New Age Alpha Advisors LLC Takes $1.31 Million Position in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH)

New Age Alpha Advisors LLC bought a new position in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm bought 20,691 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,311,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Pacific Global Investment Management Co. raised its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 4.1% in the 4th quarter. Pacific Global Investment Management Co. now owns 4,554 shares of the company’s stock valued at $288,000 after buying an additional 179 shares in the last quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System increased its stake in Sonic Automotive by 0.8% in the fourth quarter. New York State Teachers Retirement System now owns 25,935 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,643,000 after acquiring an additional 212 shares during the period. American Century Companies Inc. lifted its stake in Sonic Automotive by 1.9% during the fourth quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 20,596 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,305,000 after purchasing an additional 390 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC boosted its holdings in Sonic Automotive by 515.4% during the fourth quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 480 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 402 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Point72 Asset Management L.P. grew its stake in shares of Sonic Automotive by 4.6% in the 3rd quarter. Point72 Asset Management L.P. now owns 11,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $667,000 after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 46.92% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several research firms recently commented on SAH. Stephens raised their target price on Sonic Automotive from $83.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price objective on Sonic Automotive from $80.00 to $65.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday. StockNews.com lowered shares of Sonic Automotive from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Monday, March 24th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on shares of Sonic Automotive from $100.00 to $93.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, four have given a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $74.80.

Sonic Automotive Price Performance

Shares of SAH stock opened at $54.93 on Monday. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $68.13 and its 200-day moving average is $64.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.75, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 1.09. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 52 week low of $47.82 and a 52 week high of $76.78. The stock has a market capitalization of $1.85 billion, a PE ratio of 8.89 and a beta of 1.70.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 12th. The company reported $1.51 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.05. Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 1.52% and a return on equity of 19.96%. Equities research analysts expect that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 14th will be given a $0.35 dividend. This represents a $1.40 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.55%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, March 14th. Sonic Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 22.65%.

Sonic Automotive 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.