Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) Major Shareholder Paul Rusnak Buys 1,931 Shares

Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) major shareholder Paul Rusnak bought 1,931 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 11th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $59.98 per share, for a total transaction of $115,821.38. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 5,028,496 shares in the company, valued at $301,609,190.08. This trade represents a 0.04% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Sonic Automotive Price Performance

NYSE SAH traded up $4.72 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $63.00. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 484,552 shares, compared to its average volume of 192,933. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $52.00 and a 1 year high of $89.62. The company has a quick ratio of 0.27, a current ratio of 1.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68. The company has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.03 and a beta of 0.93. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $62.71 and its 200-day moving average price is $68.96.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.53 by ($0.01). Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 0.86% and a return on equity of 21.65%. The company had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.94 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.51 EPS. The company’s quarterly revenue was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts predict that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 13th will be given a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. Sonic Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.08%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

SAH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Morgan Stanley set a $68.00 target price on Sonic Automotive in a research report on Monday, December 8th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Sonic Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised shares of Sonic Automotive from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Sonic Automotive from $70.00 to $67.00 and set an “underweight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, January 16th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $79.63.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sonic Automotive

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of SAH. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 6.2% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,646,450 shares of the company’s stock valued at $125,278,000 after buying an additional 96,836 shares during the period. State Street Corp increased its holdings in shares of Sonic Automotive by 9.8% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 701,133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,623,000 after acquiring an additional 62,426 shares during the period. Invesco Ltd. raised its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Invesco Ltd. now owns 456,508 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,736,000 after acquiring an additional 6,147 shares in the last quarter. Millennium Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 20.5% during the 3rd quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 383,117 shares of the company’s stock worth $29,151,000 after purchasing an additional 65,266 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC grew its stake in Sonic Automotive by 1.2% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 375,034 shares of the company’s stock valued at $23,204,000 after purchasing an additional 4,443 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 46.92% of the company’s stock.

Sonic Automotive News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Sonic Automotive this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.38 per share, payable April 15 to holders of record March 13; that equates to an annualized $1.52 and a yield of ~2.4%, which supports income-focused investors and signals confidence in cash generation.
• Neutral Sentiment: Company-provided materials: Sonic posted Q4 results and made its earnings presentation and slide deck available (useful for detailed operational metrics, segment trends and management commentary). Sonic Q4 Press Release & Slide Deck
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst-focused previews and metric analysis are available that dig beyond headline EPS/revenue to look at same-store metrics, used-car mix and gross margins — items that could influence guidance and sentiment going forward. Sonic Automotive (SAH) Q4 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings and revenue slightly missed consensus: Sonic reported $1.52 EPS vs. $1.53 expected and revenue of $3.87B vs. $3.94B expected; revenue was down ~0.6% year‑over‑year. The miss and softer top-line weigh on near-term sentiment and raise scrutiny of margins and used-vehicle performance. Sonic Automotive (SAH) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability metrics are mixed: Q4 net margin was low (~0.86%) despite a high ROE (~21.7%), implying leverage and capital allocation will be watched closely by investors and analysts as the company refreshes guidance. Sonic Q4 Conference Call / Slide Deck

About Sonic Automotive

Sonic Automotive, Inc is a publicly traded automotive retailer that operates a network of franchised new-car dealerships and used-vehicle dealerships across the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company offers a range of services that include vehicle sales, leasing, finance and insurance products, service and parts, and collision repair. Sonic Automotive’s dealerships represent numerous major automotive brands, and the company also markets a broad selection of pre-owned vehicles under its own banner.

In addition to its core dealership operations, Sonic Automotive has developed digital retail capabilities that allow customers to research, shop and complete transactions online.