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Sonic Automotive Inc(SAH)

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ADVISORIES YOU CAN VERIFY
QUALITY SIGNAL
1-STAR RATING
PASS
LAST CLOSE
$62.45
09/28/2026
(24-hour delay)

Advisory History & Simulated Performance *

*as per simulation (see disclosures)
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Advisory Performance History (Simulated)Advisory Performance History info

Upturn Advisory & Investor View for SAH

09/28/2026: SAH (1-star) is currently NOT-A-BUY. Pass it for now.

How to Read the Upturn Advisory

The Upturn Star Rating and the current BUY, SELL, or PASS advisory are generated by Upturn’s AI advisory engine based on proprietary signal analysis, price behavior, advisory history, and historical signal performance.

Company fundamentals, valuation, risks, and news provide supporting context about the business.

Price Behavior

Rolling Over
PRICE PATH

Rolling Over

The price momentum is slowing down and beginning to turn downward.

Moderately Choppy
PRICE STABILITY

Moderately Choppy

The stock has experienced noticeable price swings while retaining some directional structure.

Analysis of Past Performance

Type Stock
Historic Profit -22.87%
Avg. Invested days 35
Today’s Advisory PASS
Upturn Advisory Rating upturn star rating icon
Upturn Advisory Performance Upturn Advisory Performance icon 2.0
Stock Returns Performance Upturn Returns Performance icon 1.0
Upturn Profits based on simulation icon Profits based on simulation
Upturn last close icon Last Close 09/28/2026

Upturn Scorecard

Upturn Star Rating

★★★★★
SAH receives a 3-star rating, supported by solid company fundamentals, and solid analyst coverage. The rating is constrained by soft unit economics, and weak price momentum.

Company Fundamentals

★★★★★
SAH has solid overall fundamentals (4 stars), with moderate financial health, moderate growth momentum, and strong ownership. In FY2025 versus FY2024, growth and ownership metrics are mixed: negative earnings growth (-45.0%), soft cash generation (FCF margin 2.8%), moderate revenue growth (+6.5%).

Financial Health Rating

★★★★★
SAH's financial health is supported by solid cash strength, including free-cash-flow generation (2.8% of revenue). Profitability is soft (2 stars), which helps explain the 3-star overall score.

Growth Momentum Score

★★★★★
Free-cash-flow growth is SAH's strongest growth driver at +634.6% FY2025 versus FY2024 (strong, 5 stars). By comparison, while revenue growth (+6.5%, moderate) and earnings growth (-45.0%, negative) hold the profile back, so recent growth is not broad-based across the business.

Ownership

★★★★★
Institutional ownership is 75.8% and approximately 61.6% of outstanding shares are publicly tradable, supporting liquidity and institutional participation. Insider ownership of 38.95% supports management-shareholder alignment.

Top 5 Institutional Investors

BlackRock Inc 7.93%
Dimensional Fund Advisors, Inc. 4.22%
Vanguard Portfolio Management, LLC 2.62%
LSV Asset Management 2.32%
State Street Corp 2.14%

Unit Economics (Per $1K Revenue)

★★★★★
SAH generates approximately $157 of gross profit, $36 of operating income, and $28 of free cash flow for every $1,000 of revenue. Based on FY2025 results. Weak margins explain the 2-star rating, with moderate cash conversion and soft capital efficiency.

Economic Dimensions

★★★★★
Effective Tax Rate: 31.31%

Quantitative Style Profile

★★★★★
SAH has a high-quality, liquid profile. Weak momentum is the primary drawback.

Style Classification

Quality Focused

Value-OrientedQuality TiltSmall / Mid Cap RiskShort Squeeze RiskHighly Liquid / Institution-Friendly

Key Highlights

Company Size Small-Cap Stock
Market Capitalization 1.97B USD
Price to earnings Ratio 10.34
1Y Target Price 98.55
Price to earnings Ratio 10.34
1Y Target Price 98.55
Volume (30-day avg) 287.7K shares
Beta 0.86
52 Weeks Range 53.22 - 113.06
Updated Date 09/28/2026
52 Weeks Range 53.22 - 113.06
Updated Date 09/28/2026
Dividends yield (FY) 2.39%
Basic EPS (TTM) 6.04

