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: $64.32 to $67.69
• 50-Day Range: $64.55 to $84.44
• 52-Week Range: $52.00 to $89.62
• Volume: 341,872 shs
• Average Volume: 170,372 shs
• Market Capitalization: $2.20 billion
• P/E Ratio: 17.45
• Dividend Yield: 2.35%
• Price Target: $83.00
• Consensus Rating: Hold

Sonic Automotive Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Sonic Automotive scored higher than 93% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 27th out of 78 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: 4.2 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Hold

Consensus Rating

Sonic Automotive has received a consensus rating of Hold. The company's average rating score is 2.40, and is based on 3 buy ratings, 5 hold ratings, and 1 sell rating.

Upside Potential

Sonic Automotive has a consensus price target of $83.00, representing about 28.6% upside from its current price of $64.55.

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: 3.1 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 22.31%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Sonic Automotive are expected to grow by 22.31% in the coming year, from $6.14 to $7.51 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Sonic Automotive is 17.45, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 39.86.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Sonic Automotive is 17.45, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Retail/Wholesale sector average P/E ratio of about 18.82.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Sonic Automotive has a P/B Ratio of 2.07. 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

14.57% 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 8.8.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Sonic Automotive has recently increased by 15.24%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Moderate

Dividend Yield

Sonic Automotive pays a meaningful dividend of 2.36%, 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 33.78%. 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 20.24% next year. This indicates that Sonic Automotive will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: 0.2 / 5
• Environmental Score: -3.41

Percentage of Shares Shorted

14.57% 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 8.8.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Sonic Automotive has recently increased by 15.24%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.8 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.02

News Sentiment

Sonic Automotive has a news sentiment score of 0.02. 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 0.82 average news sentiment score of Retail/Wholesale companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 23 news articles for Sonic Automotive this week, compared to 5 articles on an average week.

Search Interest

6 people have searched for SAH on MarketBeat in the last 30 days. This is an increase of 200% compared to the previous 30 days.

MarketBeat Follows

1 people have added Sonic Automotive to their MarketBeat watchlist in the last 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 2.5 / 5
• Insider Trading: N/A

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Sonic Automotive insiders have not sold or bought any company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

42.65% 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.

SAH Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have SAH shares performed this year?

Sonic Automotive's stock was trading at $63.35 at the start of the year. Since then, SAH stock has increased by 1.9% and is now trading at $64.5540.

How were Sonic Automotive's earnings last quarter?

Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October, 23rd. The company reported $1.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.82 by $0.41. Sonic Automotive's revenue for the quarter was up 13.8% on a year-over-year basis.
Read the conference call transcript.

Does Sonic Automotive have any subsidiaries?

Sonic Automotive subsidiaries include AM GA LLC, AM Realty GA LLC, AnTrev LLC, Arngar Inc., Autobahn Inc., Avalon Ford Inc., Car Cash of North Carolina Inc., and more.

Who are Sonic Automotive's major shareholders?

Top institutional shareholders of Sonic Automotive include CWA Asset Management Group LLC (0.08%), Oliver Luxxe Assets LLC (0.07%), Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. (0.03%) and Inspire Investing LLC (0.02%). Insiders that own company stock include Jeff Dyke, David Bruton Smith and Heath Byrd.
View institutional ownership trends.

How do I buy shares of Sonic Automotive?

Shares of SAH stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Sonic Automotive own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Sonic Automotive investors own include American Water Works (AWK), Waste Connections (WCN), Humana (HUM), DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH), The RMR Group (RMR), AUO (AUOTY) and iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC).

Company Calendar

• Record date for 10/15 Dividend: 9/15/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 10/15 Dividend: 9/15/2025
• Dividend Payable: 10/15/2025
• Last Earnings: 10/23/2025
• Today: 10/25/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

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: 10,800
• Year Founded: 1997

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Sonic Automotive: $83.00
• High Price Target: $94.00
• Low Price Target: $72.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +28.6%
• Consensus Rating: Hold
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.40
• Research Coverage: 10 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $4.50
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 17.45
• Forward P/E Ratio: 10.51
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $216 million
• Net Margins: 0.86%
• Pretax Margin: 1.20%
• Return on Equity: 21.69%
• Return on Assets: 3.90%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 1.78
• Current Ratio: 1.03
• Quick Ratio: 0.24

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $14.22 billion
• Price / Sales: 0.15
• Cash Flow: $9.59 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 6.73
• Book Value: $31.14 per share
• Price / Book: 2.07

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 34,150,000
• Free Float: 19,585,000
• Market Cap: $2.20 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.95