Oct 12 close
Sonic Automotive draws attention this week from a Seaport Global rating action and continued insider buying. Seaport Global downgraded SAH from Buy to Neutral while raising its price target from $185 to $205, citing an updated valuation outlook following significant price appreciation. Alongside this, insider purchases were reported, including director and 10% owner Paul P. Rusnak's acquisitions of 13,701 shares at $59.78 each and 21,645 shares at $59.50 each. The company also confirmed it will release third-quarter 2026 financial results on 29 October.
SAH closes at $60.81, down from both its 50-day average of $73.25 and 200-day average of $73.29, with the 50-day below the 200-day. The stock's one-month return stands at -19.9% and its three-month return at -34.2%, with a 52-week range of $54.11 to $113.67. The GekkoIndex reads 67.3, placing SAH in the Accumulation zone. Price sits 25.1% below Gekko Fair Value of $81.24.
Earnings arrive on 29 October, 17 days away and within a typical 20-trading-day holding window, with the last reaction move at -18.7% and an average absolute reaction of 7.3% over recent quarters. Smart-money activity over the past 90 days includes 4 insider purchases totaling $3,832,651. Seasonality data shows the next 20 trading days have averaged +5.1% over 5 years, rising in 3 of them. Analyst consensus across 8 firms includes 4 buy, 2 hold, and 2 sell ratings, with a consensus target of $92.36.
Written by AI from the Oct 12, 2026 close and checked automatically against the figures on this page.
Sonic Automotive scores 4 supportive, 0 mixed and 2 headwinds across the 6 checklist items with data.
Six things swing traders check before a 20-day hold, read from the latest data.
4 supportive0 mixed2 headwinds
Below 50 and 200-day
Close $60.81 is below the 50-day ($73.25) and 200-day ($73.29) averages, and the 50-day is below the 200-day.
See the chart67.3, Accumulation
Reading 67.3 is in the Accumulation zone.
See the GekkoIndex25.1% below
Price is 25.1% below Gekko Fair Value (more than 5% below).
See fair valueLeans bullish
Last 90 days: 4 open-market insider purchases.
See smart moneyReports in 17 days
Reports on Oct 29, 2026, 17 days away — inside a typical 20-trading-day hold.
See earnings+5.1% on average
From this point in the calendar, the next 20 trading days averaged +5.1% over 5 years, rising in 3 of them.
See seasonalityA description of current data, not a recommendation. How this page works
Sonic Automotive closed at $60.81 on Oct 12, 2026, −16.1% over the past year, inside a 52-week range of $54.11 to $113.67.
Use the left and right arrow keys to read daily values.
Put SAH on a Gekko watchlist and see its GekkoIndex, Gekko Fair Value and smart money signals update on the chart as they change.
Sonic Automotive sells new and used cars and light trucks to consumers across the United States. The company runs its business through two divisions, Franchised Dealerships and EchoPark, and is recognized for pairing traditional new-car dealership operations with a separate chain focused on pre-owned vehicles.
The Franchised Dealerships division handles new and used vehicle sales, replacement parts, and a range of services such as routine maintenance, manufacturer-backed warranty repairs, and collision and paint work. It also connects buyers with add-on offerings like extended warranties, service contracts, financing, and insurance. The EchoPark division concentrates solely on used vehicles, operating through dedicated specialty stores that likewise help customers arrange financing and insurance. As of the end of 2021, the company's footprint included 140 new vehicle franchises spanning 28 brands, 17 collision repair centers, and 46 EchoPark locations, the latter including a group of pre-owned outlets operating under the Northwest Motorsport name.
Sonic Automotive was founded in 1997 and is based in Charlotte, North Carolina. Its shares are listed on the NYSE under the ticker SAH.
Sonic Automotive’s GekkoIndex — Gekko’s 0 to 100 smart money score — reads 67.3, in the Accumulation zone, down 0.1 points over five sessions.
Down 0.1 points over five sessions.
Reading for Oct 12, 2026
| Zone | Readings | 5 days | 20 days | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Buying | 36 | +0.6% | +1.3% | ||
| Accumulation (current zone) | 233 | +0.4% | +1.4% | ||
| Neutral | 357 | +0.4% | +1.4% | ||
| Distribution | 53 | −1.2% | −1.6% | ||
| Selling | 3 | Too few readings yet | |||
Average SAH share-price change over the trading days after each daily reading in its GekkoIndex history. Across every stock Gekko tracks, Accumulation readings averaged +2.2% over 20 days. Past behaviour doesn’t guarantee future results.
Accumulation zone: Institutional interest building. About the five zones →
Sonic Automotive trades 25.1% below Gekko Fair Value of $81.24, so the shares are undervalued on Gekko’s estimate.
Gekko’s own estimate of what Sonic Automotive shares are worth, recalculated every trading day.
$81.24
Gekko Fair Value, Oct 10, 2026
25.1% Undervalued
At the end of Aug 2026 the price was 17.0% below the estimate.
Insiders filed 4 open-market purchases in Sonic Automotive worth $3.83M, and no Congress trades were disclosed, in the last 90 days.
Plus buybacks, unusual options and fund positions, each dated to when it became public.
