-equity of 0.37) and revenue growth of 8.2%. The caution: its opportunity score is only 19, and free cash flow and gross margin figures are not available.
Valvoline Inc. VVV
Valvoline has the highest gross margin on this list (38.3%) and an operating margin of 15.3%, yet its Overall score is only 20. The caution: debt-to-equity of 4.75 is among the highest in the group.
Camping World Holdings, Inc. CWH
Camping World has a gross margin of 28.7% but is weak elsewhere: operating margin is 2.3%, return on equity is -39.6% (negative) and debt-to-equity is 9.82, the highest here. Its free cash flow margin is not available.
Common questions
What does Marvin's Overall score mean for a dealership stock?
The Overall score summarizes how a company compares with other companies in its own industry today. A higher score means it looks stronger against dealership peers on Marvin's measures. It is not a prediction of future results or a recommendation to buy or sell.
Why do dealership stocks often have low margins?
Selling vehicles brings in a lot of revenue, but the dealer keeps only a small part of each sale after paying for the vehicle and running costs. That is why operating margin and free cash flow margin in this group are usually small percentages. Small changes in them can matter a lot.
Why are some figures missing for certain companies?
Marvin only shows a figure when the underlying data is available for that company. Where something such as free cash flow margin, gross margin or debt-to-equity is missing, the blurb says so, and you may want to check the company's own financial reports for the gap.
Keep reading
- Top 16 Auto Stocks, Ranked by Marvin Scores
- Top 15 Consumer Cyclical Stocks With the Least Debt
- Top 15 Fastest-Growing Profitable Consumer Cyclical Stocks
- Top 15 Consumer Cyclical Stocks by Marvin Opportunity Score
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Marvin's scores (0-100) compare each company with others in its industry today. Growth and margin figures come from SEC filings. This is general information, not personal investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell anything. Do your own research.