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

Barclays PLC raised its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH - Free Report) by 50.8% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 36,807 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 12,394 shares during the period. Barclays PLC owned 0.11% of Sonic Automotive worth $2,332,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Franklin Resources Inc. boosted its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 6.7% in the 3rd quarter. Franklin Resources Inc. now owns 9,643 shares of the company's stock worth $530,000 after buying an additional 609 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 68.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 53,231 shares of the company's stock worth $3,113,000 after acquiring an additional 21,650 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1.8% during the fourth quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 56,361 shares of the company's stock worth $3,570,000 after purchasing an additional 978 shares in the last quarter. SG Americas Securities LLC acquired a new position in Sonic Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at $244,000. Finally, R Squared Ltd purchased a new position in Sonic Automotive in the 4th quarter valued at $72,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.92% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SAH has been the topic of several research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price target 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. Needham & Company LLC lowered their target price on Sonic Automotive from $93.00 to $74.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. Citigroup assumed coverage on Sonic Automotive in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $64.00 price target for the company. Stephens boosted their price objective on Sonic Automotive from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, StockNews.com upgraded Sonic Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $69.83.

Sonic Automotive Trading Up 1.5 %

Shares of Sonic Automotive stock traded up $0.93 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $62.71. The company's stock had a trading volume of 184,492 shares, compared to its average volume of 192,243. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $61.08 and a 200-day moving average of $64.40. 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 stock has a market cap of $2.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.15 and a beta of 1.43. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a twelve month low of $51.27 and a twelve month high of $76.78.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.02. The business had revenue of $3.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.47 billion. Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 1.52% and a return on equity of 19.96%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $1.36 earnings per share. Research analysts forecast that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current year.

Sonic Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Investors of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.23%. Sonic Automotive's dividend payout ratio is presently 19.94%.

Sonic Automotive Company 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.