Skip to content
KStart free
AI InfrastructureDefenseQuantumAll studies →

ABG US Equity

Asbury Automotive Group IncConsumer Discretionary · Retail-Auto Dealers & Gasoline Stations · CIK 1144980 · FY ends Dec 31
$214.81
-0.56 (-0.26%)
USD · as of 2026-08-21 · marketstack

ABG · 10-K · period ended 2023-12-31

← all ABG documents
filed 2024-02-29 · EDGAR original ↗

Our rendering of the filing — original pagination and typography are not reproduced, and tables are reduced to their short label cells (the figures live on FA). Nothing is summarized: every line below is the filing's own text.

blocks 5511,150 of 2,097411k characters rendered

Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

This MD&A should be read in conjunction with the accompanying audited consolidated financial statements and notes. Forward-looking statements in this MD&A are not guarantees of future performance and may involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected. Refer to the "Forward-Looking Statements" and Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors for a discussion of these risks and uncertainties. The discussion of our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 is included in Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022.

OVERVIEW

We are one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States. As of December 31, 2023, through our Dealerships segment, we owned and operated 208 new vehicle franchises (158 dealership locations), representing 31 brands of automobiles, within 16 states. We also operated 37 collision centers, and Total Care Auto, Powered by Landcar ("TCA"), our F&I product provider. Our stores offer an extensive range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles; parts and service, which include repair and maintenance services, replacement parts, and collision repair service; and finance and insurance products. The finance and insurance products are provided by both independent third parties and TCA. The F&I products offered by TCA are sold through affiliated dealerships. For the year ended December 31, 2023, our new vehicle revenue brand mix consisted of 39% imports, 33% luxury, and 28% domestic brands. The Company manages its operations in two reportable segments: Dealerships and TCA.

Our Dealerships segment revenues are derived primarily from: (i) the sale of new vehicles; (ii) the sale of used vehicles to individual retail customers ("used retail") and to other dealers at auction ("wholesale") (the terms "used retail" and "wholesale" are collectively referred to as "used"); (iii) repair and maintenance services, including collision repair, the sale of automotive replacement parts, and the reconditioning of used vehicles (collectively referred to as "parts and service"); and (iv) the arrangement of third-party vehicle financing and the sale of a number of vehicle protection products. F&I products are offered by dealerships to customers in connection with the purchase of vehicles through either TCA or independent third parties. We evaluate the results of our new and used vehicle sales based on unit volumes and gross profit per vehicle sold, our parts and service operations based on aggregate gross profit, and our F&I business based on F&I gross profit per vehicle sold. Amounts presented have been calculated using non-rounded amounts for all periods presented and therefore certain amounts may not compute or tie to prior year financial statements due to rounding.

Our dealerships gross profit margin varies with our revenue mix. Historically, the sales of new vehicles generally results in a lower gross profit margin than used vehicle sales, sales of parts and service, and sales of F&I products. As a result, when used vehicle, parts and service, and F&I revenue increase as a percentage of total revenue, we expect our overall gross profit margin to increase. However, recently, new vehicle gross profit margins have been above historical levels and higher than used vehicle gross margins as a result of inventory disruptions from supply chain issues.

Our TCA segment revenues, reflected in F&I revenue, net, are derived from the sale of various vehicle protection products including vehicle service contracts, GAP, prepaid maintenance contracts, and appearance protection contracts. These products are sold through company-owned dealerships. TCA's F&I revenues also include investment gains or losses and income earned associated with the performance of TCA's investment portfolio.

Our TCA segment gross profit margin can vary due to incurred claims expense and the performance of our investment portfolio. Certain F&I products may result in higher gross profit margins to TCA. Therefore, the product mix of F&I products sold by TCA can affect the gross profits earned. In addition, interest rate volatility based on economic and market conditions outside the control of the Company, may increase or reduce TCA segment gross profit margins as well as the fair market values of certain securities within our investment portfolio. Fair market values typically fluctuate inversely to the fluctuations in interest rates.

Selling, general, and administrative ("SG&A") expenses consist primarily of fixed and incentive-based compensation, advertising, rent, insurance, utilities, and other customary operating expenses. A significant portion of our cost structure is variable (such as sales commissions) or controllable (such as advertising), which we believe allows us to adapt to changes in the retail environment over the long-term. We evaluate commissions paid to salespeople as a percentage of retail vehicle gross profit, advertising expense on a per vehicle retailed ("PVR") basis, and all other SG&A expenses in the aggregate as a percentage of total gross profit. Commissions expense paid by TCA to our affiliated dealerships and reflected as F&I revenue in our Dealerships segment is eliminated in the TCA segment upon consolidation.

36

Table of Contents

Our continued organic growth is dependent upon the execution of our balanced automotive retailing and service business strategy, the continued strength of our brand mix, and the production and allocation of desirable vehicles from the automobile manufacturers whose brands we sell. Our vehicle sales have historically fluctuated with product availability as well as local and national economic conditions, including consumer confidence, availability of consumer credit, fuel prices, and employment levels.

In addition, our ability to sell certain new and used vehicles can be negatively impacted by a number of factors, some of which are outside of our control. Manufacturers continue to be hampered by the lack of availability of parts and key components from suppliers which has impacted new vehicle inventory levels and availability of certain parts. We cannot predict with any certainty how long the automotive retail industry will continue to be subject to these production slowdowns or when normalized production will resume at these manufacturers.

Jim Koons Acquisition

On December 11, 2023, the Company completed the acquisition of substantially all of the assets, including all real property and businesses of the Jim Koons Dealerships ("Koons") pursuant to a Purchase and Sale Agreement with various entities that comprise the Jim Koons automotive dealerships group (the "Koons acquisition") for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.50 billion, which includes $256.1 million of new vehicle floor plan financing and $103.8 million of assets held for sale related to Koons Lexus of Wilmington. The acquisition was funded with borrowings under Asbury’s existing credit facility and cash on hand. The Koons acquisition comprised 20 new vehicle dealerships and six collision centers.

Larry H. Miller Acquisition

On December 17, 2021, the Company completed the acquisition of the businesses of the Larry H. Miller ("LHM") Dealerships and TCA (collectively, the "LHM acquisition"), thereby acquiring 54 new vehicle dealerships, seven used cars stores, 11 collision centers, a used vehicle wholesale business, the real property related thereto, and the entities comprising the TCA business for an aggregate purchase price of $3.48 billion. The purchase price was financed through a combination of cash, debt, including senior notes, real estate facilities, new and used vehicle floor plan facilities and the proceeds from the issuance of common stock.

Financial Highlights

Highlights related to our financial condition and results of operations include the following:

•Consolidated revenue for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased to $14.80 billion, compared to $15.43 billion for the prior year.

•Consolidated gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2023 decreased to $2.76 billion, compared to $3.10 billion for the prior year.

•The decrease in consolidated revenue and gross profit is primarily due to lower used vehicle and F&I revenue. Additionally, lower gross profit was driven by lower gross profit per vehicle sold for both new and used vehicles as margins continue to shift downward from the historic highs in recent years.

•The effects of dealership divestitures also impacted consolidated revenue and gross profit. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in Austin, Texas. During 2022, we completed sixteen divestitures that contributed $683 million in revenue for the year ended December 31, 2022. Four of the divestitures closed in the first quarter, three in the second quarter, and nine in the fourth quarter of 2022.

•Our capital allocation priorities were supported by share repurchases of approximately 1,316,167 million shares for $258.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2023.

•On October 20, 2023, we entered into a fourth amended and restated credit agreement with Bank of America, as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (the "2023 Senior Credit Facility'). The 2023 Senior Credit Facility increased our borrowing capacity from $2.55 billion to $2.80 billion and extended the maturity date to October 20, 2028.

37

Table of Contents

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

We assess the organic growth of our revenue and gross profit on a same store basis. We believe that our assessment on a same store basis represents an important indicator of comparative financial performance and provides relevant information to assess our performance. As such, for the following discussion, same store amounts consist of information from dealerships for identical months in each comparative period, commencing with the first full month we owned the dealership. Additionally, amounts related to divested dealerships are excluded from each comparative period. During 2022, the Company completed sixteen divestitures that contributed $683 million in revenue for the year. Four of the divestitures closed in the first quarter, three in the second quarter, and nine in the fourth quarter of 2022.

The Year Ended December 31, 2023 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2022

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

REVENUE:

GROSS PROFIT:

OPERATING EXPENSES:

Depreciation and amortization 67.7 69.0 (1.3) (2) %

Other operating income, net — (4.4) 4.4 (100) %

OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSES:

Floor plan interest expense 9.6 8.4 1.3 15 %

Gain on dealership divestitures, net (13.5) (207.1) 193.6 NM

Total other expenses (income), net 152.2 (46.5) 198.8 NM

______________________________

NM—Not Meaningful

38

Table of Contents

For the Year Ended December 31,

REVENUE MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 27.1 % 31.3 %

Used vehicle wholesale 2.7 % 2.4 %

Parts and service 14.1 % 13.4 %

Finance and insurance, net 4.6 % 5.2 %

GROSS PROFIT MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 9.0 % 11.2 %

Used vehicle wholesale 0.6 % 0.2 %

Parts and service 41.8 % 37.2 %

Finance and insurance, net 23.2 % 24.2 %

GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 18.6 % 20.1 %

SG&A EXPENSES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS PROFIT 58.7 % 56.9 %

Total revenue during 2023 decreased by $631.2 million (4%) compared to 2022, due to a $782.8 million (15%) decrease in used vehicle revenue, a $120.8 million (15%) decrease in F&I revenue, offset by a $265.1 million (4%) increase in new vehicle revenue and a $7.3 million increase in parts and service revenue.

The $344.8 million (11%) decrease in gross profit during 2023 was the result of a $141.0 million (17%) decrease in new vehicle gross profit, an $89.2 million (25%) decrease in used vehicle gross profit, a $2.1 million decrease in parts and service gross profit and a $112.5 million (15%) decrease in F&I gross profit. Our total gross profit margin decreased 147 basis points from 20.1% in 2022 to 18.6% in 2023.

Income from operations during 2023 decreased by $319.1 million (25%) compared to 2022, primarily due to a $344.8 million (11%) decrease in gross profit and a $117.2 million increase in asset impairments, partially offset by a $146.0 million (8%) decrease in selling, general, and administrative expenses.

Total other expenses (income), net increased by $198.8 million from income of $46.5 million in 2022 to $152.2 million of expenses in 2023, primarily due to a $193.6 million decrease in gain on dealership divestitures, a $3.9 million (3%) increase in other interest expense, net and a $1.3 million (15%) increase in floor plan interest expense. As a result, income before income taxes decreased by $517.8 million (39%) to $801.3 million in 2023. The $123.0 million (38%) decrease in income tax expense was primarily attributable to the 39% decrease in income before taxes, partially offset by a 41 basis point increase in the 2023 effective tax rate. Overall, net income decreased by $394.8 million (40%) from $997.3 million in 2022 to $602.5 million in 2023.

39

Table of Contents

New Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

New vehicle units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

New vehicle units:

40

Table of Contents

New Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

New vehicle gross margin 9.2 % 11.5 % (2.2) %

Luxury:

New vehicle gross margin 10.9 % 12.7 % (1.8) %

Import:

New vehicle gross margin 8.9 % 11.6 % (2.8) %

Domestic:

New vehicle gross margin 7.7 % 9.9 % (2.2) %

Same Store:

New vehicle gross margin 9.2 % 11.5 % (2.3) %

Luxury:

New vehicle gross margin 10.9 % 12.7 % (1.9) %

Import:

New vehicle gross margin 8.8 % 11.6 % (2.8) %

Domestic:

New vehicle gross margin 7.8 % 10.0 % (2.2) %

During 2023, new vehicle revenue increased by $265.1 million (4%) when compared to 2022, as a result of a 5% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold partially offset by a 1% decrease in new vehicle unit sales. Same store new vehicle revenue increased by $500.6 million (7%) as a result of a 4% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold and a 3% increase in new vehicle units sold.

New vehicle gross profit decreased by $141.0 million (17)% in 2023 when compared to 2022, as a result of a 16% decrease in gross profit per new vehicle sold and a 1% decrease in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross profit decreased by $114.0 million (14%) in 2023, as a result of a 16% decrease in gross profit per new vehicle sold partially offset by a 3% increase in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross margin decreased 228 basis points to 9.2% in 2023. The decrease in our new vehicle gross profit margin was primarily attributable to the easing of new vehicle inventory constraints which softened the historically high new vehicle margins seen in recent years.

The seasonally adjusted annual rate ("SAAR") for new vehicle sales in the U.S. during the year ended December 31, 2023 was approximately 15.4 million which increased as compared to approximately 13.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2022. The increase in new vehicle sales revenue on a same store basis for the year ended December 31, 2023 over the same period in the prior year is primarily attributable to an increase of $2,118 of revenue per new vehicle sold and an increase of 3,845 in new vehicle units sold. The increase in SAAR period over period reflects higher inventory supply, including fleet, coupled with continued consumer demand for new vehicles. However, we continue to be negatively impacted by the significant variation in new vehicle days supply among brands and models. We ended the year with approximately 43

41

Table of Contents

days of supply of new vehicle inventory which reflects an increase from 26 days of supply as of December 31, 2022 but remains well below historical levels.

Used Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 15.5 6.2 9.3 151 %

Used vehicle retail units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 15.3 7.1 8.3 117 %

Used vehicle retail units:

Used Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 1,949 $ 2,291 $ (342) (15) %

Used vehicle retail gross margin 6.2 % 7.2 % (1.0) %

Same Store:

Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 1,948 $ 2,321 $ (374) (16) %

Used vehicle retail gross margin 6.2 % 7.2 % (1.0) %

Used vehicle revenue decreased by $782.8 million (15%), due to an $811.3 million (17%) decrease in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $28.5 million (8%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Same store used vehicle revenue decreased by $513.7 million (11%) due to a $554.6 million (12%) decrease in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $40.8 million (12%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Used vehicle revenues and unit volume have continued to

42

Table of Contents

contract during 2023, along with margins on both an all store and same store basis. Used vehicle revenue and unit volumes have been negatively impacted by the affordability headwinds and lack of inventory availability, especially in vehicles with lower mileage.

In 2023, total Company and same store used vehicle retail gross profit margins decreased 100 and 102 basis points, respectively, to both 6.2%. We attribute the decreases in used vehicle retail gross profit margin to a softening in the used vehicle market, which was at record highs in 2021 and, to a lesser extent 2022, as a result of new vehicle inventory shortages initially caused by COVID-19 disruptions followed by supply chain issues.

We believe that our used vehicle inventory continues to be well-aligned with current consumer demand, with approximately 32 days of supply as of December 31, 2023. This level of days of supply is in line with our historic targeted range of 30 to 35 days.

Parts and Service—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Parts and service gross profit:

Reconditioning and preparation * 214.0 221.1 (7.1) (3) %

Total parts and service gross profit $ 1,150.6 $ 1,152.6 $ (2.1) — %

Total parts and service gross margin 55.3% 55.6% (0.3) %

Same Store:

Parts and service gross profit:

Total parts and service gross margin 55.3% 55.5% (0.2) %

* Reconditioning and preparation represents the gross profit earned by our parts and service departments for internal work performed and is included as a reduction of Parts and service cost of sales within the accompanying consolidated statements of income upon the sale of the vehicle.

The $7.3 million increase in parts and service revenue was due to a $6.3 million increase in customer pay revenue and a $10.2 million (4%) increase in warranty revenue, partially offset by a $9.2 million (2%) decrease in wholesale parts revenue. Same store parts and service revenue increased $102.6 (5%) from $1.96 billion in 2022 to $2.06 billion in 2023. The increase in same store parts and service revenue was due to a $72.1 million (6%) increase in customer pay revenue, a $19.8 million (8%) increase in warranty revenue and a $10.7 million (2%) increase in wholesale parts revenue.

43

Table of Contents

Parts and service gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $5.1 million (1%) to $936.6 million and same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $47.6 million (5%) to $928.1 million. The $47.6 million increase in same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, is primarily due to a $33.8 million (5%) increase in customer pay gross profit, an $11.3 million (8%) increase in warranty gross profit, and a $2.5 million (3%) increase in wholesale parts gross profit. As a result of the shortage of new vehicle inventory, many customers have elected to keep their current vehicles longer which has generated additional customer pay and wholesale parts gross profit for the parts and service departments. We continue to focus on increasing our customer pay parts and service revenue over the long-term by improving the customer experience, providing competitive benefits to our technicians, capitalizing on our dealership training programs and upgrading equipment.

Finance and Insurance, net—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Finance and insurance, net gross profit $ 638.2 $ 750.7 $ (112.5) (15) %

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,304 $ 2,480 $ (177) (7) %

Same Store:

Finance and insurance, net revenue $ 667.3 $ 761.7 $ (94.4) (12) %

Finance and insurance, net gross profit $ 629.4 $ 715.5 $ (86.1) (12) %

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,308 $ 2,527 $ (219) (9) %

F&I revenue, net decreased by $120.8 million (15%) in 2023 when compared to 2022 primarily as a result of an 8% decrease in new and used retail unit sales and a 7% decrease in F&I per vehicle retailed.

On a same store basis F&I revenue, net decreased by $94.4 million (12%) in 2023 when compared to 2022 primarily as a result of a 4% decrease in new and used retail unit sales and a 9% decrease in F&I per vehicle retailed.

The financial results of the TCA segment, after dealership eliminations, are as follows:

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions)

Finance and insurance, cost of sales $ 37.9 $ 46.3 $ (8.4) (18) %

Finance and insurance, gross profit $ 100.4 $ 79.8 $ 20.7 26 %

TCA offers a variety of F&I products, such as extended vehicle service contracts, prepaid maintenance contracts, GAP, appearance protection contracts and lease wear-and-tear contracts. TCA's products are sold through our automobile dealerships.

Revenue generated by TCA is earned over the period of the related product contract. The method for recognizing revenue is assigned based on contract type and expected claim patterns. Premium revenues are supplemented with investment gains or losses and income earned associated with the performance of TCA's investment portfolio. During the year ended December 31, 2023, TCA generated $138.3 million of revenue, consisting primarily of earned premium and $15.7 million from the investment portfolio.

Direct expenses incurred for the acquisition of F&I contracts on which revenue has not yet been recognized have been deferred and are amortized over the related contract period. During the year ended December 31, 2023, TCA recorded $37.9 million of cost of sales consisting primarily of claims expense, after the elimination of claims paid to affiliated dealerships. Commissions expense paid by TCA to our affiliated dealerships and reflected as F&I revenue in our Dealerships segment is eliminated in the TCA segment upon consolidation.

