Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) Major Shareholder Paul Rusnak Buys 48,540 Shares

Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) major shareholder Paul Rusnak purchased 48,540 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 13th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $59.92 per share, for a total transaction of $2,908,516.80. Following the purchase, the insider directly owned 5,088,519 shares in the company, valued at $304,904,058.48. This trade represents a 0.96% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Major shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their transactions with the SEC.

Sonic Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SAH opened at $63.00 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 1.02. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $62.64 and a 200 day moving average of $68.92. The firm has a market cap of $2.15 billion, a PE ratio of 17.03 and a beta of 0.93. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a one year low of $52.00 and a one year high of $89.62.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) last announced its earnings results 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). The company had revenue of $3.87 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.94 billion. Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 0.86% and a return on equity of 21.65%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $1.51 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Announces Dividend

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

Trending Headlines about Sonic Automotive

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

• Positive Sentiment: Major insider accumulation — Paul P. Rusnak bought roughly 100,000 shares across February purchases, increasing his stake to ~5.1M shares (average price ~ $59.95). Insider buying at scale signals confidence from a controlling shareholder and likely supports the stock. SEC Filing: Insider Purchases
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — Sonic announced a quarterly dividend of $0.38 per share (ex-dividend March 13; payable April 15), implying a ~2.4% yield. The cash return can attract income-focused investors.
• Positive Sentiment: Record gross profit — Management reported record gross profit for Q4, suggesting underlying operational strength even as top-line growth was muted. This was highlighted by press coverage and helps justify the stock’s strength. Sonic Automotive misses Q4 expectations despite record gross profit
• Neutral Sentiment: Company materials available — The earnings presentation and conference-call materials (slides, transcript) are posted, giving investors more detail on margins, inventory and F&I trends to parse. Analysts and investors will use these to re-run forecasts. Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Slight miss on results — Q4 EPS was $1.52 vs. consensus $1.53 and revenue was $3.87B vs. $3.94B expected; revenue declined ~0.6% year-over-year and net margin is slim (~0.86%), which gives bears ammunition that demand and margins remain challenged. Zacks: Q4 Earnings and Revenues Miss Estimates

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sonic Automotive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SAH. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new stake in shares of Sonic Automotive during the third quarter valued at about $647,000. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 311.2% during the 3rd quarter. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC now owns 23,571 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,794,000 after purchasing an additional 17,839 shares during the period. CWA Asset Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in Sonic Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $2,006,000. Bryce Point Capital LLC acquired a new stake in Sonic Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $793,000. Finally, Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC raised its position in Sonic Automotive by 30.3% in the second quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 94,468 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,551,000 after purchasing an additional 21,960 shares during the period. 46.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on SAH shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research note on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on Sonic Automotive from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday, October 24th. Citigroup raised shares of Sonic Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Sonic Automotive from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Sonic Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Sunday, January 11th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $79.63.

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.