Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) was downgraded by investment analysts at StockNews.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday.
Other equities analysts have also issued reports about the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of Sonic Automotive from $74.00 to $80.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 19th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on Sonic Automotive from $100.00 to $93.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Stephens boosted their price target on shares of Sonic Automotive from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $74.80.
View Our Latest Stock Analysis on Sonic Automotive
Sonic Automotive Trading Down 2.6 %
SAH traded down $1.49 during mid-day trading on Monday, hitting $55.25. The stock had a trading volume of 72,353 shares, compared to its average volume of 206,251. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.35. Sonic Automotive has a 1-year low of $47.82 and a 1-year high of $76.78. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $68.40 and its 200-day simple moving average is $63.90. The firm has a market capitalization of $1.86 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.94 and a beta of 1.70.
Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $1.51 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.46 by $0.05. Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 19.96% and a net margin of 1.52%. As a group, research analysts forecast that Sonic Automotive will post 6.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Institutional Trading of Sonic Automotive
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in SAH. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1.3% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,557,344 shares of the company's stock worth $98,658,000 after purchasing an additional 20,058 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 3.9% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 476,107 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,161,000 after acquiring an additional 17,965 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp increased its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 6.7% in the fourth quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 291,133 shares of the company's stock worth $18,443,000 after purchasing an additional 18,232 shares during the last quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC raised its position in Sonic Automotive by 12.4% in the 4th quarter. First Eagle Investment Management LLC now owns 132,106 shares of the company's stock worth $8,369,000 after purchasing an additional 14,600 shares during the period. Finally, Nuveen Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 1.1% during the fourth quarter. Nuveen Asset Management LLC now owns 128,835 shares of the company's stock valued at $8,162,000 after buying an additional 1,386 shares during the last quarter. 46.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.
About Sonic Automotive
(
Get Free Report)
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.
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