Dimensional Fund Advisors LP Has $104.65 Million Stock Position in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH)

Dimensional Fund Advisors LP trimmed its position in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH - Free Report) by 3.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,651,903 shares of the company's stock after selling 52,238 shares during the quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 4.83% of Sonic Automotive worth $104,649,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 515.4% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 480 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares during the last quarter. Canada Pension Plan Investment Board bought a new position in Sonic Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $51,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new stake in shares of Sonic Automotive during the 4th quarter valued at $72,000. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd lifted its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1,429.7% in the 4th quarter. Aster Capital Management DIFC Ltd now owns 1,545 shares of the company's stock valued at $98,000 after purchasing an additional 1,444 shares during the period. Finally, KLP Kapitalforvaltning AS bought a new position in shares of Sonic Automotive in the 4th quarter worth $185,000. 46.92% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts recently commented on SAH shares. Citigroup assumed 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. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price target on Sonic Automotive from $93.00 to $74.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, April 24th. StockNews.com raised shares of Sonic Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on shares of Sonic Automotive from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, March 27th. Finally, Stephens increased 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. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have given a buy rating and one has assigned a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $69.83.

Sonic Automotive Stock Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:SAH traded up $0.30 during midday trading on Tuesday, reaching $61.36. 210,091 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 193,189. The firm has a market cap of $2.07 billion, a PE ratio of 9.93 and a beta of 1.43. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $51.27 and a fifty-two week high of $76.78. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $61.52 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $64.33. The company has a quick ratio of 0.35, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 24th. The company reported $1.48 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.02. Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 19.96% and a net margin of 1.52%. The company had revenue of $3.65 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.47 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $1.36 earnings per share. Sonic Automotive's revenue for the quarter was up 7.9% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side 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 issued a $0.35 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 13th. This represents a $1.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.28%. Sonic Automotive's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 19.94%.

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.