Sonic Automotive stock
SAHNYSESonic Automotive, Inc., Consumer CyclicalISIN US83545G1022
48Score 48 out of 100, Weak
Price and trend
45 / 100
Price history
+1.8% in one yearThe chart shows daily closes over 20 years, adjusted for stock splits and without dividends. Click into the chart to set a price alert at that price.
Below the 200-day line: the price is 14% below it.
Since October 2026 the 50-day line has been below the 200-day line; the trend has turned down.
Normal: the price is neither overheated nor sold off (RSI 50).
The price is 44% below its 52-week high. Largest decline in 20 years: 97% (February 2007 to March 2009).
Chart figures for advanced users
- SMA 50$65.40
- Average price of the last 50 trading days, shows the short-term trend.
- SMA 200$73.23
- Average price of the last 200 trading days, shows the long-term trend.
- RSI (14)50
- Relative strength over the last 14 days on a scale from 0 to 100. Above 70 the price counts as overheated, below 30 as sharply fallen.
- MACDabove the signal line
- Compares a fast and a slow price average. Above its signal line momentum is rising, below it momentum is fading.
- Support$58.28
- The lowest closing price of the last twelve months.
- Resistance$112.66
- The highest closing price of the last twelve months.
Snapshot
Computed from the data by fixed rules, no AI
- Sonic Automotive, Inc. belongs to the Auto (Dealerships) industry (United States) and, with a market value of $2B, is number 16 of 19 companies in its industry on MEQIRI.
- In fiscal 2025 it reported revenue of $15.15B (up 6.5% year on year) and earnings of $118.7M (down 45%).
- For fiscal 2026, analysts expect on average revenue of $15.64B (up 3.2%) and adjusted earnings per share of $6.35 (down 3.8%).
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- MEQIRI Score 48 out of 100 (Weak): rank 488 of 602 in Consumer Cyclical, median 61.
- The P/E is 9.9 (Auto (Dealerships) median 14.9, own median of recent years 11).
- Our model puts fair value at $47.79, with the price 32% above it.
In plain words
The numbers on this page in plain words, written by an AI
Strengths
- Share buybacksShare count down 20% since 2020.Capital allocation 75
- Reliable dividendNo dividend cut for 15 years.Capital allocation 75
Weaknesses
- High debtDebt 4.45 times equity (latest quarter), Auto (Dealerships) median 2.Stability 27
- Negative free cash flowFree cash flow −$203.6M over the last 12 months.Fundamentals 49
- Interest barely coveredOperating profit covers interest only 1.9 times.Stability 27
Its standout strength is capital allocation, while profitability and stability hold the score back.
Daily figure as of 12 Nov 2026
How the score is calculatedScore overview
Fundamental quality fluctuates.
Score history
The full history of up to 20 years comes with MEQIRI Pro.
See plansCrash risk high
How well MEQIRI warnsOne of the 30% with the highest crash risk among smaller stocks.
From 2016 to 2025, 36 in 100 such stocks fell 30% or more within a year, against a group average of 23 in 100.
What drives the risk
- weak fundamentals
- price far below its 52-week high
Valuation
Valuation signal
Modestly overvaluedIn our model the price counts as cheap below $34.13 and expensive above $79.65 (uncertainty high, based on the price swings of the past year).
The two parts of the fair value come to $0.41 (cash-flow model) and $95.16 (industry comparison), and the gap between them shows how uncertain the estimate is.
Calculated with a cost of equity of 12.6%. At 13.6% the fair value would be $47.69, at 11.6% it would be $47.91.
Valuation metrics
Half from the cash-flow model, half from earnings times the industry P/E (14.9).
Calculate with your own assumptionsCompany performance
This shows several years of history with an automatic assessment.
Revenue
In the twelve months to 30 Sep 2026, revenue rose 2% on the twelve months before. Revenue has grown solidly since 2006, at about 3% per year.
Margins
- Gross margin
- Operating margin
- Net margin
In fiscal 2025: gross 16%, operating 4%, net 1%.
Debt & balance sheet
latest quarterDebt is elevated. Keep an eye on the interest burden and refinancing.
Earnings
- Next earnings
- 17 Feb 2027in 97 days
- Last reported
- 29 Oct 2026EPS reported $1.30 (expected $1.66)below expectations
Analyst estimates
Analysts have cut their 2026 earnings estimate by 5.6% since 15 Oct 2026. Falling estimates often precede bad news.
- Earnings per share
- $6.35−5.6%
- Revenue
- $15.64B−0.5%
- Earnings per share
- $7.05−3.1%
- Revenue
- $16.28B−1.0%
MEQIRI has stored the estimates since 15 Oct 2026. Until 30 days are available, the card shows the change since that day. Mean estimate according to Financial Modeling Prep. No price target and no recommendation.
Company outlook lowered
Share price after the results: +0.2%Sonic Automotive expects fourth quarter adjusted EBITDA of only $2 million to $4 million, hurt by $5 million to $7 million in incremental EchoPark brand marketing spend, after fixed operations growth came in weaker than planned in the second and third quarters.
