Sonic Automotive (SAH) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Sonic Automotive, Inc. is a publicly traded automotive retailer that operates a network of franchised new-car dealerships and used-vehicle dealerships across the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company offers a range of services that include vehicle sales, leasing, finance and insurance products, service and parts, and collision repair. Sonic Automotive’s dealerships represent numerous major automotive brands, and the company also markets a broad selection of pre-owned vehicles under its own banner.

In addition to its core dealership operations, Sonic Automotive has developed digital retail capabilities that allow customers to research, shop and complete transactions online. The company provides integrated support services such as vehicle financing, extended warranties and insurance products. Its service and parts departments offer routine maintenance, repairs and manufacturer-certified parts, while dedicated collision centers handle bodywork and paint restoration.

Founded in 1997, Sonic Automotive has expanded through strategic acquisitions and the development of its proprietary used-car brand, EchoPark Automotive, which offers a no-haggle pricing model and an omni-channel buying experience. Over the years, the company has grown its footprint into multiple U.S. regions, serving both urban and suburban markets with a mix of full-service dealerships and express-service locations.

The company is led by a seasoned management team headed by President and Chief Executive Officer David A. Smith. Sonic Automotive places a strong emphasis on customer satisfaction, operational efficiency and community engagement as it continues to leverage both its physical showroom presence and digital tools to meet evolving consumer preferences in the automotive retail sector.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $82.71 to $84.65
• 50-Day Range: $67.64 to $84.90
• 52-Week Range: $54.11 to $89.62
• Volume: 572,860 shs
• Average Volume: 254,461 shs
• Market Capitalization: $2.66 billion
• P/E Ratio: 26.78
• Dividend Yield: 1.95%
• Price Target: $81.63
• Consensus Rating: Hold

Sonic Automotive Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Sonic Automotive scored higher than 51% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 128th out of 203 stocks in the retail/wholesale sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 2.1 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Hold

Consensus Rating

Sonic Automotive has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 2.27, and is based on no strong buy ratings, 4 buy ratings, 6 hold ratings, and 1 sell rating.

Upside/Downside

The consensus price target for Sonic Automotive is close to its current price, suggesting limited near-term upside or downside.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Sonic Automotive has been the subject of 7 research reports in the past 90 days, demonstrating strong analyst interest in this stock.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 1.9 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 8.09%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Sonic Automotive are expected to grow by 8.09% in the coming year, from $6.92 to $7.48 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Sonic Automotive is 26.78, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 45.96.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Sonic Automotive is 26.78, which means that it is trading at a more expensive P/E ratio than the Retail/Wholesale sector average P/E ratio of about 20.96.

Price to Earnings Growth Ratio

Sonic Automotive has a PEG Ratio of 1.94. PEG Ratios above 1 indicate that a company could be overvalued.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Sonic Automotive has a P/B Ratio of 2.64. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 1.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Bearish

Percentage of Shares Shorted

13.90% of the float of Sonic Automotive has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Sonic Automotive has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 10.63, which indicates bearish sentiment.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Sonic Automotive has recently decreased by 0.14%, indicating that investor sentiment is improving.

Dividend

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Moderate

Dividend Yield

Sonic Automotive pays a meaningful dividend of 1.94%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend Growth

Sonic Automotive has only been increasing its dividend for 4 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Sonic Automotive is 52.23%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, Sonic Automotive will have a dividend payout ratio of 21.93% next year. This indicates that Sonic Automotive will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.0 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.17

News Sentiment

Sonic Automotive has a news sentiment score of 0.17. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.70 average news sentiment score of Retail/Wholesale companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 3 news articles for Sonic Automotive this week, compared to 2 articles on an average week.

Company Ownership

• Score: 2.0 / 5
• Insider Trading: Selling Shares

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Sonic Automotive insiders have sold more of their company's stock than they have bought. Specifically, they have bought $0.00 in company stock and sold $8,408,160.00 in company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

43.68% of the stock of Sonic Automotive is held by insiders. A high percentage of insider ownership can be a sign of company health.

Percentage Held by Institutions

46.92% of the stock of Sonic Automotive is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

Company Calendar

• Record date for 4/15 Dividend: 3/13/2026
• Ex-Dividend for 4/15 Dividend: 3/13/2026
• Dividend Payable: 4/15/2026
• Last Earnings: 4/30/2026
• Record date for 7/15 Dividend: 6/15/2026
• Ex-Dividend for 7/15 Dividend: 6/15/2026
• Today: 6/28/2026
• Dividend Payable: 7/15/2026
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/23/2026
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2026

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NYSE
• Sector: Retail/Wholesale
• Industry: RET/WHLSL AUTO/TRUCK
• Sub-Industry: Automotive Retail
• Current Symbol: NYSE:SAH
• CIK: 1043509
• Web: www.sonicautomotive.com
• Phone: (704) 566-2400
• Fax: 302-655-5049
• Employees: 11,000
• Year Founded: 1997

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Sonic Automotive: $81.63
• High Price Target: $95.00
• Low Price Target: $67.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: -2.9%
• Consensus Rating: Hold
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.27
• Research Coverage: 11 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $3.14
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 26.78
• Forward P/E Ratio: 12.15
• P/E Growth: 1.94
• Net Income: $118.70 million
• Net Margins: 0.72%
• Pretax Margin: 1.06%
• Return on Equity: 22.45%
• Return on Assets: 3.87%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 1.93
• Current Ratio: 1.03
• Quick Ratio: 0.29

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $15.15 billion
• Price / Sales: 0.18
• Cash Flow: $11.18 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 7.52
• Book Value: $31.79 per share
• Price / Book: 2.64

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 31,600,000
• Free Float: 17,799,000
• Market Cap: $2.66 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.88