
Company Overview - Sonic Automotive (SAH) is headquartered in Charlotte and operates in the Retail-Wholesale sector [3] - The stock has experienced a price change of 5.57% since the beginning of the year [3] Dividend Information - Sonic Automotive currently pays a dividend of $0.35 per share, resulting in a dividend yield of 2.09% [3] - This yield is significantly higher than the Automotive - Retail and Wholesale industry's yield of 0.23% and the S&P 500's yield of 1.57% [3] - The company's annualized dividend of $1.40 has increased by 12% from the previous year [4] - Over the last 5 years, Sonic Automotive has raised its dividend 4 times, averaging an annual increase of 35.72% [4] - The current payout ratio is 24%, indicating that the company pays out 24% of its trailing 12-month EPS as dividends [4] Earnings Growth - Earnings growth for Sonic Automotive appears strong, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 at $6.43 per share, reflecting a 14.82% increase from the previous year [5] Investment Considerations - Dividends are favored by investors for various reasons, including improving stock investing profits and providing tax advantages [6] - High-yielding stocks may face challenges during periods of rising interest rates, but Sonic Automotive presents a compelling investment opportunity as a strong dividend play [7] - The stock currently holds a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [7]