Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) Shares Acquired by Barclays PLC

Barclays PLC boosted its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH - Free Report) by 50.8% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 36,807 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 12,394 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned 0.11% of Sonic Automotive worth $2,332,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in SAH. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Sonic Automotive by 515.4% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 480 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Sonic Automotive during the 4th quarter worth $72,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd increased its position in Sonic Automotive by 1,429.7% during the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 1,545 shares of the company's stock valued at $98,000 after buying an additional 1,444 shares in the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS purchased a new stake in Sonic Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $185,000. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Sonic Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $244,000. 46.92% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently commented on the stock. Stephens lifted their target price on shares of Sonic Automotive from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They set a "neutral" rating and a $64.00 target price for the company. StockNews.com upgraded Sonic Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday. Needham & Company LLC dropped their price target on shares of Sonic Automotive from $93.00 to $74.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on shares of Sonic Automotive from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, March 27th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Sonic Automotive has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $69.83.

Sonic Automotive Trading Up 0.2 %

Shares of NYSE SAH traded up $0.11 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, reaching $62.85. 153,804 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 192,609. The company's 50-day moving average is $60.85 and its 200-day moving average is $64.54. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 52-week low of $51.27 and a 52-week high of $76.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 1.09. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.13 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.17 and a beta of 1.04.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $3.65 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.47 billion. Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 19.96% and a net margin of 1.52%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $1.36 EPS. Analysts expect that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.35 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.23%. Sonic Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.94%.

Sonic Automotive Profile

Sonic Automotive, Inc operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It operates in three segments, Franchised Dealerships, EchoPark, and Powersports. The Franchised Dealerships segment is involved in the sale of new and used cars and light trucks, and replacement parts; provision of vehicle maintenance, manufacturer warranty repair, and paint and collision repair services; and arrangement of extended warranties, service contracts, financing, insurance, and other aftermarket products for its guests.