Item 1A. Risk Factors
In addition to the other information contained, referred to or incorporated by reference into this report, you should consider carefully the following factors when evaluating our business and before making an investment decision. Our business, operations, ability to implement our strategy, reputation, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and prospects may be materially adversely affected by the risks described below. In addition, other risks or uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently do not deem material could arise, any of which could also materially adversely affect us.
Risks Related to Our Business
Operating Risks
Disruptions in the production and delivery of new vehicles and parts from manufacturers due to the lack of availability of parts and key components from suppliers could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Historically, we have generated a significant portion of our revenue through new vehicle sales, and new vehicle sales also tend to lead to sales of higher-margin products and services, such as F&I products and vehicle-related parts and service.In addition, new vehicle buyers often trade in an owned vehicle, or turn in a leased vehicle, to us at the time of purchase, and these traded vehicles have historically been an important source for our used vehicle inventory. We rely exclusively on the various vehicle manufacturers for our new vehicle inventory and maintenance and replacement parts inventory. In turn, our vehicle manufacturers rely on certain third-party suppliers to manufacture and deliver certain parts and key components for their vehicles. As a result, our profitability is dependent to a great extent on various aspects of vehicle manufacturers’ operations and timely delivery of new vehicles and parts.
Property loss or other uninsured liabilities could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations.
We are subject to substantial risk of property loss due to the significant concentration of property at dealership locations, including vehicles and parts. We have historically experienced business interruptions from time to time at several of our dealerships, due to actual or threatened adverse weather conditions or natural disasters, such as hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, floods, hail storms, fires or other extraordinary events. Concentration of property at dealership locations also makes the automotive retail business particularly vulnerable to theft, fraud and misappropriation of assets. Illegal or unethical conduct by employees, customers, vendors, and unaffiliated third parties can result in loss of assets, disrupt operations, impact brand reputation, jeopardize manufacturer and other relationships, result in the imposition of fines or penalties, and subject us to governmental investigations or lawsuits. While we maintain insurance to protect against a number of losses, this insurance coverage often contains significant deductibles. In addition, we "self-insure" a portion of our potential liabilities, meaning we do not carry insurance from a third-party for such liabilities, and are wholly responsible for any related losses including for certain potential liabilities that some states prohibit the maintenance of insurance to protect against. In certain instances, our insurance may not fully cover a loss depending on the applicable deductible or the magnitude and nature of the claim. Additionally, changes in the cost or availability of insurance in the future could substantially increase our costs to maintain our current level of coverage or could cause us to reduce our insurance coverage and increase our self-insured risks. To the extent we incur significant additional costs for insurance, suffer losses that are not covered by in-force insurance or suffer losses for which we are self-insured, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely impacted.
If we are unable to acquire and successfully integrate additional businesses into our existing operations, and realize expected benefits and synergies from such acquisitions, our revenue and earnings growth may be adversely affected.
We believe that the automotive retailing industry is a mature industry whose sales are significantly impacted by the prevailing economic climate, both nationally and in local markets. Accordingly, we believe that our future growth depends in part on our ability to manage expansion, control costs in our operations and acquire and effectively integrate acquired dealerships into our organization. For example, with the consummation of the Koons acquisition in 2023 and the pending Herb Chambers acquisition, we have experienced, and expect to continue to experience, significantly more sales, and have more assets and employees than we did previously. However, there can be no assurance that there will be sufficient revenue from such acquisitions to offset increased expenses and costs arising out of such acquisitions.
When seeking to acquire other dealerships, we often compete with several other national, regional and local dealership groups, and other strategic and financial buyers, some of which may have greater financial resources than us. Competition for attractive acquisition targets may result in fewer acquisition opportunities for us and we may have to forgo acquisition opportunities to the extent we cannot negotiate such acquisitions on acceptable terms. The integration processes require us to expend significant capital and significantly expand the scope of our operations and financial systems. Integration also requires
18
Table of Contents
support or other actions by third parties such as vendors, suppliers, and licensing agencies, and the untimely or inadequate responses from such third parties can delay or otherwise negatively impact integration processes.
