Form 8-K

8-K — SONIC AUTOMOTIVE INC

Accession: 0001628280-26-032819

Filed: 2026-05-08

Period: 2026-05-06

CIK: 0001043509

SIC: 5500 (RETAIL-AUTO DEALERS & GASOLINE STATIONS)

Item: Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers: Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

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8-K — sah-20260506.htm (Primary)

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UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

____________________________________

FORM 8-K

____________________________________

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): May 6, 2026

____________________________________

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

____________________________________

Delaware

(State or other jurisdiction

of incorporation)

1-13395 56-2010790

(Commission

File Number)

(IRS Employer

Identification No.)

4401 Colwick Road

Charlotte, North Carolina 28211

(Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (704) 566-2400

Not Applicable

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report.)

____________________________________

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐

Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐

Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐

Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class Trading Symbol(s) Name of each exchange on which registered

Class A Common Stock, par value $0.01 per share SAH New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Item 5.02. Departure of Directors or Certain Officers; Election of Directors; Appointment of Certain Officers; Compensatory Arrangements of Certain Officers

Effective May 6, 2026, the Compensation Committee approved grants of performance-based restricted stock units under the Sonic Automotive, Inc. 2026 Equity Incentive Plan to the following Executive Officers in the following amounts: Mr. David Bruton Smith, 69,872 units; Mr. Jeff Dyke, 38,175 units; and Mr. Heath R. Byrd, 26,183 units. These restricted stock unit awards will not be eligible for dividend equivalents or voting rights. As provided by the Compensation Committee, these restricted stock units generally remain subject to forfeiture until February 11, 2029 based on continuation of employment and violation of any restrictive covenants or confidentiality provisions contained in any agreement between the Company and the respective officer. The awards of restricted stock units are also subject to forfeiture, in whole or in part, based on achievement of specified measures of the Company’s defined adjusted earnings per share performance for the 2026 calendar year. Subject to the performance condition, these awards vest in three annual installments, with 25% of the restricted stock units vesting on March 31, 2027, 30% of the restricted stock units vesting on February 11, 2028, and 45% of the restricted stock units vesting on February 11, 2029. Following vesting, the restricted stock units will be converted to, and paid in the form of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock, an equivalent cash value or a combination of shares of the Company’s Class A common stock and cash, at the option and in the sole discretion of the Compensation Committee.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

SONIC AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

May 8, 2026 By: /s/ STEPHEN K. COSS

Stephen K. Coss

Senior Vice President and General Counsel

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