44

Table of Contents

As we continue to integrate TCA, we expect a rollout of TCA products to our remaining stores by the end of 2024. With the ownership of TCA, while the combined profitability of the transaction is higher, the timing of revenue and cost recognition is deferred and amortized over the life of the contract. We expect that this rollout will result in lower F&I revenue and gross profit over the next two to three years due to the change in how these contracts are earned.

Selling, General, and Administrative Expense—

2023 % of GrossProfit 2022 % of GrossProfit

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Same Store:

SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit increased 182 basis points from 56.9% in 2022 to 58.7% in 2023. Same store SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit increased 173 basis points from 56.8% in 2022 to 58.5% in 2023. The increase in SG&A as a percentage of gross profit is primarily the result of lower gross profits for 2023 when compared to 2022. SG&A expense for the year ended December 31, 2023 includes $4.3 million of expense related to hail damage, a $3.6 million gain from the sale of real estate and $4.1 million of professional fees related to the Koons acquisition. SG&A expense for the year ended December 31, 2022 includes $2.7 million of professional fees related to acquisition due diligence.

Asset Impairments —

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we recognized asset impairment charges of $117.2 million as compared to no impairment charges during the year ended December 31, 2022. The asset impairment charges resulted from our annual franchise rights impairment tests and the classification of certain asset disposal groups as held for sale which resulted in additional franchise rights and goodwill impairment charges.

Floor Plan Interest Expense —

Floor plan interest expense increased by $1.3 million (15%) to $9.6 million during 2023 compared to $8.4 million during 2022 due to less cash held in the floor plan offset account in December 2023 as a result of funding the Koons acquisition.

Other Interest Expense —

Other interest expense increased $3.9 million (3%) from $152.2 million in 2022 to $156.1 million in 2023. The increase is primarily due to higher loaner payable interest expense driven by higher loaner vehicle balances, as well as interest expense on our revolving credit agreement in December 2023.

45

Table of Contents

Gain on Dealership Divestitures —

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in Austin, Texas. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain totaling $13.5 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in St. Louis, Missouri, three franchises (three dealership locations) and one collision center in Colorado, two franchises (two dealership locations) in Spokane, Washington, one franchise (one dealership location) in Albuquerque, New Mexico and 11 franchises (nine dealership locations) and two collision centers in North Carolina. The Company recorded a net pre-tax gain totaling $207.1 million.

Income Tax Expense —

The $123.0 million (38%) decrease in income tax expense was primarily the result of a $517.8 million (39%) decrease in income before income taxes. Our effective tax rate increased 41 basis points from 24.4% in 2022 to 24.8% in 2023. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to lower income before taxes and our acquisition and divestiture activity. Stores acquired are located in relatively high tax rate states while the stores divested are located in relatively low or no tax rate states.

Refer to Note 16 "Income Taxes" for additional information regarding income taxes.

46

Table of Contents

CONSOLIDATED RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The Company's full year results for 2022 include the results of the dealerships acquired in the fourth quarter of 2021. Accordingly, the significant increases in revenue, gross profit and income from operations for 2022 compared to 2021 are largely a result of these acquisitions.

The Year Ended December 31, 2022 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2021

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except per share data)

REVENUE:

GROSS PROFIT:

OPERATING EXPENSES:

Other operating income, net (4.4) (5.4) 1.0 (19) %

OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSES:

Floor plan interest expense 8.4 8.2 0.2 2 %

Gain on dealership divestitures, net (207.1) (8.0) (199.1) NM

Total other (income) expenses, net (46.5) 94.1 (140.6) NM

______________________________

NM—Not Meaningful

47

Table of Contents

For the Year Ended December 31,

REVENUE MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 31.3 % 31.1 %

Used vehicle wholesale 2.4 % 2.6 %

Parts and service 13.4 % 12.0 %

Finance and insurance, net 5.2 % 4.1 %

GROSS PROFIT MIX PERCENTAGES:

Used retail vehicles 11.2 % 13.8 %

Used vehicle wholesale 0.2 % 1.4 %

Parts and service 37.2 % 38.0 %

Finance and insurance, net 24.2 % 21.1 %

GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 20.1 % 19.3 %

SG&A EXPENSES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS PROFIT 56.9 % 56.5 %

Total revenue during 2022 increased by $5.60 billion (57%) compared to 2021, due to a $2.43 billion (49%) increase in new vehicle revenue, a $1.88 billion (57%) increase in used vehicle revenue, a $891.4 million (75%) increase in parts and service revenue and a $391.9 million (97%) increase in F&I revenue.

The $1.20 billion (63%) increase in gross profit during 2022 was the result of a $353.5 million (72%) increase in new vehicle gross profit, a $64.9 million (22%) increase in used vehicle gross profit, a $430.8 million (60%) increase in parts and service gross profit and a $349.2 million (87%) increase in F&I gross profit. Our total gross profit margin increased 75 basis points from 19.3% in 2021 to 20.1% in 2022.

Income from operations during 2022 increased by $480.8 million (61%) compared to 2021, primarily due to a $1.20 billion (63%) increase in gross profit, partially offset by a $689.4 million (64%) increase in selling, general, and administrative expenses and a $27.1 million (65%) increase in depreciation and amortization expenses.

Total other (income) expenses, net decreased by $140.6 million (149%) from expense of $94.1 million in 2021 to $46.5 million of income in 2022, primarily due to a $199.1 million increase in gain on dealership divestitures, partially offset by a $58.3 million increase in other interest expense, net, and a $0.2 million increase in floor plan interest expense. As a result, income before income taxes increased by $621.4 million (89%) to $1.32 billion in 2022. The $156.5 million (95%) increase in income tax expense was primarily attributable to the 89% increase in income before taxes and a 70 basis point increase in the 2022 effective tax rate. Overall, net income increased by $464.9 million (87%) from $532.4 million in 2021 to $997.3 million in 2022.

48

Table of Contents

DEALERSHIPS SEGMENT

New Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

New vehicle units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

New vehicle units:

49

Table of Contents

New Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

New vehicle gross margin 11.5 % 9.9 % 1.5 %

Luxury:

New vehicle gross margin 12.7 % 11.0 % 1.6 %

Import:

New vehicle gross margin 11.6 % 9.1 % 2.6 %

Domestic:

New vehicle gross margin 9.9 % 9.1 % 0.9 %

Same Store:

New vehicle gross margin 11.7 % 9.9 % 1.8 %

Luxury:

New vehicle gross margin 12.5 % 11.1 % 1.4 %

Import:

New vehicle gross margin 11.7 % 9.0 % 2.7 %

Domestic:

New vehicle gross margin 9.4 % 8.8 % 0.5 %

New vehicle revenue increased by $2.43 billion (49%), as a result of a 38% increase in new vehicle unit sales and a 9% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold. Same store new vehicle revenue decreased by $407.8 million (9%) as a result of a 18% decrease in new vehicle units sold offset by a 10% increase in revenue per new vehicle sold.

New vehicle gross profit increased by $353.5 million (72%) , as a result of a 25% increase in gross profit per new vehicle sold and a 38% increase in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross profit increased by $31.2 million (7%) in 2022, as a result of a 30% increase in gross profit per new vehicle sold partially offset by a 18% decrease in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross margin increased 179 basis points to 11.7% in 2022, primarily as a result of supply challenges for much of 2022 caused by a global semi-conductor shortage which led to manufacturer production challenges. We finished 2022 with a 26 days of supply of new vehicle inventory which is below our targeted days supply primarily as a result of these manufacturer production challenges.

50

Table of Contents

Used Vehicle—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 6.2 26.4 (20.2) (77) %

Used vehicle retail units:

Same Store:

Revenue:

Gross profit:

Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 1.6 24.5 (22.8) (93) %

Used vehicle retail units:

Used Vehicle Metrics—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase (Decrease) %Change

As Reported:

Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 2,291 $ 2,490 $ (199) (8) %

Used vehicle retail gross margin 7.2 % 8.6 % (1.4) %

Same Store:

Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 2,085 $ 2,523 $ (438) (17) %

Used vehicle retail gross margin 6.4 % 8.6 % (2.2) %

Used vehicle revenue increased by $1.88 billion (57%), due to a $1.77 billion (58%) increase in used retail revenue and a $108.6 million (42%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Same store used vehicle revenue increased by $148.7 million (5%) due to a $226.9 million (8%) increase in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $78.1 million (34%) decrease in used vehicle wholesale revenue.

In 2022, total Company and same store used vehicle retail gross profit margins both decreased 139 and 224 basis points to 7.2% and 6.4%, respectively. We attribute the decreases in used vehicle retail gross profit margin to a softening in the used

51

Table of Contents

vehicle market, which was at record highs in 2021 as a result of new vehicle inventory shortages caused by semiconductor supply chain issues and COVID-19 disruptions.

We believe that our used vehicle inventory continues to be well-aligned with current consumer demand, with approximately 27 days of supply as of December 31, 2022.

Parts and Service—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Parts and service gross profit:

Total parts and service gross margin 55.4% 60.8% (5.4) %

Same Store:

Parts and service gross profit:

Total parts and service gross margin 59.8% 61.2% (1.3) %

* Reconditioning and preparation represents the gross profit earned by our parts and service departments for internal work performed and is included as a reduction of Parts and service cost of sales within the accompanying consolidated statements of income upon the sale of the vehicle.