We also face additional risks commonly encountered with growth through acquisitions. These risks include, but are not limited to: (i) failing to obtain manufacturers’ consents to acquisitions of additional franchises; (ii) manufacturers' requirements to divest certain franchises when acquiring additional franchises; (iii) incurring significant transaction-related costs for completed, failed and pending acquisitions; (iv) incurring significantly higher capital expenditures and operating expenses; (v) the inability to obtain the necessary financing in order to complete acquisitions; (vi) failing to successfully integrate the operations and personnel of the acquired dealerships and impairing relationships with employees; (vii) impairing relationships with employees of the acquired dealerships; (viii) incorrectly valuing entities to be acquired or incurring undisclosed liabilities at acquired dealerships; (ix) disrupting our ongoing business and diverting our management resources to newly acquired dealerships; (x) failing to achieve expected performance levels and financial results on a same store basis after integration; (xi) impairing relationships with manufacturers and customers as a result of changes in management; (xii) delays or difficulties related to our ability to obtain future necessary regulatory approvals for TCA in jurisdictions applicable to acquired dealerships; (xiii) difficulties in entering geographic markets in which we have no or limited direct prior experience; (xiv) failing to realize expected benefits and synergies from the transaction; and (xv) failing to implement or improve controls, policies and information systems and related security measures in the acquired businesses.
We may not adequately anticipate all the demands that our growth will impose on our personnel, procedures and structures, including our financial and reporting control systems, information technology systems, data processing systems, and management structure. Moreover, our failure to retain qualified management personnel at any acquired dealership may increase the risks associated with integrating the acquired dealership. If we cannot adequately anticipate and respond to these demands, we may fail to realize acquisition synergies and our resources will be focused on incorporating new operations into our structure rather than on areas that may be more profitable.
We are a holding company and as a result are dependent on our operating subsidiaries to generate sufficient cash and distribute cash to us to service our indebtedness and fund our ongoing operations.
Our ability to make payments on our indebtedness and fund our ongoing operations depends on our operating subsidiaries' ability to generate cash in the future and distribute that cash to us. It is possible that our subsidiaries may not generate cash from operations in an amount sufficient to enable us to service our indebtedness. In addition, many of our subsidiaries are required to comply with the provisions of franchise agreements, dealer agreements, other agreements with manufacturers, mortgages, and credit facility providers. Many of these agreements contain minimum working capital or net worth requirements, and are subject to change at least annually. Although the requirements contained in these agreements did not restrict our subsidiaries from distributing cash to us as of December 31, 2024, unexpected changes to our financial metrics or to the terms of our franchise agreements, dealer agreements, or other agreements with manufacturers could require us to alter the manner in which we distribute or use cash. If our operating subsidiaries are unable to generate and distribute sufficient cash to us to service our indebtedness and fund our ongoing operations, our financial condition may be materially adversely affected.
Our inability to execute a substantial portion of our business strategy, including our mission to grow and transform our business, could have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Our inability to execute a substantial portion of our business strategy, could adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. We seek to execute on our strategic plan using a variety of growth efforts, which includes driving same-store revenue growth and acquiring additional revenue through strategic acquisitions. Many of the factors that impact our ability to execute our strategic vision, such as the advancement of certain technologies, general economic conditions and legal and regulatory obstacles are beyond our control.
Consumers are increasingly shopping for new and used vehicles, automotive repair and maintenance service and other automotive products and services online and through mobile applications, including through third-party online and mobile sales platforms, with which we compete, that are designed to generate consumer sales that are sold to automotive dealers. We have invested and will continue to invest in our omni-channel and other online applications in furtherance of our strategic vision. We face increased competition for market share from other automotive retailers and other sales platforms that have also invested in digital channels. There can be no assurance that our initiatives and investments in digital channels will be successful or result in improved financial performance.
