Susquehanna Fundamental Investments LLC Purchases Shares of 4,120 Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH)

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

Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Barclays PLC boosted its stake in Sonic Automotive by 346.1% in the 3rd quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 24,413 shares of the company's stock worth $1,427,000 after purchasing an additional 18,940 shares during the period. Franklin Resources Inc. increased its holdings in shares of 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. increased its stake in Sonic Automotive by 68.6% in the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 53,231 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,113,000 after acquiring an additional 21,650 shares during the last quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1.8% during the 4th quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 56,361 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,570,000 after buying an additional 978 shares in the last quarter. Finally, SG Americas Securities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Sonic Automotive during the fourth quarter worth approximately $244,000. Institutional investors own 46.92% of the company's stock.

Sonic Automotive Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE SAH traded up $2.45 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $65.57. 241,397 shares of the company's stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 193,159. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $60.75 and a 200 day moving average of $64.53. 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 capitalization of $2.23 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.61 and a beta of 1.04. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 1 year low of $51.27 and a 1 year high of $76.78.

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

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm 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 $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.14%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 13th. Sonic Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.94%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Stephens upped their price target on shares of Sonic Automotive from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 13th. StockNews.com upgraded Sonic Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Needham & Company LLC cut their price objective on shares of Sonic Automotive from $93.00 to $74.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, April 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on Sonic Automotive from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. 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 objective for the company. Two investment 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $69.83.

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.