Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH) Major Shareholder Paul Rusnak Acquires 1,931 Shares

February 19, 2026 by InsiderTrades.com

Key Points

Paul Rusnak bought 1,931 shares at an average of $59.98 on Feb. 11, raising his stake to about 5.03 million shares (a 0.04% increase), signaling insider accumulation by a major shareholder.
Sonic slightly missed Q4 estimates—EPS $1.52 vs. $1.53 consensus and revenue down ~0.6% to $3.87B—although management reported record gross profit while net margin remains thin (~0.86%).
The company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.38 (annualized $1.52, ~2.4% yield; ~41% payout ratio), while analysts are mixed with an average "Hold" rating and a $79.63 average price target.

Sonic Automotive, Inc. (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) major shareholder Paul Rusnak acquired 1,931 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 11th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $59.98 per share, with a total value of $115,821.38. Following the transaction, the insider owned 5,028,496 shares in the company, valued at approximately $301,609,190.08. This trade represents a 0.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Large shareholders that own 10% or more of a company's shares are required to disclose their sales and purchases with the SEC.

Sonic Automotive Stock Up 8.1%

Sonic Automotive stock opened at $63.00 on Thursday. 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's 50-day moving average is $62.64 and its 200-day moving average is $68.92. The firm has a market capitalization of $2.15 billion, a PE ratio of 17.03 and a beta of 0.93. Sonic Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $52.00 and a fifty-two week high of $89.62.

Sonic Automotive (NYSE:SAH - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $1.52 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $1.53 by ($0.01). The business had revenue of $3.87 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.94 billion. Sonic Automotive had a return on equity of 21.65% and a net margin of 0.86%.The company's revenue for the quarter was down .6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.51 EPS. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Sonic Automotive, Inc. will post 6.14 earnings per share for the current year.

Sonic Automotive Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, April 15th. Investors of record on Friday, March 13th will be issued a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 13th. This represents a $1.52 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.4%. Sonic Automotive's payout ratio is presently 41.08%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts have commented on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Sonic Automotive from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Sunday, January 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $68.00 price target on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Weiss Ratings restated a "hold (c)" rating on shares of Sonic Automotive in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Zacks Research raised Sonic Automotive from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 13th. Finally, Citigroup upgraded Sonic Automotive from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $82.00 target price on the stock in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Hold" and an average price target of $79.63.

Get Our Latest Report on SAH

Sonic Automotive News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Sonic Automotive this week:

Positive Sentiment: Large insider accumulation — Major shareholder Paul P. Rusnak bought tens of thousands of shares across several trades in February (bringing his stake to ~5.1M shares). Large, repeated insider purchases at ~\$59.95 signal confidence from a controlling owner and often supports near-term sentiment. SEC Filing: Insider Purchases
Positive Sentiment: Dividend declared — Sonic announced a quarterly dividend of $0.38/share (ex-dividend March 13; payable April 15), implying ~2.4% yield. The dividend and ~41% payout ratio can attract income-focused investors and provide a floor to seller interest.
Positive Sentiment: Record gross profit — Management highlighted record gross profit for Q4, suggesting improved operational performance (helpful for margin recovery narratives). Investing.com: Record Gross Profit
Neutral Sentiment: Earnings materials posted — Slides, call transcript and presentation are available for deeper inspection of F&I, used-vehicle and inventory trends; analysts will parse these for guidance changes. Earnings Call Transcript
Neutral Sentiment: Institutional positioning mixed — Recent filings show some hedge funds and banks trimming or adding positions; institutional ownership remains material (~47%), so flow changes can amplify moves but aren’t a clear directional signal.
Negative Sentiment: Slight Q4 miss on top and bottom line — Q4 EPS of $1.52 missed consensus by $0.01 and revenue of $3.87B trailed estimates (~$3.94B); revenue was down ~0.6% YoY and net margin remains slim (~0.86%), giving bears fodder about demand and margin pressure. Zacks: Q4 Miss

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd acquired a new position in Sonic Automotive in the third quarter valued at about $647,000. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC grew its stake in Sonic Automotive by 311.2% during the third quarter. Jackson Creek Investment Advisors LLC now owns 23,571 shares of the company's stock worth $1,794,000 after buying an additional 17,839 shares in the last quarter. CWA Asset Management Group LLC bought a new position in Sonic Automotive in the 3rd quarter valued at about $2,006,000. Bryce Point Capital LLC acquired a new position in shares of Sonic Automotive in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $793,000. Finally, Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC boosted its position in shares of Sonic Automotive by 30.3% during the 2nd quarter. Brandywine Global Investment Management LLC now owns 94,468 shares of the company's stock worth $7,551,000 after acquiring an additional 21,960 shares in the last quarter. 46.92% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Sonic Automotive

(Get Free Report)

Sonic Automotive, Inc is a publicly traded automotive retailer that operates a network of franchised new-car dealerships and used-vehicle dealerships across the United States. Headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina, the company offers a range of services that include vehicle sales, leasing, finance and insurance products, service and parts, and collision repair. Sonic Automotive's dealerships represent numerous major automotive brands, and the company also markets a broad selection of pre-owned vehicles under its own banner.

In addition to its core dealership operations, Sonic Automotive has developed digital retail capabilities that allow customers to research, shop and complete transactions online.