We may not adequately anticipate all the demands that our growth will impose on our personnel, procedures and structures, including our financial and reporting control systems, information technology systems, data processing systems, and management structure. Furthermore, we may decide to alter or discontinue aspects of our strategic plan and may adopt alternative or additional strategies in response to business or competitive factors or other factors or events beyond our control.
19
Table of Contents
We cannot give assurance that we will be able to execute a substantial portion of our strategic plan which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights comprise a significant portion of our total assets. We must test our goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights for impairment at least annually, which could result in a material, non-cash write-down of goodwill or manufacturer franchise rights and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and stockholders’ equity.
Our principal intangible assets are goodwill and our rights under our franchise agreements with vehicle manufacturers. Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets, including manufacturer franchise rights, are subject to impairment assessments at least annually (or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred), by applying a qualitative or quantitative assessment. A decrease in our market capitalization or profitability increases the risk of goodwill impairment. The fair value of our manufacturer franchise rights is determined by discounting a subset of the projected cash flows at a dealership that we attribute to the value of the franchise. Changes to the business mix or declining cash flows in a dealership increase the risk of impairment. During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized asset impairment charges of $149.5 million associated with manufacturer franchise rights recorded at certain dealerships and goodwill associated with certain asset disposal groups. We cannot accurately predict the amount and timing of any additional impairment charges at this time; however, any such impairment charge could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and stockholders' equity. See Note 10 "Goodwill and Intangible Franchise Rights" of the notes to the consolidated financial statements for more information.
The loss of key personnel and limited management and personnel resources could adversely affect our business.
Our success depends, to a significant degree, upon the continued contributions of our management team, and service and sales personnel. In addition, manufacturer dealer or framework agreements may require the prior approval of the applicable manufacturer before any change is made in dealership general managers or other management positions. The loss of the services of one or more of these key employees may materially impair the profitability of our operations, or may result in a violation of an applicable dealer or framework agreement. In addition, the market for qualified employees in the industry and in the states in which we operate, specifically for general managers and sales and service personnel, is highly competitive and may subject us to increased labor costs during periods of low unemployment. The loss of the services of such employees or the inability to attract additional qualified employees may adversely affect the ability of our dealerships to conduct their operations in accordance with the standards set by us or the manufacturers. If we are unable to retain our key personnel, we may be unable to successfully execute our business plans, which may have a material adverse effect on our business.
The Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition may not occur at all or may not occur in the expected time frame, which may negatively affect the trading price of our common stock and our future business and financial results.
No assurance can be provided that the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition will be completed in the manner and on the time frame currently anticipated, or at all. Completion of the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition is subject to the satisfaction or waiver of a number of conditions beyond our control that may prevent, delay or otherwise materially adversely affect its completion. If the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition is not completed, if there are significant delays in completing the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition or if the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition involves an unexpected amount of remedies required by regulatory authorities, it could negatively affect the trading price of our common stock and our future business and financial results. The following are some but not all of the factors that could cause the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition to be delayed or not successfully be completed: (i) the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the Transaction Agreement; (ii) the risk that the necessary manufacturer approvals may not be obtained; (iii) the risk that the necessary regulatory approvals may not be obtained or may be obtained subject to conditions that are not anticipated; (iv) the inability to obtain the necessary financing in order to complete the acquisition; (v) the risk that the proposed acquisition will not be consummated in a timely manner; and (vi) the risk that any of the closing conditions to the proposed acquisition may not be satisfied or may not be satisfied in a timely manner.
We may not realize the strategic benefits and cost synergies that are anticipated from the planned Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition.