The $923.3 million (78%) increase in parts and service revenue was due to a $568.1 million (70%) increase in customer pay revenue, a $270.2 million (143%) increase in wholesale parts revenue and a $85.0 million (47%) increase in warranty revenue. Same store parts and service revenue increased $126.3 million (12%) from $1.06 billion in 2021 to $1.18 billion in 2022. The increase in same store parts and service revenue was due to a $108.7 million (15%) increase in customer pay revenue and a $26.8 million (17%) increase in wholesale parts revenue, partially offset by a $9.1 million (6%) decrease in warranty revenue.

Parts and service gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $380.2 million (67%) to $946.7 million and same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $57.5 million (11%) to $565.7 million. The $57.5 million increase in same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, is primarily due to a $60.1 million (15%) increase in customer pay gross profit and a $3.2 million (11%) increase in wholesale parts gross profit, partially offset by a $5.7 million (7%) decrease in warranty gross profit. As a result of the shortage of new vehicle inventory, many customers have elected to keep their current vehicles longer which has generated additional customer pay and wholesale parts gross profit for the parts and service departments.

52

Table of Contents

Finance and Insurance, net—

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions, except for per vehicle data)

As Reported:

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,217 $ 1,872 $ 345 18 %

Same Store:

Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,339 $ 1,883 $ 456 24 %

F&I revenue, net increased by $268.2 million (67%) in 2022 when compared to 2021 primarily as a result of a 41% increase in new and used retail unit sales and an 18% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed.

On a same store basis F&I revenue, net increased by $40.4 million (11%) in 2022 when compared to 2021 primarily as a result of a 24% increase in F&I per vehicle retailed, partially offset by a 11% decrease in new and used retail unit sales.

During 2022 we continued to benefit from a favorable consumer lending environment, which allowed more of our customers to take advantage of a broader array of F&I products and our continued focus on improving the F&I results at our lower-performing stores through our F&I training programs.

The financial results of the TCA segment, after dealership eliminations, are as follows:

For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change

(Dollars in millions)

Finance and insurance, revenue $ 126.0 $ 2.3 $ 123.7 NM

Finance and insurance, cost of sales $ 46.3 $ 3.6 $ 42.7 NM

Finance and insurance, gross profit $ 79.8 $ (1.3) $ 81.0 NM

TCA offers a variety of F&I products, such as extended vehicle service contracts, prepaid maintenance contracts, GAP, appearance protection contracts and lease wear-and-tear contracts. TCA's products are sold through our automobile dealerships.

Revenue generated by TCA is earned over the period of the related product contract. The method for recognizing revenue is assigned based on contract type and expected claim patterns. Premium revenues are supplemented with investment gains or losses and income earned associated with the performance of TCA's investment portfolio. During the year ended December 31, 2022, TCA generated $126.0 million of revenue, consisting primarily of earned premium partially offset by a loss of $8.0 million in the investment portfolio.

Direct expenses incurred for the acquisition of F&I contracts on which revenue has not yet been recognized have been deferred and are amortized over the related contract period. During the year ended December 31, 2022, TCA recorded $46.3 million of cost of sales consisting primarily of claims expense, after the elimination of claims paid to affiliated dealerships. Commissions expense paid by TCA to our affiliated dealerships and reflected as F&I revenue in our Dealerships segment is eliminated in the TCA segment upon consolidation.

53

Table of Contents

CONSOLIDATED

Selling, General, and Administrative Expense—

2022 % of GrossProfit 2021 % of GrossProfit

(Dollars in millions)

As Reported:

Same Store:

SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit increased 41 basis points from 56.5% in 2021 to 56.9% in 2022. Same store SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit decreased 35 basis points from 57.2% in 2021 to 56.9% in 2022. The decrease in SG&A as a percentage of gross profit is primarily the result of higher gross profits earned across our Dealerships segment, as well as maintaining expense discipline, particularly in personnel costs, with enhanced productivity of our team members.

Depreciation and Amortization Expense —

The $27.1 million (65%) increase in depreciation and amortization expense during 2022 compared to 2021, was primarily the result of depreciation associated with dealership acquisitions during 2021 and additional assets placed into service during 2022.

Floor Plan Interest Expense —

Floor plan interest expense increased by $0.2 million (2%) to $8.4 million during 2022 compared to $8.2 million during 2021.

Other Interest Expense —

Other interest expense increased $58.3 million (62%) from $93.9 million in 2021 to $152.2 million in 2022. The increase is due to having a full year of interest expense in 2022 in connection with acquisition-related financing that we entered into during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Gain on Dealership Divestitures —

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in St. Louis, Missouri, three franchises (three dealership locations) and one collision center in Colorado, two franchises (two dealership locations) in Spokane, Washington, one franchise (one dealership location) in Albuquerque, New Mexico and 11 franchises (nine dealership locations) and two collision centers in North Carolina. The Company recorded a net pre-tax gain totaling $207.1 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in the Charlottesville, Virginia market. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain totaling $8.0 million.

54

Table of Contents

Income Tax Expense —

The $156.5 million (95%) increase in income tax expense was the result of a $621.4 million (89%) increase in income before income taxes. Our effective tax rate increased 70 basis points from 23.7% in 2021 to 24.4% in 2022. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to the apportionment of income to states with higher tax rates we began doing business in as a result of the acquisitions made during the fourth quarter of 2021.

LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES

As of December 31, 2023, we had total available liquidity of $459.8 million, which consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $32.5 million (excluding $13.2 million held by TCA), available funds in our floor plan offset accounts of $95.2 million million and $332.1 million of availability under our revolving credit facility. The borrowing capacities under our revolving credit facility and our used vehicle revolving floor plan facility are limited by borrowing base calculations and, from time to time, may be further limited by our required compliance with certain financial covenants. For more information on our financial covenants, see "Covenants and Defaults" and "Share Repurchases and Dividend Restrictions" below.

We continually evaluate our liquidity and capital resources based upon (i) our cash and cash equivalents on hand, (ii) the funds that we expect to generate through future operations, (iii) current and expected borrowing availability under our 2023 Senior Credit Facility (discussed further below), (iv) amounts in our new vehicle floor plan notes payable offset accounts, and (v) the potential impact of our capital allocation strategy and any contemplated or pending future transactions, including, but not limited to, financings, acquisitions, dispositions, equity and/or debt repurchases, dividends, or other capital expenditures. We believe we will have sufficient liquidity to meet our debt service and working capital requirements; commitments and contingencies; debt repayment, maturity and repurchase obligations; acquisitions; capital expenditures; and any operating requirements for at least the next twelve months and the foreseeable future.

Material Indebtedness

We currently are party to the following material credit facilities and agreements and have the following material indebtedness outstanding. For a more detailed description of the material terms of these agreements and facilities, and this indebtedness, see Note 14 "Debt" included in the notes to consolidated financial statements.

•2023 Senior Credit Facility—On October 20, 2023, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into a fourth amended and restated credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A. ("Bank of America"), as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (the "2023 Senior Credit Facility"). The 2023 Senior Credit Facility amended and restated the Company’s pre-existing third amended and restated credit agreement, dated as of September 25, 2019, among the Company, certain of its subsidiaries, Bank of America, as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto. As amended, the 2023 Senior Credit Agreement provides for the following:

Revolving Credit Facility—A $500.0 million Revolving Credit Facility for, among other things, acquisitions, working capital and capital expenditures, including a $50.0 million sub-limit for letters of credit. As of December 31, 2023, we converted $389.0 million of availability from the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility (as defined below) back to the Revolving Credit facility resulting in $346.1 million in borrowing capacity. In addition, as of December 31, 2023, we had $14.0 million in outstanding letters of credit, resulting in $332.1 million of borrowing availability. We began the year with no amounts drawn on our revolving credit facility. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we had borrowings of $329.0 million and $329.0 million in repayments, resulting in no outstanding borrowings as of December 31, 2023.

New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility—A $1.93 billion New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility which allows us to transfer cash as an offset to floor plan notes payable. These transfers reduce the amount of outstanding new vehicle floor plan notes payable that would otherwise accrue interest, while retaining the ability to transfer amounts from the offset account into our operating cash accounts within one to two days. As a result of the use of this floor plan offset account, we experienced a reduction in floor plan interest expense on our consolidated statements of income. As of December 31, 2023, we had $1.46 billion outstanding under the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility, which includes $127.2 million classified in loaner vehicles notes payable which is included in accounts payable and accrued liabilities in our consolidated balance sheets. As of December 31, 2023, we held $44.7 million in the floor plan notes payable offset account.

Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility—A $375.0 million Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility to finance the acquisition of used vehicle inventory and for working capital and capital expenditures, as well as to refinance used vehicles. We began the year with no amounts drawn on our Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility. During the year ended December 31, 2023, we had additional borrowings of $547.1 million and $240.0 million in

55

Table of Contents

repayments resulting in $307.1 million outstanding borrowings as of December 31, 2023. We did not have any borrowing capacity under the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility based on our borrowing base calculation as of December 31, 2023.

Subject to compliance with certain conditions, the 2023 Senior Credit Agreement provides that we have the ability, at our option and subject to the receipt of additional commitments from existing or new lenders, to increase the size of the facilities by up to $750.0 million in the aggregate without lender consent.

