XTX Topco Ltd Buys 4,327 Shares of Sonic Automotive, Inc. $SAH

XTX Topco Ltd increased its stake in Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH) by 45.1% during the 2nd quarter, HoldingsChannel reports. The institutional investor owned 13,912 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,327 shares during the quarter. XTX Topco Ltd’s holdings in Sonic Automotive were worth $1,112,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in SAH. Quarry LP bought a new position in Sonic Automotive in the 1st quarter worth about $84,000. Entropy Technologies LP bought a new stake in shares of Sonic Automotive during the second quarter valued at approximately $208,000. Creative Planning purchased a new stake in shares of Sonic Automotive in the second quarter valued at approximately $213,000. R Squared Ltd bought a new position in Sonic Automotive in the second quarter worth approximately $214,000. Finally, Harrell Investment Partners LLC bought a new position in Sonic Automotive in the second quarter worth approximately $240,000. Institutional investors own 46.92% of the company’s stock.

Sonic Automotive Price Performance

Shares of SAH stock opened at $63.03 on Friday. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $68.45 and its 200 day moving average is $74.51. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a 1-year low of $52.00 and a 1-year high of $89.62. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.68, a current ratio of 1.02 and a quick ratio of 0.27. The company has a market cap of $2.15 billion, a P/E ratio of 17.04 and a beta of 0.91.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 23rd. The company reported $1.41 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.82 by ($0.41). Sonic Automotive had a net margin of 0.86% and a return on equity of 21.65%. The firm had revenue of $3.97 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.59 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $1.26 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 13.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts predict that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, January 15th. Shareholders of record on Monday, December 15th will be paid a $0.38 dividend. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, December 15th. Sonic Automotive’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 41.08%.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on SAH shares. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Sonic Automotive in a report on Friday, October 31st. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price objective on Sonic Automotive from $95.00 to $90.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, October 24th. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $71.00 price objective for the company. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Sonic Automotive from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 22nd. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on shares of Sonic Automotive from $76.00 to $70.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, November 5th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sonic Automotive presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $80.75.

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.