Our future growth depends in part on our ability to acquire and effectively integrate acquired dealerships into our organization, such as the pending Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition. The benefits that are expected to result from the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition will depend, in part, on our ability to consummate the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition within the anticipated time period, or at all, and to integrate and realize the anticipated cost synergies from the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition. There is a significant degree of difficulty and management distraction inherent in the process of integrating an acquisition. Some members of our management may be required to devote considerable time to this integration process, which will decrease the time they will have to manage the Company, service existing customers, attract new customers
20
Table of Contents
and develop new businesses or strategies. If management is not able to effectively manage the integration process, or if any significant business activities are interrupted as a result of the integration process, our business, financial condition and results of operations could suffer. We also cannot guarantee that the benefits and cost synergies that we currently expect to realize as a result of the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition will be achieved within our anticipated time frames or at all. Additionally, we may incur substantial expenses in connection with the integration of the Herb Chambers Dealerships, which may exceed expectations and offset certain anticipated benefits.
The following are some but not all of the factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated in connection with the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition: (i) risks related to disruption of management time from ongoing business operations due to the proposed acquisition; (ii) the failure to realize the benefits expected from the proposed acquisition; (iii) the failure to promptly and effectively integrate the operations, including information technology systems and security, and personnel, including applicable pay plans; (iv) the effect of the announcement of the proposed Transaction on the ability of the Company to retain and hire key personnel, and maintain relationships with suppliers; and (v) our ability to execute our business strategy and accelerate same store growth after integration.
Risks Related to Macroeconomic and Market Conditions
The automotive retail industry is sensitive to unfavorable changes in general economic conditions and various other factors that could affect demand for our products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, our ability to implement our strategy and our results of operations.
Our future performance will be impacted by general economic conditions including among other things: changes in employment levels; consumer demand, preferences and confidence levels; the availability and cost of credit; fuel prices; levels of discretionary personal income; inflation; interest rates; and changes in U.S. trade policy, including the imposition of tariffs and resulting consequences. Recently, inflation has increased throughout the U.S. economy. Inflation can adversely affect us by increasing the costs of labor, fuel and other costs as well as by reducing demand for automobiles. Sales of certain vehicles, particularly trucks and sport utility vehicles that historically have provided us with higher gross profit per vehicle retailed, may be sensitive to fuel prices. In addition, rapid changes in fuel prices can cause shifts in consumer preferences which are difficult to accommodate given the long lead-time of inventory acquisition. Inflation is also often accompanied by higher interest rates, which could reduce the fair value of our outstanding debt obligations. Changes in interest rates can also significantly impact new and used vehicle sales and vehicle affordability due to the direct relationship between interest rates and monthly loan payments, a critical factor for many vehicle buyers, and the impact interest rates have on customers’ borrowing capacity and disposable income. In an inflationary environment, depending on automotive industry and other economic conditions, we may be unable to raise prices to keep up with the rate of inflation, which would reduce our profit margins. We have experienced, and continue to experience, increases in the prices of labor, fuel and other costs of providing service. Continued inflationary pressures could impact our profitability.
We also are subject to economic, competitive, and other conditions prevailing in the various markets in which we operate, even if those conditions are not prominent nationally.
Retail vehicle sales are cyclical and historically have experienced periodic downturns characterized by oversupply and weak demand, which could result in a need for us to lower the prices at which we sell vehicles, which would reduce our revenue per vehicle sold and our margins. Additionally, a shift in consumer vehicle preferences driven by pricing, fuel costs or other factors may have a material adverse effect on our revenues, margins and results of operations.
Changes in general economic conditions may make it difficult for us to execute our business strategy. In such an event, we may be required to enter into certain transactions in order to generate additional cash, which may include, but not be limited to, selling certain of our dealerships or other assets or increasing borrowings under our existing, or any future, credit facilities. There can be no assurance that, if necessary, we would be able to enter into any such transactions in a timely manner or on reasonable terms, if at all. Furthermore, in the event we were required to sell dealership assets, the sale of any material portion of such assets could have a material adverse effect on our revenue and profitability.