At our option, we have the ability to re-designate a portion of our availability under the Revolving Credit Facility to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility. The maximum amount we are allowed to re-designate is determined based on aggregate commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility, less $50.0 million. In addition, we are able to re-designate any amounts moved to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility back to the Revolving Credit Facility. As of December 31, 2022, $389.0 million of availability under the Revolving Credit Facility was re-designated to the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility. We re-designated this amount to take advantage of the lower commitment fee rates on the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility when compared to the Revolving Credit Facility.

On May 25, 2022, the Company and certain of its subsidiaries entered into the fourth amendment to the 2019 Senior Credit Facility with Bank of America, as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto, to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to Secured Overnight Financing Rate ("SOFR"). See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.

In addition to the payment of interest on borrowings outstanding under the 2023 Senior Credit Facility, we are required to pay a quarterly commitment fee on total unused commitments thereunder. The fee for unused commitments under the Revolving Credit Facility is between 0.15% and 0.40% per year, based on the Company's total lease adjusted leverage ratio, and the fee for unused commitments under the New Vehicle Facility Floor Plan and the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility is 0.15% per year.

•Manufacturer affiliated new vehicle floor plan and other financing facilities—We have a floor plan facility with the Ford Motor Credit Company ("Ford Credit") to purchase new Ford and Lincoln vehicle inventory. Our floor plan facility with Ford Credit was amended in July 2020 and can be terminated by either the Company or Ford Credit with a 30-day notice period. We have also established a floor plan offset account with Ford Credit, which operates in a similar manner to our floor plan offset account with Bank of America. As of December 31, 2023, we had $195.1 million, which is net of $50.5 million in our floor plan offset account, outstanding under our floor plan facility. Neither our floor plan facility with Ford Credit nor our facilities for loaner vehicles have stated borrowing limitations.

•2029 and 2032 Senior Notes—On November 19, 2021, the Company completed its offering of $800.0 million aggregate principal amount of 4.625% senior notes due 2029 (the "2029 Senior Notes") and $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.000% senior notes due 2032 (the "2032 Senior Notes"). The 2029 Senior Notes and 2032 Senior Notes mature on November 15, 2029 and February 15, 2032, respectively. Interest is payable semiannually, on November 15 and May 15 of each year. The 2029 Senior Notes and the 2032 Senior Notes were offered, together with additional borrowings and cash on hand, to (i) fund the LHM Acquisition and (ii) pay related fees and expenses.

The 2029 Notes and 2032 Notes have been fully and unconditionally guaranteed, on a joint and several basis, by substantially all of our subsidiaries other than the TCA Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. In addition, the notes are subject to customary covenants, events of default and optional redemption revisions. The 2029 Senior Notes and the 2032 Senior Notes are not required to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933.

•2028 and 2030 Senior Notes—On February 19, 2020, the Company completed its offering of senior unsecured notes, consisting of $525.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Existing 2028 Notes and $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of the Existing 2030 Notes. The 2028 Notes and 2030 Notes mature on March 1, 2028 and March 1, 2030, respectively. Interest is payable semiannually, on March 1 and September 1 of each year. The 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes were offered, together with additional borrowings and cash on hand, to (i) fund the acquisition of substantially all of the assets of Park Place, (ii) redeem all of our outstanding $600.0 million aggregate principal amount of 6.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024 (the "6.0% Notes") and (iii) pay fees and expenses.

On March 24, 2020, the Company redeemed $245.0 million aggregate principal million of the 2028 Notes and $280.0 million aggregate principal amount of the 2030 Notes pursuant to a special mandatory redemption.

56

Table of Contents

In September 2020, the Company completed an add-on issuance of $250.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional senior notes consisting of $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional 2028 Notes at a price of 101.00% of par, plus accrued interest from September 1, 2020, and $125.0 million aggregate principal amount of additional 2030 Notes (together with the additional 2028 Notes, the "Additional Notes") at a price of 101.75% of par, plus accrued interest from September 1, 2020 (the "September 2020 Offering"). After deducting the initial purchasers' discounts of $2.8 million, we received net proceeds of approximately $250.6 million from the September 2020 Offering. The $3.5 million premium paid by the initial purchasers of the Additional Notes was recorded as a component of long-term debt on our consolidated balance sheets and is being amortized as a reduction of interest expense over the remaining term of the Notes. The proceeds of the September 2020 Offering were used to redeem certain seller notes issued in connection with the acquisition of Park Place.

The 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes are guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis, by each of our existing and future restricted subsidiaries, other than the TCA Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries. In addition, the Notes are subject to customary covenants, events of default and optional redemption revisions. The 2028 Notes and the 2030 Notes were required to be registered under the Securities Act of 1933 within 270 days of the closing date for the offering of each respective series. The Company completed the registration of the 2028 Notes and 2030 Notes in October 2020.

•Mortgage Financings—We have multiple mortgage agreements with finance companies affiliated with our vehicle manufacturers ("captive mortgages"). As of December 31, 2023 we had total mortgage notes payable outstanding of $31.9 million which are collateralized by the associated real estate.

•2021 Real Estate Facility—On December 17, 2021, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and the other lenders party thereto, which provided for term loans in an aggregate amount equal to $689.7 million (the "2021 Real Estate Facility"). As of December 31, 2023, we had $614.4 million of outstanding borrowings under the 2021 Real Estate Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2021 Real Estate Facility.

•2021 BofA Real Estate Facility—On May 10, 2021, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (the "2021 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement"), by and among the Company and certain of its subsidiaries, Bank of America, N.A., as administrative agent and the various financial institutions party thereto, as lenders, which provided for term loans in an aggregate amount equal to $184.4 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2021 BofA Real Estate Facility"). As of December 31, 2023, we had $165.9 million of outstanding borrowings under the 2021 BofA Real Estate Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2021 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement. On May 25, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into amendments to our 2021 BofA Real Estate Facility to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR, effective June 1, 2022. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.

•2018 BofA Real Estate Facility—On November 13, 2018, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (as amended, restated or supplemented from time to time, the "2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement") with Bank of America, as lender, providing for term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $128.1 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2018 BofA Real Estate Facility"). Our right to make draws under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility terminated on November 13, 2019. All of the real property financed by an operating dealership subsidiary of the Company under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility is collateralized by first priority liens, subject to certain permitted exceptions. As of December 31, 2023, we had $50.3 million, of outstanding borrowings under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2018 BofA Real Estate Facility. On May 25, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amendment to the 2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR, effective June 1, 2022. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.

•2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility—On November 16, 2018, certain of our subsidiaries entered into a master loan agreement (the "2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement") with Wells Fargo as lender, which provides for term loans to certain of our subsidiaries that are borrowers under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100.0 million (the "2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility"). Our right to make draws under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility terminated on June 30, 2020. On November 16, 2018 and June 26, 2020, we borrowed an aggregate amount of $25.0 million and $69.4 million, respectively, under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility, the proceeds of which were used for general corporate purposes. As of December 31, 2023, we had $72.0 million, outstanding borrowings under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. On and with effect from

57

Table of Contents

June 1, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amendment to our 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.

•2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility—On February 3, 2015, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amended and restated master loan agreement (the "2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement") with Wells Fargo Bank, National Association ("Wells Fargo"), as lender, which provides for term loans to certain of our subsidiaries that are borrowers under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement in an aggregate amount not to exceed $100.0 million (the "2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility"). Borrowings under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility are guaranteed by us and are collateralized by the real property financed under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. As of December 31, 2023, the outstanding balance under this agreement was $37.2 million. There is no further borrowing availability under the 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Facility. On and with effect from June 1, 2022, certain of our subsidiaries entered into an amendment to our 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement to replace the benchmark reference rate of LIBOR to SOFR. See Note 14 "Debt" for further details.

•2013 BofA Real Estate Facility—On September 26, 2013, we entered into a real estate term loan credit agreement (the "2013 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement") with Bank of America, N.A., as lender, providing for term loans in an aggregate amount not to exceed $75.0 million, subject to customary terms and conditions (the "2013 BofA Real Estate Facility"). In June 2023, the Company prepaid the aggregate principal amounts remaining under the 2013 BofA Real Estate Facility for an aggregate amount of approximately $23.9 million with cash on hand.

Covenants and Defaults

We are subject to a number of customary covenants in our various debt and lease agreements, including those described below. We were in compliance with all of our covenants as of December 31, 2023. Failure to comply with any of our debt covenants would constitute a default under the relevant debt agreements, which would entitle the lenders under such agreements to terminate our ability to borrow under the relevant agreements and accelerate our obligations to repay outstanding borrowings, if any, unless compliance with the covenants were waived. In many cases, defaults under one of our agreements could trigger cross-default provisions in our other agreements. If we are unable to remain in compliance with our financial or other covenants, we would be required to seek waivers or modifications of our covenants from our lenders, or we would need to raise debt and/or equity financing or sell assets to generate proceeds sufficient to repay such debt. We cannot give any assurance that we would be able to successfully take any of these actions on terms, or at times, that may be necessary or desirable.

The representations and covenants contained in the 2021 Real Estate Facility, 2021 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement, 2018 BofA Real Estate Credit Agreement, 2018 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement, 2015 Wells Fargo Master Loan Agreement, and the related documents are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including, among others, requirements to comply with a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case, as applicable. In addition, certain other covenants could restrict our ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends or acquire or dispose of assets. Each of these agreements provides for events of default that are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including cross-defaults to other material indebtedness. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, we could be required by the applicable agreement to immediately repay all amounts outstanding thereunder.