$3.83Min 4 open-market purchases
| Filed | Insider | Type | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 9 | Rusnak Paul P. 10 percent owner | Purchase | $819K |
| Oct 7 | Rusnak Paul P. 10 percent owner | Purchase | $67K |
| Oct 6 | Rusnak Paul P. 10 percent owner | Purchase | $1.66M |
| Oct 6 | Rusnak Paul P. 10 percent owner | Purchase | $1.29M |
From Form 4 filings, dated to when each was filed.
No trades in SAH were disclosed by members of Congress in the last 90 days.
From congressional disclosures, which report amounts as ranges.
Sonic Automotive has been buying back its own shares.
From company filings.
Sonic Automotive reports on Oct 29, 2026 (17 days away), and beat the EPS estimate in 5 of its last 8 reports.
Oct 29, 2026
17 days away
| Reported | EPS | Revenue | Move |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026 | $1.82 est $1.75 | $3.93B est $3.78B | −18.7% |
| Apr 30, 2026 | $1.62 est $1.40 | $3.69B est $3.73B | +4.3% |
| Feb 18, 2026 | $1.52 est $1.53 | $3.87B est $3.94B | +10.7% |
| Oct 23, 2025 | $1.41 est $1.74 | $3.97B est $3.94B | −17.4% |
| Jul 24, 2025 | $2.19 est $1.63 | $3.66B est $3.58B | −1.4% |
| Apr 24, 2025 | $1.48 est $1.44 | $3.65B est $3.65B | +2.0% |
| Feb 12, 2025 | $1.51 est $1.46 | $3.90B est $3.61B | −1.6% |
| Oct 24, 2024 | $1.26 est $1.43 | $3.49B est $3.59B | +2.5% |
“Move” is the close of the first session after the report compared with the close of the last session before it, so it reads the same whether the company reported before the open or after the close.
Analysts’ average 12-month price target for Sonic Automotive is $92.36, +51.9% from the last close, from 8 firms rating the stock in the last 90 days.
Each firm’s latest rating in the last 90 days: 8 firms.
| Date | Firm | Target | vs price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7 | UBS | $74 | +21.7% |
| Oct 6 | J.P. Morgan | $64 | +5.2% |
| Oct 6 | Barclays | $75 | +23.3% |
| Oct 5 | Morgan Stanley | $57 | −6.3% |
| Oct 4 | Morgan Stanley | $57 | −6.3% |
Gekko doesn’t publish price predictions. These are analyst targets and historical base rates, which don’t guarantee future results.
Over the next 20 trading days from Oct 10, Sonic Automotive averaged +5.1% across the last 5 years, rising in 3 of them.
| Window | Average | Years higher |
|---|---|---|
| Next 5 trading days | +2.3% | 4 of 5 |
| Next 10 trading days | −1.8% | 2 of 5 |
| Next 15 trading days | +1.8% | 3 of 5 |
| Next 20 trading days | +5.1% | 3 of 5 |
| Next 30 trading days | +5.0% | 3 of 5 |
For scale, SAH’s typical 20-trading-day move in either direction is about 7.6%.
Sonic Automotive’s market cap is $2.02B, with a P/E ratio of 9.7 and revenue of $15.47B over the last twelve months.
Coverage of Sonic Automotive this week reads positive: 3 positive, 1 neutral and 1 negative headlines.
Sonic Automotive’s 6 largest industry peers by market value, with today’s move, GekkoIndex zone and gap to Gekko Fair Value.
| Stock | GekkoIndex zone | vs Fair Value |
|---|---|---|
| WMTWalmart | Neutral | 2.5% below |
| COSTCostco Wholesale | Neutral | 16.4% above |
| ORLYO'Reilly Automotive | Neutral | 4.7% below |
| TGTTarget | Accumulation | 5.7% above |
| CVNACarvana | Accumulation | 19.7% below |
| AZOAutoZone | Neutral | 28.5% below |
A peer links to its own page where one exists.
Sonic Automotive’s market cap is $2.02B at the Oct 12, 2026 close of $60.81, with 19.59M shares outstanding. The shares trade on a P/E ratio of 9.7.
The consensus analyst 12-month price target for Sonic Automotive is $92.36, +51.9% from the last close. Of the 8 firms that rated the stock in the last 90 days, 4 rate it a buy, 2 a hold and 2 a sell. Gekko doesn’t publish price predictions of its own.
On Gekko’s estimate Sonic Automotive is undervalued: the Oct 12, 2026 close of $60.81 is 25.1% below Gekko Fair Value of $81.24. Gekko Fair Value is recalculated every trading day, and a gap inside 5% either way counts as about fair value.
Sonic Automotive is expected to report on Oct 29, 2026 (17 days away). Analysts expect earnings of $1.72 per share on revenue of $4.04B. Sonic Automotive beat the earnings estimate in 5 of its last 8 reports, moving 7.3% on average across the report.
Sonic Automotive’s 52-week high is $113.67 and its 52-week low is $54.11; it closed at $60.81 on Oct 12, 2026, −16.1% over the past year.
Gekko describes the data; it does not make buy or sell recommendations. On the swing-trade checklist, 4 of the 6 items with data read as supportive (gekkoindex, fair value, smart money and seasonality) and 2 as headwinds (trend and earnings risk). The checklist is a description of current data, not a recommendation.
During US trading hours the price at the top of the page is a delayed quote, refreshed every 15 minutes; everything else is rebuilt after each US market close. The GekkoIndex, Gekko Fair Value and the checklist are Gekko’s own, and the Gekko Brief is written by AI from this page’s data and checked against it before it is published. How Gekko’s data works →
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