“For the fourth quarter, we expect adjusted EBITDA to be between $2 million and $4 million, including $5 million-$7 million in incremental brand marketing expense as we kick off our largest investment ever in building the EchoPark brand.”The outlook is not part of the score and not a recommendation to buy or sell.
From the earnings call on 29 Oct 2026 (fiscal Q3 2026), read by AI.
Insiders
Open-market purchases and sales by executives, board members and major holders
One insider bought on the open market in the last 6 months, $4.58M in total. 2 insiders sold, $9.22M in total.
Sales say less than purchases: many insiders sell on a fixed plan, for taxes or to diversify.
- Rusnak Paul P.Purchase
14 Oct 2026, Major holder
- Shares
- 12,555
- Price
- $59.90
- Value
- $752,045
- Rusnak Paul P.Purchase
7 Oct 2026, Major holder
- Shares
- 13,701
- Price
- $59.78
- Value
- $819,046
- Rusnak Paul P.Purchase
6 Oct 2026, Major holder
- Shares
- 1,119
- Price
- $59.90
- Value
- $67,028
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- Rusnak Paul P.Purchase
5 Oct 2026, Major holder
- Shares
- 27,756
- Price
- $59.76
- Value
- $1.66M
- Rusnak Paul P.Purchase
1 Oct 2026, Major holder
- Shares
- 21,645
- Price
- $59.50
- Value
- $1.29M
- Dyke JeffSale
10 Jun 2026, President
- Shares
- 35,114
- Price
- $85.22
- Value
- $2.99M
- Dyke JeffSale
9 Jun 2026, President
- Shares
- 14,886
- Price
- $85.13
- Value
- $1.27M
- Dyke JeffSale
8 Jun 2026, President
- Shares
- 50,000
- Price
- $82.97
- Value
- $4.15M
- Byrd HeathSale
28 May 2026, EVP and CFO
- Shares
- 9,526
- Price
- $85.00
- Value
- $809,710
Source: Form 4 filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. Grants, option exercises, gifts and tax withholdings are hidden. Not a recommendation to buy.
What happened at Sonic Automotive
The key events of the last six months from our own data. A click takes you to the matching card.
Sector comparison
602 rated companies in Consumer Cyclical
- This company
- 48
- Sector median
- 61
Categories against the sector median
The median is the middle value: half of the companies in the sector lie above it, half below. Categories with too few comparable companies are left out.
Competitors in Auto (Dealerships)
The next larger and next smaller companies by market value
- OPENLANEOPLN $4.25B63
- AUTO1 GroupAG1.DE $3.81B37
- Asbury Automotive GroupABG $3.73B63
- Group 1 AutomotiveGPI $3.23B57
- Boyd Group ServicesBGSI $2.15B44
- Driven Brands HoldingsDRVN $1.97B56
- BiliaBILI-A.ST $1.38B57
- Aramis Group SASARAMI.PA $334.29M48
ETFs that hold Sonic Automotive
Held by 13 ETFs on Xetra. Shown per index: the ETF with the largest weight.
| ETF | Weight | Cost | Fund size |
|---|---|---|---|
| State Street SPDR MSCI USA Small Cap Value Weighted UCITS ETFZPRV | 0.05% | 0.30% | €944.34M |
| iShares S&P SmallCap 600 UCITS ETFIUS3 | 0.04% | 0.30% | €2.28B |
| Xtrackers Russell 2000 UCITS ETF 1CXRS2 | 0.03% | 0.30% | €2.17B |
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| L&G Russell 2000 US Small Cap Quality UCITS ETFETLZ | 0.02% | 0.30% | €185.82M |
| State Street SPDR Russell 2000 U.S. Small Cap UCITS ETF (Acc)ZPRR | 0.02% | 0.30% | €4.22B |
| Avantis Global Small Cap Value UCITS ETFAVWS | 0.02% | 0.39% | €1.47B |
| Invesco Global Buyback Achievers UCITS ETFBBCK | 0.02% | 0.39% | €188.08M |
| State Street SPDR MSCI World Small Cap UCITS ETF (Acc)ZPRS | 0.01% | 0.45% | €1.53B |
Holdings as reported by the funds via FMP, excluding swap ETFs (their holdings are only collateral).
Data status and sources
- Score
- Daily value of 12 Nov 2026, recalculated nightly
- Price
- Closing price of 11 Nov 2026
- Latest annual report
- Fiscal year 2025, period end 31 Dec 2025
- Source
- Financial statements, ratios and prices from Financial Modeling Prep (FMP), based on the company's reports. MEQIRI calculates the score and fair value from them.
Mandatory disclosures for this rating
- ; time horizon around 12 months
- Rated Weak, published since 7 Nov 2026 (in the score history since 1 Nov 2026)
- Valuation signal Fairly valued since 7 Nov 2026
- End-of-day prices, metrics cached for up to 24 hours
- Score and fair value are estimates from a disclosed model. They are not facts and not a price target.
- Produced by SSM Ventures UG (haftungsbeschränkt), responsible person Sven Brostmeyer, Managing Director, automatically according to the disclosed model.
- Not investment advice. Losses up to and including a total loss are possible. Personal circumstances are not considered.