Sonic Automotive, Inc. Announces Quarterly Dividend of $0.38 (NYSE:SAH)

Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) declared a quarterly dividend on Wednesday, February 18th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be paid a dividend of 0.38 per share on Wednesday, April 15th. This represents a c) annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th.

Sonic Automotive has raised its dividend payment by an average of 0.3%annually over the last three years and has increased its dividend annually for the last 4 consecutive years. Sonic Automotive has a payout ratio of 21.8% indicating that its dividend is sufficiently covered by earnings. Analysts expect Sonic Automotive to earn $7.51 per share next year, which means the company should continue to be able to cover its $1.52 annual dividend with an expected future payout ratio of 20.2%.

Sonic Automotive Stock Up 8.1%

Sonic Automotive stock traded up $4.72 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $63.00. 484,552 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 192,933. The company has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.03 and a beta of 0.93. The business’s 50 day moving average is $62.71 and its 200 day moving average is $68.96. Sonic Automotive has a 52 week low of $52.00 and a 52 week high of $89.62. The company has a current ratio of 1.02, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $1.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.53 by ($0.01). Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 21.65% and a net margin of 0.86%.The firm had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.94 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.51 earnings per share. Sonic Automotive’s revenue was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts predict that Sonic Automotive will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Sonic Automotive Company Profile

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.