34,066 Shares in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) Acquired by Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH acquired a new stake in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH - Free Report) in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund acquired 34,066 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,940,000. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH owned 0.10% of Sonic Automotive as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also bought and sold shares of SAH. Commonwealth Equity Services LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sonic Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $252,000. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Sonic Automotive by 1.9% in the 4th quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 20,596 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,305,000 after acquiring an additional 390 shares in the last quarter. Sei Investments Co. boosted its position in Sonic Automotive by 47.7% during the 4th quarter. Sei Investments Co. now owns 9,248 shares of the company's stock worth $586,000 after acquiring an additional 2,986 shares during the last quarter. KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in shares of Sonic Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $185,000. 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. 46.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on SAH shares. Bank of America raised their target price on shares of Sonic Automotive from $80.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, June 16th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Sonic Automotive from a "strong-buy" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Saturday, June 21st. Needham & Company LLC increased their price target on Sonic Automotive from $74.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, July 25th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reaffirmed an "underweight" rating and set a $72.00 price target (up previously from $65.00) on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research report on Thursday, July 17th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on Sonic Automotive in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $64.00 price objective for the company. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, four have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sonic Automotive has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $77.86.

Insider Activity at Sonic Automotive

In related news, President Jeff Dyke sold 31,152 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Friday, May 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $70.05, for a total value of $2,182,197.60. Following the completion of the sale, the president directly owned 605,969 shares in the company, valued at $42,448,128.45. The trade was a 4.89% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Insiders sold a total of 50,000 shares of company stock valued at $3,502,062 over the last 90 days. 42.65% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Sonic Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SAH traded down $0.83 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $71.52. 291,821 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 230,782. The company has a quick ratio of 0.24, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.43 billion, a PE ratio of 15.89 and a beta of 1.04. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 12 month low of $52.00 and a 12 month high of $89.62. The company's 50 day moving average price is $77.91 and its 200 day moving average price is $69.72.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 24th. The company reported $2.19 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $1.63 by $0.56. The firm had revenue of $3.66 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.66 billion. Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 1.07% and a return on equity of 21.40%. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.47 earnings per share. As a group, analysts predict that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, October 15th. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th will be given a $0.38 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, September 15th. This is a positive change from Sonic Automotive's previous quarterly dividend of $0.35. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Sonic Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.11%.

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.