Analyzing Revenue: Products, Geography and Growth

Revenue by Products

Product revenue - Year on Year

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Valuation

Trailing PE 10.34
Forward PE 8.42
Enterprise Value 6.62B
Price to Sales(TTM) 0.13
Enterprise Value 6.62B
Price to Sales(TTM) 0.13
Enterprise Value to Revenue 0.43
Enterprise Value to EBITDA 9.95
Shares Outstanding 19.59M
Shares Floating 12.07M
Shares Outstanding 19.59M
Shares Floating 12.07M
Percent Insiders 38.95
Percent Institutions 75.78

Financial Metrics

🧭 Investment Snapshot

Total Revenue (Scale)

Information icon Total money earned from selling products or services before any costs. It is needed to understand the scale of the business and its ability to generate income.

Net Income (Profit)

Information icon Final profit after all expenses, interest, and taxes are deducted. It is needed to determine the overall profitability available to shareholders.

Free Cash Flow (Cash Strength)

Information icon Cash remaining after operating activities and capital expenditures, showing cash available for growth. It is needed to evaluate the company’s ability to invest, pay dividends, or reduce debt.

📈 Growth & Strength

Operating Income (Core Profit)

Information icon Profit from core operations after deducting all operating expenses. It is needed to measure how efficiently the company runs its primary business activities.

EBITDA (Cash Earnings)

Information icon Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization, indicating operating cash potential. It is needed to compare operating performance across companies without accounting or financing differences.

Gross Profit (Unit Profitability)

Information icon Revenue minus cost of revenue, showing profit after direct production costs. It is needed to evaluate core business profitability before overhead expenses.

🛡️ Financial Safety

Cash (Liquidity Buffer)

Information icon Total cash and cash equivalents on hand. It is needed to evaluate immediate liquidity and financial flexibility.

Total Debt (Leverage Risk)

Information icon Total debt including both short-term and long-term components. It is needed to assess the company’s leverage and financial risk.

Net Working Capital (Short-Term Health)

Information icon Current assets minus current liabilities, indicating short-term liquidity strength. It is needed to assess whether the company can meet its short-term obligations.

🧱 Balance Sheet Strength

Stockholder Equity (Net Worth)

Information icon Total equity value held by shareholders. It is needed to understand the net worth of the company from the owners’ perspective.

Total Assets (Asset Base)

Information icon The full value of everything the company owns, including cash, inventory, equipment, and investments. It is needed to understand the resource base used to generate revenue.

Income Before Tax (Pre-Tax Earnings)

Information icon Income before provision for income taxes. It is needed to analyze profitability independent of tax structures.

⚙️ Cost & Drag Factors

Cost of Revenue (Production Cost)

Information icon Direct costs required to produce and deliver the products or services sold. It is needed to assess efficiency in production and service delivery.

Total Operating Expenses (Operating Cost)

Information icon Indirect costs of running the business such as salaries, marketing, and administration. It is needed to understand how much it costs to sustain ongoing business operations.

Income Tax Expense (Tax Drag)

Information icon Amount of taxes paid or payable to the government. It is needed to evaluate the impact of taxation on overall profitability.

About Sonic Automotive Inc

Exchange NYSE
Headquarters Charlotte, NC, United States
IPO Launch date 1997-11-12
CEO & Chairman Mr. David Bruton Smith
Sector Consumer Cyclical
Industry Auto & Truck Dealerships
Full time employees 11000
Full time employees 11000

Sonic Automotive, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, operates as an automotive retailer in the United States. It operates in three segments: Franchised Dealerships, EchoPark, and Powersports. The Franchised Dealerships segment engages in the sale of new and used cars and light trucks; sale of replacement parts; provision of vehicle maintenance, manufacturer warranty repairs, and paint and collision repair services; and arrangement of third-party financing, extended warranties, service contracts, insurance, and other aftermarket products. The EchoPark segment sells used cars and light trucks; and arranges third-party finance and insurance product sales for its guests in pre-owned vehicle specialty retail locations. The Powersports segment is involved in the sale of new and used powersports vehicles, such as motorcycles, personal watercraft, and all-terrain vehicles; and provision of fixed operations services, and third-party finance and insurance services. Sonic Automotive, Inc. was incorporated in 1997 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina.