Sonic Automotive Debt

SAH Stock  USD 58.83  0.49  0.83%   
Sonic Automotive holds a debt-to-equity ratio of 2.797. As of now, Sonic Automotive's Net Debt is increasing as compared to previous years. The Sonic Automotive's current Net Debt To EBITDA is estimated to increase to 8.58, while Short and Long Term Debt Total is projected to decrease to under 2.1 B. With a high degree of financial leverage come high-interest payments, which usually reduce Sonic Automotive's Earnings Per Share (EPS).

Asset vs Debt

Equity vs Debt

Sonic Automotive's liquidity is one of the most fundamental aspects of both its future profitability and its ability to meet different types of ongoing financial obligations. Sonic Automotive's cash, liquid assets, total liabilities, and shareholder equity can be utilized to evaluate how much leverage the Company is using to sustain its current operations. For traders, higher-leverage indicators usually imply a higher risk to shareholders. In addition, it helps Sonic Stock's retail investors understand whether an upcoming fall or rise in the market will negatively affect Sonic Automotive's stakeholders.

Sonic Automotive Quarterly Net Debt

4.08 Billion

For most companies, including Sonic Automotive, marketable securities, inventories, and receivables are the most common assets that could be converted to cash. However, for Sonic Automotive, the most critical issue when managing liquidity is ensuring that current assets are properly aligned with current liabilities. If they are not, Sonic Automotive's management will need to obtain alternative financing to ensure there are always enough cash equivalents on the balance sheet to meet obligations.
Price Book
2.0488
Book Value
31.14
Operating Margin
0.034
Profit Margin
0.0152
Return On Assets
0.0526
Given that Sonic Automotive's debt-to-equity ratio measures a Company's obligations relative to the value of its net assets, it is usually used by traders to estimate the extent to which Sonic Automotive is acquiring new debt as a mechanism of leveraging its assets. A high debt-to-equity ratio is generally associated with increased risk, implying that it has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. Another way to look at debt-to-equity ratios is to compare the overall debt load of Sonic Automotive to its assets or equity, showing how much of the company assets belong to shareholders vs. creditors. If shareholders own more assets, Sonic Automotive is said to be less leveraged. If creditors hold a majority of Sonic Automotive's assets, the Company is said to be highly leveraged.
The Sonic Automotive's current Non Current Liabilities Total is estimated to increase to about 2.3 B, while Total Current Liabilities is projected to decrease to under 1.6 B.
  
Check out the analysis of Sonic Automotive Fundamentals Over Time.
For more detail on how to invest in Sonic Stock please use our How to Invest in Sonic Automotive guide.

Sonic Automotive Bond Ratings

Sonic Automotive financial ratings play a critical role in determining how much Sonic Automotive have to pay to access credit markets, i.e., the amount of interest on their issued debt. The threshold between investment-grade and speculative-grade ratings has important market implications for Sonic Automotive's borrowing costs.
Piotroski F Score
6
HealthyView
Beneish M Score
(3.39)
Unlikely ManipulatorView

Sonic Automotive Debt to Cash Allocation

As Sonic Automotive follows its natural business cycle, the capital allocation decisions will not magically go away. Sonic Automotive's decision-makers have to determine if most of the cash flows will be poured back into or reinvested in the business, reserved for other projects beyond operational needs, or paid back to stakeholders and investors.
Sonic Automotive has 4.13 B in debt with debt to equity (D/E) ratio of 2.8, meaning that the company heavily relies on borrowing funds for operations. Sonic Automotive has a current ratio of 1.0, demonstrating that it may have difficulties to pay its financial commitments when the payables are due. Note however, debt could still be an excellent tool for Sonic to invest in growth at high rates of return.

Sonic Automotive Total Assets Over Time

Sonic Automotive Assets Financed by Debt

The debt-to-assets ratio shows the degree to which Sonic Automotive uses debt to finance its assets. It includes both long-term and short-term borrowings maturing within one year. It also includes both tangible and intangible assets, such as goodwill.

Sonic Automotive Debt Ratio

    
  51.0   
It feels like under 49% of Sonic Automotive's assets are financed be debt. Typically, companies with high debt-to-asset ratios are said to be highly leveraged. The higher the ratio, the greater risk will be associated with the Sonic Automotive's operation. In addition, a high debt-to-assets ratio may indicate a low borrowing capacity of Sonic Automotive, which in turn will lower the firm's financial flexibility.

Sonic Automotive Corporate Bonds Issued

Most Sonic bonds can be classified according to their maturity, which is the date when Sonic Automotive has to pay back the principal to investors. Maturities can be short-term, medium-term, or long-term (more than ten years). Longer-term bonds usually offer higher interest rates but may entail additional risks.

Sonic Short Long Term Debt Total

Short Long Term Debt Total

2.1 Billion

As of now, Sonic Automotive's Short and Long Term Debt Total is increasing as compared to previous years.

Understaning Sonic Automotive Use of Financial Leverage

Understanding the composition and structure of Sonic Automotive's debt gives an idea of how risky is the capital structure of the business and if it is worth investing in it. The degree of Sonic Automotive's financial leverage can be measured in several ways, including by ratios such as the debt-to-equity ratio (total debt / total equity), equity multiplier (total assets / total equity), or the debt ratio (total debt / total assets).
Last ReportedProjected for Next Year
Short and Long Term Debt Total4.1 B2.1 B
Net Debt4.1 B4.3 B
Short Term Debt2.1 B1.2 B
Long Term Debt1.5 B909.3 M
Long Term Debt Total1.9 B998.3 M
Short and Long Term DebtBB
Net Debt To EBITDA 6.75  8.58 
Debt To Equity 3.89  2.46 
Interest Debt Per Share 126.91  133.25 
Debt To Assets 0.70  0.51 
Long Term Debt To Capitalization 0.66  0.40 
Total Debt To Capitalization 0.80  0.59 
Debt Equity Ratio 3.89  2.46 
Debt Ratio 0.70  0.51 
Cash Flow To Debt Ratio 0.03  0.03 
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Currently Active Assets on Macroaxis

When determining whether Sonic Automotive offers a strong return on investment in its stock, a comprehensive analysis is essential. The process typically begins with a thorough review of Sonic Automotive's financial statements, including income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements, to assess its financial health. Key financial ratios are used to gauge profitability, efficiency, and growth potential of Sonic Automotive Stock. Outlined below are crucial reports that will aid in making a well-informed decision on Sonic Automotive Stock:
Check out the analysis of Sonic Automotive Fundamentals Over Time.
For more detail on how to invest in Sonic Stock please use our How to Invest in Sonic Automotive guide.
You can also try the Idea Optimizer module to use advanced portfolio builder with pre-computed micro ideas to build optimal portfolio .
Is Automotive Retail space expected to grow? Or is there an opportunity to expand the business' product line in the future? Factors like these will boost the valuation of Sonic Automotive. If investors know Sonic will grow in the future, the company's valuation will be higher. The financial industry is built on trying to define current growth potential and future valuation accurately. All the valuation information about Sonic Automotive listed above have to be considered, but the key to understanding future value is determining which factors weigh more heavily than others.
Quarterly Earnings Growth
0.494
Dividend Share
1.25
Earnings Share
6.18
Revenue Per Share
417.135
Quarterly Revenue Growth
0.087
The market value of Sonic Automotive is measured differently than its book value, which is the value of Sonic that is recorded on the company's balance sheet. Investors also form their own opinion of Sonic Automotive's value that differs from its market value or its book value, called intrinsic value, which is Sonic Automotive's true underlying value. Investors use various methods to calculate intrinsic value and buy a stock when its market value falls below its intrinsic value. Because Sonic Automotive's market value can be influenced by many factors that don't directly affect Sonic Automotive's underlying business (such as a pandemic or basic market pessimism), market value can vary widely from intrinsic value.
Please note, there is a significant difference between Sonic Automotive's value and its price as these two are different measures arrived at by different means. Investors typically determine if Sonic Automotive is a good investment by looking at such factors as earnings, sales, fundamental and technical indicators, competition as well as analyst projections. However, Sonic Automotive's price is the amount at which it trades on the open market and represents the number that a seller and buyer find agreeable to each party.

What is Financial Leverage?

Financial leverage is the use of borrowed money (debt) to finance the purchase of assets with the expectation that the income or capital gain from the new asset will exceed the cost of borrowing. In most cases, the debt provider will limit how much risk it is ready to take and indicate a limit on the extent of the leverage it will allow. In the case of asset-backed lending, the financial provider uses the assets as collateral until the borrower repays the loan. In the case of a cash flow loan, the general creditworthiness of the company is used to back the loan. The concept of leverage is common in the business world. It is mostly used to boost the returns on equity capital of a company, especially when the business is unable to increase its operating efficiency and returns on total investment. Because earnings on borrowing are higher than the interest payable on debt, the company's total earnings will increase, ultimately boosting stockholders' profits.

Leverage and Capital Costs

The debt to equity ratio plays a role in the working average cost of capital (WACC). The overall interest on debt represents the break-even point that must be obtained to profitability in a given venture. Thus, WACC is essentially the average interest an organization owes on the capital it has borrowed for leverage. Let's say equity represents 60% of borrowed capital, and debt is 40%. This results in a financial leverage calculation of 40/60, or 0.6667. The organization owes 10% on all equity and 5% on all debt. That means that the weighted average cost of capital is (.4)(5) + (.6)(10) - or 8%. For every $10,000 borrowed, this organization will owe $800 in interest. Profit must be higher than 8% on the project to offset the cost of interest and justify this leverage.

Benefits of Financial Leverage

Leverage provides the following benefits for companies:
  • Leverage is an essential tool a company's management can use to make the best financing and investment decisions.
  • It provides a variety of financing sources by which the firm can achieve its target earnings.
  • Leverage is also an essential technique in investing as it helps companies set a threshold for the expansion of business operations. For example, it can be used to recommend restrictions on business expansion once the projected return on additional investment is lower than the cost of debt.
By borrowing funds, the firm incurs a debt that must be paid. But, this debt is paid in small installments over a relatively long period of time. This frees funds for more immediate use in the stock market. For example, suppose a company can afford a new factory but will be left with negligible free cash. In that case, it may be better to finance the factory and spend the cash on hand on inputs, labor, or even hold a significant portion as a reserve against unforeseen circumstances.

The Risk of Financial Leverage

The most obvious and apparent risk of leverage is that if price changes unexpectedly, the leveraged position can lead to severe losses. For example, imagine a hedge fund seeded by $50 worth of investor money. The hedge fund borrows another $50 and buys an asset worth $100, leading to a leverage ratio of 2:1. For the investor, this is neither good nor bad -- until the asset price changes. If the asset price goes up 10 percent, the investor earns $10 on $50 of capital, a net gain of 20 percent, and is very pleased with the increased gains from the leverage. However, if the asset price crashes unexpectedly, say by 30 percent, the investor loses $30 on $50 of capital, suffering a 60 percent loss. In other words, the effect of leverage is to increase the volatility of returns and increase the effects of a price change on the asset to the bottom line while increasing the chance for profit as well.