The representations and covenants contained in the agreement governing the 2023 Senior Credit Facility are customary for financing transactions of this nature including, among others, a requirement to comply with a minimum consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case as set out in the agreement governing the 2023 Senior Credit Facility. In addition, certain other covenants could restrict the Company's ability to incur additional debt, pay dividends or acquire or dispose of assets. The agreement governing the 2023 Senior Credit Facility also provides for events of default that are customary for financing transactions of this nature, including cross-defaults to other material indebtedness. In certain instances, an event of default under either the Revolving Credit Facility or the Used Vehicle Floor Plan Facility could be, or result in, an event of default under the New Vehicle Floor Plan Facility, and vice versa. Upon the occurrence of an event of default, the Company could be required to immediately repay all amounts outstanding under the applicable facility.

The 2023 Senior Credit Facility and the Indentures currently allow for restricted payments without limit so long as our Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio (as defined in the 2023 Senior Credit Facility and the Indentures) is no greater than 3.0 to 1.0 after giving effect to such proposed restricted payments. Restricted payments generally include items such as dividends, share repurchases, unscheduled repayments of subordinated debt, or purchases of certain investments. Subject to our continued compliance with a consolidated fixed charge coverage ratio and a maximum consolidated total lease adjusted leverage ratio, in each case as set out in the Indentures, restricted payments capacity additions (or subtractions if negative) equal to a base level plus the cumulative amount of (i) 50% of our net income (as defined in the 2023 Senior Credit Facility) plus (ii) 100% of any cash proceeds we receive from the sale of equity interests minus (iii) the dollar amount of share purchases made and dividends

58

Table of Contents

paid during the defined measurement periods, subject to certain exceptions. In the event that our Consolidated Total Leverage Ratio does (or would) exceed 3.0 to 1.0, the 2023 Senior Credit Facility and the Indentures would then also allow for restricted payments under mutually exclusive parameters, subject to certain exclusions. The Company may otherwise make restricted payments only up to the aforementioned cumulative capacity. Our restricted payment capacity balance as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 was $1.18 billion and $1.11 billion, respectively.

Share Repurchases and Dividend Restrictions

Our ability to repurchase shares or pay dividends on our common stock is subject to our compliance with the covenants and restrictions described in "Covenants and Defaults" above.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, we repurchased 1,316,167 shares of our common stock under our repurchase program for a total of $258.1 million and an additional 48,262 shares of our common stock for $11.4 million from employees in connection with a net share settlement feature of employee equity-based awards.

As of December 31, 2023, we had remaining authorization to repurchase up to an additional $202.6 million of our common stock. Any repurchases will be subject to applicable limitations in our debt or other financing agreements that may be in existence from time to time.

On May 26, 2023, our Board of Directors announced that it authorized a new $250.0 million share repurchase authorization (the "New Share Repurchase Authorization"), which replaced our previous share repurchase authorization for the repurchase of our common stock in open market transactions or privately negotiated transactions or in other manners as permitted by federal securities laws and other legal and contractual requirements. The extent that the Company repurchases its shares, the number of shares and the timing of any repurchases will depend on general market conditions, legal requirements and other corporate considerations. The repurchase program may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time without prior notice.

On August 16, 2022, the U.S. government enacted the Inflation Reduction Act (the "IRA") into law. The IRA, among other things, implements a 1% excise tax on share repurchases, which takes effect in tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. In 2023, we recorded a total of $2.5 million excise tax on our share repurchases.

Contractual Obligations

As of December 31, 2023, we had significant contractual obligations related to our floor plan notes payable disclosed in Notes 11 and 12, operating lease liabilities disclosed in Note 19 and long-term debt arrangements discussed in Note 14. Disclosures related to our commitments and contingencies are outlined in Note 21. All note references are to the notes to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere herein.

Cash Flows

Classification of Cash Flows Associated with Floor Plan Notes Payable

Borrowings and repayments of floor plan notes payable through our 2023 Senior Credit Facility ("Non-Trade"), and all floor plan notes payable relating to used vehicles (together referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Non-Trade"), are classified as financing activities on the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows, with borrowings reflected separately from repayments. The net change in floor plan notes payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchase a particular new vehicle (collectively referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Trade") is classified as an operating activity on the accompanying consolidated statements of cash flows. Borrowings of floor plan notes payable associated with inventory acquired in connection with all acquisitions and repayments made in connection with all divestitures are classified as a financing activity in the accompanying consolidated statement of cash flows. Cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in operating activities differ from cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in financing activities only to the extent that the former are payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchased the related inventory, while the latter are payable to our 2023 Senior Credit Facility that includes lenders affiliated with the manufacturers and lenders not affiliated with the manufacturers from which we purchased the related inventory. The majority of our floor plan notes are payable to our 2023 Senior Credit Facility, with the exception of floor plan notes payable relating to the financing of new Ford and Lincoln vehicles and certain loaner vehicle programs.

Floor plan borrowings are required by all vehicle manufacturers for the purchase of new vehicles, and all floor plan lenders require amounts borrowed for the purchase of a vehicle to be repaid within a short time period after the related vehicle is sold. As a result, we believe that it is important to understand the relationship between the cash flows of all of our floor plan notes payable and new vehicle inventory in order to understand our working capital and operating cash flow and to be able to compare our operating cash flow to that of our competitors (i.e., if our competitors have a different mix of trade and non-trade floor plan financing as compared to us). In addition, we include all floor plan borrowings and repayments in our internal

59

Table of Contents

operating cash flow forecasts. As a result, we use the non-GAAP measure "Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities" (defined below) to compare our results to forecasts. We believe that splitting the cash flows of floor plan notes payable between operating activities and financing activities, while all new vehicle inventory activity is included in operating activities, results in significantly different operating cash flow than if all the cash flows of floor plan notes payable were classified together in operating activities.

Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities includes borrowings and repayments of floor plan notes payable non-trade and used floor plan notes payable borrowing base changes. Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and should not be considered in isolation, or as a substitute for analysis of our operating results in accordance with GAAP. In order to compensate for these potential limitations we also review the related GAAP measures. Adjustments related to cash flows associated with our used vehicle borrowing base, floorplan offset accounts and the impact of acquisitions and divestitures eliminates cash flow volatility and provides an adjusted operating cash flow metric that best reflects our results of operations and our management of inventory and related financing activities.

We have provided below a reconciliation of cash flow provided by operating activities, as if all changes in floor plan notes payable, except for (i) borrowings associated with acquisitions and repayments associated with divestitures and (ii) borrowings and repayments associated with the purchase of used vehicle inventory and (iii) changes in the floorplan offset accounts were classified as an operating activity for both floorplan notes payable - non-trade and floor plan notes payable - trade.

For the Year Ended December 31,

(In millions)

Cash provided by operating activities, as reported $ 313.0 $ 696.0 $ 1,163.7

Change in Floor Plan Notes Payable Non-Trade, net 1,018.9 (191.1) (608.7)

Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities $ 705.4 $ 987.0 $ 632.1

Operating Activities—

Net cash provided by operating activities totaled $313.0 million, $696.0 million, and $1.16 billion for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities totaled $705.4 million, $987.0 million, and $632.1 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively. Adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities includes net income, adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities, changes in working capital, changes in used vehicle borrowing base, changes in floor plan notes payable - non-trade and trade, excluding the impact of offsets, and excluding operating cash flows associated with acquisitions and divestitures related to loaner vehicles and new vehicle inventories financed through floor plan notes payable - trade.

The $281.6 million decrease in adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022, was primarily the result of the following:

•decrease in $192.4 million in net income and non-cash adjustments to net income;

•$144.1 million decrease related to sale volume and the timing of collection of accounts receivable and contracts-in-transit during 2023 compared to 2022;

•$210.9 million decrease related to the change in other current assets, net;

•$2.6 million decrease in other long term assets and liabilities, net; and

•$1.3 million decrease related to the change in operating lease liabilities.

60

Table of Contents

The decrease in our adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities, was partially offset by:

•$155.2 million related to an increase in inventory, net of floor plan notes payable, including both trade and non-trade, excluding offset and including used vehicle borrowing base changes adjusted for acquisitions and divestitures; and

•$114.4 million increase related to the change in accounts payable and accrued liabilities; and

The $354.9 million increase in our adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to the year ended December 31, 2021, was primarily the result of the following:

•increase of $431.9 million in net income and non-cash adjustments to net income;

•$126.7 million related to an increase in inventory, net of floor plan notes payable, including both trade and non-trade, excluding offset and including used vehicle borrowing base changes adjusted for acquisitions and divestitures; and

•$16.2 million increase in other long term assets and liabilities, net.

The increase in our adjusted cash flow provided by operating activities, was partially offset by:

•$53.2 million related to sale volume and the timing of collection of accounts receivable and contracts-in-transit during 2022 compared to 2021;

•$126.6 million related to the change in other current assets, net;

•$35.3 million related to the change in accounts payable and accrued liabilities; and

•$4.8 million related to the change in operating lease liabilities.

Investing Activities—

Net cash used in investing activities totaled $1.68 billion and $3.92 billion for the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2021, respectively, compared to net cash provided by investing activities of $464.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Cash flows from investing activities relate primarily to capital expenditures, acquisitions, divestitures, and the sale of property and equipment.

