Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC Buys New Holdings in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH)

Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC acquired a new stake in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH - Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 4,120 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $261,000.

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

Sonic Automotive Stock Down 0.8 %

Shares of SAH traded down $0.55 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $64.90. 132,935 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 192,623. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $60.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $64.74. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.35. The company has a market cap of $2.20 billion, a PE ratio of 10.50 and a beta of 1.04. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 52 week low of $51.27 and a 52 week high of $76.78.

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

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, July 15th. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 13th will be paid a dividend of $0.35 per share. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.16%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 13th. Sonic Automotive's dividend payout ratio is currently 19.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

SAH has been the topic of several recent analyst reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their target price on Sonic Automotive from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, March 27th. StockNews.com upgraded Sonic Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective 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. Stephens raised their target price on shares of Sonic Automotive from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. Finally, Citigroup began coverage on shares of Sonic Automotive in a report on Wednesday, April 23rd. They issued a "neutral" rating and a $64.00 price target for the company. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Sonic Automotive presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target 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.