Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) Major Shareholder Paul Rusnak Purchases 11,483 Shares

Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) major shareholder Paul Rusnak purchased 11,483 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 12th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $59.97 per share, with a total value of $688,635.51. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider directly owned 5,039,979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $302,247,540.63. This trade represents a 0.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Large shareholders that own at least 10% of a company’s shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Sonic Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of SAH stock traded up $4.72 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $63.00. 484,552 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 192,933. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $52.00 and a fifty-two week 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 stock has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.03 and a beta of 0.93. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $62.71 and a 200-day moving average price of $68.96.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.94 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.51 earnings per share. Sonic Automotive’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts predict that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Announces Dividend

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

Sonic Automotive News Summary

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

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on SAH shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sonic Automotive in a report on Monday, December 29th. Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on Sonic Automotive from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, October 24th. Barclays reduced their price objective on Sonic Automotive from $71.00 to $69.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. 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, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price objective on shares of Sonic Automotive from $70.00 to $67.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 16th. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Sonic Automotive currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $79.63.

Institutional Trading of Sonic Automotive

Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 37.1% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 13,946 shares of the company’s stock worth $795,000 after purchasing an additional 3,777 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 13.6% during the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 23,310 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,328,000 after purchasing an additional 2,793 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in Sonic Automotive by 5.8% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 8,853 shares of the company’s stock worth $504,000 after buying an additional 483 shares during the last quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. lifted its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 124.9% in the first quarter. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. now owns 355,328 shares of the company’s stock valued at $20,239,000 after buying an additional 197,336 shares during the last quarter. Finally, UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 15.8% during the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 38,698 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,204,000 after acquiring an additional 5,286 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.92% of the company’s stock.

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.