Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) Major Shareholder Paul Rusnak Buys 11,481 Shares

Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) major shareholder Paul Rusnak bought 11,481 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $59.95 per share, for a total transaction of $688,285.95. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,100,000 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $305,745,000. This represents a 0.23% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company’s stock are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Sonic Automotive Price Performance

Shares of SAH traded up $4.72 during trading hours on Wednesday, hitting $63.00. 484,552 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 192,933. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $62.71 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $68.96. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 12-month low of $52.00 and a 12-month high of $89.62. 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 company has a market cap of $2.15 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 17.03 and a beta of 0.93.

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). Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 21.65% and a net margin of 0.86%.The business had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.94 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $1.51 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was down .6% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Sonic Automotive Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors 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 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. Sonic Automotive’s payout ratio is presently 41.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Morgan Stanley set a $68.00 price objective on Sonic Automotive in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Citigroup upgraded Sonic Automotive from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $82.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Wall Street Zen lowered Sonic Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Finally, Zacks Research raised shares of Sonic Automotive from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $79.63.

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

Institutional Trading of Sonic Automotive

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

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.