Jane Street Group LLC Sells 8,219 Shares of Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH)

Jane Street Group LLC reduced its holdings in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH - Free Report) by 32.2% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 17,312 shares of the company's stock after selling 8,219 shares during the quarter. Jane Street Group LLC owned 0.05% of Sonic Automotive worth $1,097,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of SAH. Denali Advisors LLC increased its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 111.2% during the fourth quarter. Denali Advisors LLC now owns 87,100 shares of the company's stock worth $5,518,000 after acquiring an additional 45,857 shares in the last quarter. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC boosted its position in Sonic Automotive by 105.2% during the 4th quarter. HITE Hedge Asset Management LLC now owns 58,526 shares of the company's stock worth $3,708,000 after acquiring an additional 30,002 shares during the last quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. grew its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 52.1% during the 4th quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 80,957 shares of the company's stock worth $5,129,000 after acquiring an additional 27,726 shares in the last quarter. New Age Alpha Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Sonic Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $1,311,000. Finally, Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,557,344 shares of the company's stock valued at $98,658,000 after purchasing an additional 20,058 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.92% of the company's stock.

Sonic Automotive Price Performance

Shares of NYSE SAH opened at $66.84 on Thursday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75. The business's 50 day moving average price is $61.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $65.28. The company has a market cap of $2.27 billion, a PE ratio of 10.82 and a beta of 1.04. 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 issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.02. Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 19.96% and a net margin of 1.52%. The company had revenue of $3.65 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.47 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.36 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts predict that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current year.

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.09%. Sonic Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.94%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

SAH has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup initiated coverage on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued 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 report on Friday, May 2nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on Sonic Automotive from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, March 27th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price target on Sonic Automotive from $93.00 to $74.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, April 24th. Finally, Stephens raised their price target on Sonic Automotive from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 13th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $69.83.

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.

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