Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) Posts Earnings Results, Beats Estimates By $0.05 EPS

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The company reported $1.51 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.46 by $0.05, Zacks reports. Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 21.27% and a net margin of 1.41%.

Sonic Automotive Stock Down 4.3 %

NYSE:SAH traded down $3.20 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $71.56. 89,355 shares of the company’s stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 173,905. Sonic Automotive has a twelve month low of $47.82 and a twelve month high of $76.78. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.87, a quick ratio of 0.35 and a current ratio of 1.11. The company has a market capitalization of $2.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.72 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a fifty day moving average of $67.72 and a 200 day moving average of $62.50.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $74.00 target price on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research note on Thursday, January 16th. Stephens upgraded shares of Sonic Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price target on Sonic Automotive from $75.00 to $74.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 17th. Finally, Seaport Res Ptn raised shares of Sonic Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Thursday, November 21st. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating, three have given a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Sonic Automotive has an average rating of “Buy” and an average target price of $67.20.

About Sonic Automotive

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.