Capital expenditures, excluding the purchase of real estate, were $142.3 million, $94.6 million, and $74.2 million for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively. There were no purchases related to real estate for the year ended December 31, 2023. Purchases of real estate totaled $13.3 million and $7.8 million for the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively. In addition, we purchased previously leased facilities for $217.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2021.

We expect that capital expenditures during 2024 will total approximately $250.0 million to upgrade or replace our existing facilities, construct new facilities, expand our service capacity, and invest in technology and equipment. In addition, as part of our capital allocation strategy, we continually evaluate opportunities to purchase properties currently under lease and acquire properties in connection with future dealership relocations. No assurances can be provided that we will have or be able to access capital at times or on terms in amounts deemed necessary to execute this strategy.

On December 11, 2023, we completed the acquisition of the Jim Koons Dealerships for a total purchase price of approximately $1.50 billion, which includes $256.1 million of new vehicle floor plan financing and $103.8 million of assets held for sale related to Koons Lexus of Wilmington. The sources of the purchase price included borrowings under Asbury’s existing credit facility and cash on hand.

On December 17, 2021, we completed the acquisition of LHM and TCA for a total purchase price of approximately $3.48 billion. The sources of the purchase price included 2029 Notes, 2032 Notes, 2021 Real Estate Facility, proceeds from our common stock offering, new floorplan notes payable trade and non-trade, used vehicle floorplan notes payable, payables to Seller and cash. In addition to these acquisitions, during the year ended December 31, 2021, we acquired the assets of 11 franchises (10 dealership locations) in the Denver, Colorado market and three franchises (one dealership location) in the Indianapolis, Indiana market for a combined purchase price of $485.7 million. We funded these acquisitions with an aggregate of $455.1 million of cash, and $9.6 million of floor plan borrowings for the purchase of the related new vehicle inventory. In aggregate, these acquisitions included purchase price holdbacks of $21.0 million for potential indemnity claims made by us with respect to the acquired franchises. In addition to the acquisition amounts above, we released $1.0 million of purchase price holdbacks related to current and prior year acquisitions during the year ended December 31, 2021.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company sold one franchise (one dealership location) in Austin, Texas for proceeds of $30.7 million.

61

Table of Contents

During the year ended December 31, 2022, we sold one franchise (one dealership location) in St. Louis, Missouri, three franchises (three dealership locations) and one collision center in Denver, Colorado, two franchises (two dealership locations) in Spokane, Washington, one franchise (one dealership location) in Albuquerque, New Mexico and 11 franchises (nine dealership locations) and two collision centers in North Carolina for proceeds of $701.2 million.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we divested one franchise (one dealership location) in the Charlottesville, Virginia for proceeds of $21.3 million.

Proceeds from the sale of assets, unrelated to a dealership divestiture, were $16.3 million and $21.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2021, respectively. W did not have any proceeds from the sale of assets, unrelated to a dealership divestitures in 2022.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, we purchased $195.2 million, $202.2 million and $1.1 million of debt securities and $41.4 million and $1.1 million of equity securities in December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. We did not purchase any equity securities in 2023.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, we also received proceeds of $60.3 million, $69.7 million, and $0.8 million from the sale of debt securities and $51.8 million, $50.3 million and $0.4 million, from the sale of equity securities, respectively.

Financing Activities—

Net cash provided by financing activities totaled $1.18 billion and $2.93 billion for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2021, respectively. Net cash used in financing activities totaled $1.10 billion year ended December 31, 2022.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, we had non-trade floor plan borrowings of $8.39 billion, $7.41 billion, and $5.04 billion, respectively. Included in our non-trade floor plan borrowings, were borrowings of $307.1 million and $294.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2021, respectively, related to our used vehicle floor plan facility. We did not have any floor plan borrowing related to our used vehicle floor plan facility as of December 31,2022.

During the year ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021, we borrowed $329.0 million, $330.0 million, and $439.0 million, and repaid $329.0 million, $499.0 million and $270.0 million, respectively, on our revolving line of credit.

In addition, during the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2021, we had non-trade floor plan borrowings of $256.1 million and $214.5 million respectively, related to acquisitions. The majority of our floor plan notes are payable to parties unaffiliated with the entities from which we purchase our new vehicle inventory, with the exception of floor plan notes payable relating to the financing of new Ford and Lincoln vehicles. We did not have any acquisitions in 2022.

During the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, we made non-trade floor plan repayments of $7.06 billion, $7.89 billion, and $5.36 billion, respectively. In addition, during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, we had floor plan repayments associated with dealership divestitures of $48.4 million and $0.8 million, respectively. During 2023, we did not have any floor plan repayments associated with dealership divestitures.

During the year ended December 31, 2021, we received proceeds from borrowings totaling $2.27 billion. We did not have any proceeds from borrowings in 2023 and 2022.

Repayments of borrowings totaled $126.0 million, $106.2 million and $41.5 million, for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

During the years ended December 31, 2022, and 2021, we received net proceeds from the issuance of common stock totaling $1.4 million and $666.9 million, respectively. We did not have any net proceeds from the issuance of common stock in 2023.

During the year ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, we repurchased 1,316,167 and 1,635,030 shares of our common stock under our Repurchase Program for a total of $258.1 million and $297.0 million and 48,262 and 56,024 shares of our common stock for $11.4 million and $9.2 million from employees in connection with a net share settlement feature of employee equity-based awards, respectively. We did not have any share repurchases in 2021.

62

Table of Contents

Off Balance Sheet Arrangements

We had no off balance sheet arrangements during any of the periods presented other than those disclosed in Note 21 "Commitments and Contingencies" of the Company's consolidated financial statements.

Guarantor Financial Information

As of December 31, 2023, the Company had outstanding $405 million of 4.500% Senior Notes due 2028 and $445 million of 4.750% Senior Notes due 2030. As explained in Note 14 of the Company's consolidated financial statements as of and for the year ended December 31, 2023, the Senior Notes have been fully and unconditionally guaranteed, jointly and severally, on a senior unsecured basis, by each existing and future restricted subsidiary of the Company (the "Guarantor Subsidiaries"), which are listed in Exhibit 21, with the exception of Landcar Administration Company, Landcar Agency, Inc. and Landcar Casualty Company and their respective subsidiaries (collectively, the "TCA Non-Guarantor Subsidiaries").

The following tables present summarized financial information for the Company and the Guarantor Subsidiaries on a combined basis after elimination of (i) intercompany transactions and balances among Asbury and the Guarantor Subsidiaries and (ii) assets, liabilities, and equity in earnings from and investments in any non-guarantor subsidiaries.

Summarized Balance Sheet Data of Asbury and Guarantor Subsidiaries

As of December 31,

(In millions)

Current assets - affiliates 4.8

Non-current assets 6,382.4

Current liabilities 2,470.6

Current liabilities - affiliates 13.0

Non-current liabilities 3,595.6

Summarized Statement of Operations Data for Asbury and Guarantor Subsidiaries

For the Year Ended December 31,

(In millions)

Income from operations 862.6

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES

Preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities, as of the date of the financial statements, and reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. On an ongoing basis, management evaluates their estimates and assumptions and the effects of any such revisions are reflected in the financial statements, in the period in which they are determined to be necessary. Actual outcomes could differ materially from those estimates in a manner that could have a material effect on our consolidated financial statements. Set forth below are the policies and estimates that we have identified as critical to our business operations and understanding our results of operations, based on the high degree of judgment or complexity in their application.

Goodwill and Manufacturer Franchise Rights

Goodwill represents the excess cost of an acquired business over the fair market value of its identifiable assets and liabilities. We have determined, based on how we integrate acquisitions into our business, how the components of our business

63

Table of Contents

share resources and interact with one another, and how we review the results of our operations, that we have several geographic market-based operating segments. We have determined the dealerships in each of our operating segments are components that are aggregated into several geographic market-based reporting units for the purpose of testing goodwill for impairment, as they (i) have similar economic characteristics, (ii) offer similar products and services (all of our franchised dealerships offer new and used vehicles, parts and service, and arrange for third-party vehicle financing and the sale of insurance products), (iii) have similar customers, (iv) have similar distribution and marketing practices (all of our dealerships distribute products and services through dealership facilities that market to customers in similar ways) and (v) operate under similar regulatory environments. Our TCA segment also represents a reporting unit for the purpose of testing goodwill for impairment.

Our only other significant identifiable intangible assets are our rights under franchise agreements with manufacturers, which are recorded at an individual franchise level. The fair value of our manufacturer franchise rights are determined at the acquisition date, by discounting the projected cash flows specific to each franchise. We have determined that manufacturer franchise rights have an indefinite life as there are no economic, contractual or other factors that limit their useful lives, and they are expected to generate cash flows indefinitely due to the historically long lives of the manufacturers' brand names. Furthermore, to the extent that any agreements evidencing our manufacturer franchise rights would expire, we expect that we would be able to renew those agreements in the ordinary course of business.

We do not amortize goodwill and other intangible assets that are deemed to have indefinite lives. We review goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights for impairment annually as of October 1st, or more often if events or circumstances indicate that any impairment may have occurred. We have the option of performing a qualitative assessment of impairment to determine whether any further quantitative assessment for impairment is necessary. The option of whether or not to perform a qualitative assessment is made annually and may vary by reporting unit. Factors we consider in the qualitative assessment include general macroeconomic conditions, industry and market conditions, cost factors, overall financial performance of our reporting units, events or changes affecting the composition or carrying amount of the net assets of our reporting units, sustained decrease in our share price, and other relevant entity-specific events. If we elect to bypass the qualitative assessment or if we determine, on the basis of qualitative factors, that the fair value of the reporting unit is more likely than not less than the carrying amount, a quantitative test would be required.

