Sonic Automotive (SAH) Scheduled to Post Quarterly Earnings on Thursday

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) will be releasing its earnings data before the market opens on Thursday, April 25th. Analysts expect Sonic Automotive to post earnings of $1.26 per share for the quarter. Persons interested in listening to the company's earnings conference call can do so using this link.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 14th. The company reported $1.63 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.80 by ($0.17). Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 1.24% and a return on equity of 28.06%. The company had revenue of $3.58 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.61 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.61 earnings per share. Sonic Automotive's revenue for the quarter was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, analysts expect Sonic Automotive to post $6 EPS for the current fiscal year and $6 EPS for the next fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Stock Performance

NYSE:SAH traded down $0.56 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $48.06. 187,135 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 213,414. Sonic Automotive has a one year low of $39.02 and a one year high of $60.24. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.63 billion, a PE ratio of 9.79 and a beta of 1.82. The business's fifty day simple moving average is $53.03 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $51.65. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.10, a quick ratio of 0.41 and a current ratio of 1.10.

Sonic Automotive Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, April 15th. Shareholders of record on Friday, March 15th were paid a dividend of $0.30 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 14th. This represents a $1.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.50%. Sonic Automotive's payout ratio is 24.14%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SAH has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley raised their price target on shares of Sonic Automotive from $35.00 to $40.00 and gave the company an "underweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. Bank of America lowered their price objective on shares of Sonic Automotive from $60.00 to $55.00 and set an "underperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 29th. StockNews.com lowered shares of Sonic Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 11th. Finally, TheStreet upgraded shares of Sonic Automotive from a "c+" rating to a "b" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and one has assigned a buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sonic Automotive has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $53.40.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Sonic Automotive

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD increased its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 12,348 shares of the company's stock worth $695,000 after purchasing an additional 209 shares during the last quarter. FMR LLC raised its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 0.9% in the first quarter. FMR LLC now owns 29,209 shares of the company's stock worth $1,587,000 after purchasing an additional 258 shares in the last quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors raised its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 5.2% in the second quarter. Captrust Financial Advisors now owns 5,720 shares of the company's stock worth $211,000 after purchasing an additional 281 shares in the last quarter. Royal Bank of Canada raised its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 2.9% in the third quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 10,486 shares of the company's stock worth $501,000 after purchasing an additional 296 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky raised its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 5.7% in the second quarter. Teachers Retirement System of The State of Kentucky now owns 6,014 shares of the company's stock worth $286,000 after purchasing an additional 324 shares in the last quarter. 46.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

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.