Stock fact sheet · data as of
Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Consumer Cyclical · Auto - Dealerships · United States · Value
Is SAH undervalued?
Sonic Automotive, Inc. (SAH) closed at 60.05 on 16 Oct 2026. The GLS average fair value - the simple average of the 7 valuation models that produced a positive number - is 80.57, so the price sits 25% below it. 5 of the 7 models value the shares above the current price. A margin of safety between 10% and 30% is where most of the Sunday Scan candidates come from.
The 7 models disagree widely: DDM gives 23.25 while Graham Growth gives 153.42. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files SAH under Value: positive earnings at a P/E of 18 or less.
Nine valuation models for SAH
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | - | - | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital; no value tonight |
| Graham Number | 69.98 | +17% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 153.42 | +155% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 49.95 | -17% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 123.09 | +105% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 69.80 | +16% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | - | - | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself; no value tonight |
| DDM | 23.25 | -61% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 74.51 | +24% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -65.48 | -209% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 86.80 | +45% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - SAH passes 5 of the nine Piotroski tests, which falls one point short of the Sunday Scan's "6 or more" rule. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is 5.2 out of 10: a ten-year record that is consistent in some of the metrics the score tracks (revenue, earnings, margins, cash flow, returns on capital) and patchy in others.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 2.2%, ROE 11.1%, ROA 2.0% - with debt at 3.96 times equity and negative free cash flow. Debt of 3.96 times equity is on the high side for the sector and is worth checking against the cash flow before treating the stock as a long-term hold.
The dividend yield is 2.63% at a payout ratio of 24%; for a wheel trader holding assigned shares the dividend adds to the covered-call premium, and the ex-dividend date is worth knowing before a call is sold. Revenue comes mainly from Retail New Vehicles 100% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 6/10, insider activity 5/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 5 / 9 | ROIC | 2.2% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.2 / 10 | ROE | 11.1% |
| Debt / equity | 3.96 | ROA | 2.0% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | -2.9% | Payout ratio | 24% |
| Institutions | 6 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 5 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 74: Good
SAH scores 74 out of 100 on the Wheel Score (Good band, 65-79). The score blends the margin of safety (Value, 23/25), Piotroski health (11/20), the GLS moat (8/15), the option premium on offer (20/20) and how easily the stock trades (12/20). Moat (8/15) is the part holding the score back.
Implied volatility is 56% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is thin - 1,186 contracts across every expiry - so fills at a fair price are not guaranteed; a 30-45-day put may not exist at a usable strike.
Volume runs at 252k shares a day on a market cap of $1.9B, with a beta of 0.93; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 12 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 23 / 25 | 25% margin of safety | |
| Health | 11 / 20 | Piotroski 5/9 | |
| Moat | 8 / 15 | moat 5.2/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 56% | |
| Stability | 12 / 20 | 252k shares/day, $1.9B cap, beta 0.93 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
Sonic Automotive, Inc. reports earnings on 22 Oct 2026 (before the open) - inside the 14-day window the Sunday Scan avoids, because a put sold now would carry the report's gap risk.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Auto - Dealerships
The 12 companies below are the closest to Sonic Automotive, Inc. by market cap within the Auto - Dealerships industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DRVN Driven Brands Holdings Inc. | 11.96 | 20.91 | +43% | 78Good | $2.0B |
| ACVA ACV Auctions Inc. | 10.50 | 1.82 | -478% | 45Weak | $1.8B |
| BGSI Boyd Group Services Inc. | 81.65 | 64.45 | -27% | 29No options | $2.3B |
| GPI Group 1 Automotive, Inc. | 239.80 | 323.14 | +26% | 77Good | $2.9B |
| ABG Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. | 169.87 | 478.77 | +65% | 77Good | $3.0B |
| VVV Valvoline Inc. | 30.39 | 21.92 | -39% | 54Fair | $3.9B |
| OPLN OPENLANE, Inc. | 36.98 | 47.45 | +22% | 77Good | $4.5B |
| RUSHA Rush Enterprises, Inc. | 43.78 | 72.26 | +39% | 88Prime | $5.1B |
| AN AutoNation, Inc. | 159.80 | 295.09 | +46% | 75Good | $5.3B |
| LAD Lithia Motors, Inc. | 295.31 | 571.63 | +48% | 45Weak | $6.5B |
| RUSHB Rush Enterprises, Inc. | 56.62 | 86.44 | +34% | 39No options | $6.7B |
| KMX CarMax, Inc. | 52.62 | 67.30 | +22% | 81Prime | $7.5B |
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about SAH
Is SAH undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, moderately: at 60.05 the stock trades 25% below the average fair value of 80.57 (data as of 16 Oct 2026).
What is the Wheel Score of SAH and what does it mean?
SAH scores 74 out of 100 (Good). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for SAH?
80.57 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 7 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Sonic Automotive, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 22 Oct 2026 (before the open), 6 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does SAH have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 228 listed contracts with 1,186 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 56% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.