As a result of our annual franchise rights impairment tests as of October 1, 2023, we identified several dealerships with franchise rights carrying values that exceeded their fair values due to the underperformance of certain stores, limited primarily to two brands, and an increase in discount rates. As a result, we recorded non-cash impairment charges totaling $73.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2023 reflected in asset impairments within our consolidated statements of income. For certain stores, the fair value of the franchise rights equals the carrying amount.

In connection with a change in reporting units in our Dealerships segment, we performed quantitative impairment tests of goodwill for the affected reporting units as of October 1, 2023, both before and after the change in reporting units. The results of our quantitative goodwill impairment tests related to certain reporting units indicated that the fair value of these reporting units exceeded their carrying values. For all reporting units, for which a qualitative or quantitative impairment test was performed as of October 1, 2023, the fair values exceeded their carrying amounts. We believe that the fair value of our reporting units is substantially in excess of its carrying amount, except for the Arizona and Utah reporting units, which exceeded their carrying amounts by less than 5% as of October 1, 2023. The goodwill balance for the Arizona and Utah reporting units as of December 31, 2023 was $204.4 million and $197.8 million, respectively.

In December 2023, certain dealerships met the held for sale criteria and the assets and liabilities associated with these dealerships were reclassified as assets held for sale and liabilities associated with assets held for sale in our consolidated balance sheets. As a result, we evaluated the disposal groups to ensure their recording at the lower of their carrying value or fair value less costs to sell. The quantitative impairment tests of each disposal group included a comparison of the estimated fair value to the carrying value of the disposal group less costs to sell. The Company determined the estimated fair value of each disposal group based on the estimated sales proceeds less cost to sell. As a result of this analysis, we recorded asset impairment charges of $44.1 million. These asset impairment charges are reflected in asset impairments in our consolidated statements of income. Since the resulting impairment charges and the decision to dispose of these dealerships represented a triggering event for goodwill, we performed quantitative impairment tests of goodwill for the affected reporting units in December 2023. The results of our quantitative goodwill impairment tests for the affected reporting units indicated that the fair value of these reporting units exceeded their carrying values.

In total, we recognized asset impairments of $117.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. No franchise rights or goodwill impairments were identified in 2022 or 2021.

We continue to monitor developments related to macroeconomic conditions and the performance of our stores and reporting units. It is reasonably possible that future developments could have a negative effect on the estimates and assumptions utilized in our impairment assessments and could result in material impairment charges in future periods.

64

Table of Contents

Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk

Interest Rate Risk

We are exposed to risk from changes in interest rates on a significant portion of our outstanding indebtedness. Based on $1.81 billion of total variable interest rate debt, which includes our floor plan notes payable, amounts drawn on our used vehicle floor plan, revolver and certain mortgage liabilities, outstanding as of December 31, 2023, a 100 basis point change in interest rates would result in a change of $18.1 million in annual interest expense.

We periodically receive floor plan assistance from certain automobile manufacturers, which is primarily accounted for as a reduction in our new vehicle inventory cost. Floor plan assistance reduced our cost of sales for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022, and 2021, by $87.0 million, $85.8 million, and $57.5 million, respectively. We cannot provide assurance as to the future amount of floor plan assistance and these amounts may be negatively impacted due to future changes in interest rates.

As part of our strategy to mitigate our exposure to fluctuations in interest rates, we have various interest rate swap agreements. All of our interest rate swaps qualify for cash flow hedge accounting treatment and do not contain any ineffectiveness.

As of December 31, 2023 we had six interest rate swap agreements. In January 2022, we entered into two new interest rate swap agreements with a combined notional principal amount of $550.0 million. These swaps are designed to provide a hedge against changes in variable rate cash flows regarding fluctuations in SOFR. All interest rate swap agreements with an inception date of 2021 and prior were amended on June 1, 2022 to provide a hedge against changes in variable rate cash flows regarding fluctuations in SOFR as compared to the previous benchmark rate of one-month LIBOR. The revisions to the interest rate swap agreements did not impact our hedge accounting. The following table provides information on the attributes of each swap as of December 31, 2023:

(In millions) (In millions) (In millions)

These interest rate swaps are marked to market at each reporting date and any unrealized gains or losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive income and reclassified to other interest expense in the same period or periods during which the hedged transactions affect earnings. For additional information about the effect of our derivative instruments, please refer to Note 15 "Financial Instruments and Fair Value" within the accompanying consolidated financial statements.

65

Table of Contents

Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data

INDEX TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

Page

Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID: 42) 67

Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2023 and 2022 71

Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements 77

66

Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.

Opinion on the Financial Statements

We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (the Company) as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2023 and 2022, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control-Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) and our report dated February 29, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company's management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Critical Audit Matter

The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that was communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relates to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective or complex judgments. The communication of the critical audit matter does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidatedfinancial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which it relates.

Manufacturer Franchise Rights Quantitative Impairment Assessment

67

Table of Contents

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2008.

Atlanta, Georgia

February 29, 2024

68

Table of Contents

REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM

To the Shareholders and Board of Directors of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.

Opinion on Internal Control over Financial Reporting

We have audited Asbury Automotive Group, Inc.’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework) (the COSO criteria). In our opinion, Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. (the Company)maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2023, based on the COSO criteria.

As indicated in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting, management’s assessment of and conclusion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting did not include an evaluation of the internal controls of the Jim Koons Dealerships, which are included in the 2023 consolidated financial statements of the Company from the date of acquisition and represented approximately $1.65 billion of consolidated total assets as of December 31, 2023, and approximately $168.2 million of consolidated revenues for the year then ended. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting of the Company also did not include an evaluation of the internal control over financial reporting of the Jim Koons Dealerships.

We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the consolidated balance sheets of the Company as of December 31, 2023 and 2022, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, shareholders' equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2023, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”) and our report dated February 29, 2024 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.

Basis for Opinion

The Company’s management is responsible for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting included in the accompanying Management’s Report on Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audit. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.

We conducted our audit in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.

Our audit included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk, and performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audit provides a reasonable basis for our opinion.

Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting

A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.

69

Table of Contents

Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.

/s/ Ernst & Young LLP

Atlanta, Georgia

February 29, 2024

70

Table of Contents

ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(In millions, except par value and share data)

As of December 31,

ASSETS

CURRENT ASSETS:

Cash and cash equivalents $ 45.7 $ 235.3

Short term investments 6.2 5.4

OPERATING LEASE RIGHT-OF-USE ASSETS 241.8 235.4

LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

CURRENT LIABILITIES:

Floor plan notes payable—trade, net $ 195.1 $ 51.0

Floor plan notes payable—non-trade, net 1,590.6 —

Current maturities of long-term debt 84.9 84.5

Current maturities of operating leases 26.2 23.6

Accounts payable and accrued liabilities 748.1 645.0

Liabilities associated with assets held for sale 2.1 10.5

OTHER LONG-TERM LIABILITIES 51.7 53.5

COMMITMENTS AND CONTINGENCIES (Note 21)

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:

Accumulated other comprehensive income 61.1 74.4

Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 10,159.4 $ 8,021.4

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

71

Table of Contents

ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In millions, except per share data)

For the Year Ended December 31,

REVENUE:

COST OF SALES:

OPERATING EXPENSES:

Asset impairments 117.2 — —

Other operating income, net — (4.4) (5.4)

OTHER EXPENSES (INCOME):

Floor plan interest expense 9.6 8.4 8.2

Gain on dealership divestitures, net (13.5) (207.1) (8.0)

Total other expenses (income), net 152.2 (46.5) 94.1

EARNINGS PER COMMON SHARE:

Basic—

Diluted—

WEIGHTED AVERAGE COMMON SHARES OUTSTANDING:

Restricted stock — 0.1 0.1

Performance share units 0.1 — 0.1

See accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements

72

Table of Contents

ASBURY AUTOMOTIVE GROUP, INC.

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME

(In millions)

For the Year Ended December 31,

Other comprehensive (loss) income:

Change in fair value of cash flow swaps (22.6) 103.3 6.3

Unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale debt securities 5.2 (4.0) 0.2

Source: SEC EDGAR (public domain) · 10-K for the period ended 2023-12-31, filed 2024-02-29 · accession 0001144980-24-000076

Filing HTML rendered to line-structured narrative text by the shipped reducer (datafeeds.edgar_fulltext.visible_text, keep_table_headers=True): scripts and inline-XBRL headers are dropped, and table content is reduced to its short label cells — numeric table data is not rendered and is therefore not counted. The same rendering is used for every year, so a year-over-year comparison is like for like.

The text is our rendering of the filing, not a facsimile: original pagination, typography and tables are not reproduced, and the numbers live in the financial statements (FA).

The outline locates item HEADINGS in this document. Only Items 1A and 7 have certified boundaries elsewhere in the terminal (the redline and the narrative-overlap number); every span here runs from one heading found to the next heading found.

How the outline was chosen. It is the longest chain of item headings that runs forward through both the document and the standard item order: 23 headings are on that chain and 17 further heading-shaped lines are not — the table-of-contents echo of every item, cross-references and exhibit-list mentions. Each entry's length is measured from its heading to the next heading on the chain.