Adverse conditions affecting one or more of the vehicle manufacturers with which we hold franchises or their inability to deliver a desirable mix of vehicles that our consumers demand could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Historically, we have generated most of our revenue through new vehicle sales, and new vehicle sales also tend to lead to sales of higher-margin products and services, such as finance and insurance products and vehicle-related parts and service. As a result, our profitability is dependent to a great extent on various aspects of vehicle manufacturers’ operations, many of which are outside of our control. Our ability to sell new vehicles is dependent on manufacturers’ ability to design and produce, and willingness to allocate and deliver to our dealerships, a desirable mix of popular new vehicles that consumers demand. For
21
Table of Contents
example, improvements in electric, battery-powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles have increased consumer demand for such vehicles. If consumer demand increases for certain types of vehicles, including electric, battery-powered and hybrid gas/electric, and our manufacturers are not able to adapt and produce such vehicles that meet consumer demands, our new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenue and our results of operations may be adversely affected. Further, if manufacturers shift significant resources away from traditional production models to invest in clean vehicles and new technologies, we may experience an inadequate supply of historically popular vehicles and other adverse effects on our new and used vehicle sales volume, parts and service revenue and our results of operations until such time as consumer preferences for clean vehicles and other new technologies become widespread. In addition, popular vehicles may often be difficult to obtain from manufacturers for a number of reasons, including the fact that manufacturers generally allocate their vehicles to dealerships based on sales history and capital expenditures associated with such dealerships. Further, if a manufacturer fails to produce desirable vehicles or develops a reputation for producing undesirable vehicles or produces vehicles that do not comply with applicable laws or government regulations, and we own dealerships which sell that manufacturer’s vehicles, our revenues from those dealerships could be adversely affected as consumers shift their vehicle purchases away from that brand.
Although we seek to limit our dependence on any one vehicle manufacturer, there can be no assurance that the brand mix allocated and delivered to our dealerships by the manufacturers will be appropriate or sufficiently diverse to protect us from a significant decline in the desirability of vehicles manufactured by a particular manufacturer or disruptions in a manufacturer's ability to produce vehicles. For the year ended December 31, 2024, manufacturers representing 5% or more of our revenues from new vehicle sales were as follows:
Manufacturer (Vehicle Brands): % of TotalNew VehicleRevenues
Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (Toyota and Lexus) 30 %
Ford Motor Company (Ford and Lincoln) 13 %
American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda and Acura) 10 %
Stellantis N.V. (Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat) 9 %
Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC (Mercedes-Benz and Sprinter) 8 %
General Motors Company (Chevrolet, Buick and GMC) 8 %
Hyundai Motor North America (Hyundai and Genesis) 5 %
Similar to automotive retailers, vehicle manufacturers may be affected by the long-term U.S. and international economic climate. In addition, we remain vulnerable to other matters that may impact the manufacturers of the vehicles we sell, many of which are outside of our control, including: (i) changes in their respective financial condition; (ii) changes in their respective marketing efforts; (iii) changes in their respective reputation; (iv) manufacturer and other product defects, including recalls; (v) changes in their respective management; (vi) disruptions in the production and delivery of vehicles and parts due to natural disasters, pandemics, wars, conflicts or other reasons; (vii) issues with respect to labor relations; and (viii) consolidation among manufacturers. Our business is highly dependent on consumer demand and brand preferences for our manufacturers’ products. Manufacturer recall campaigns are a common occurrence that have accelerated in frequency and scope. Manufacturer recall campaigns could (i) adversely affect our new and used vehicle sales or customer residual trade-in valuations, (ii) cause us to temporarily remove vehicles from our inventory, (iii) force us to incur increased costs, and (iv) expose us to litigation and adverse publicity related to the sale of recalled vehicles, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Vehicle manufacturers that produce vehicles outside of the U.S. are subject to additional risks including changes in quotas, tariffs or duties, fluctuations in foreign currency exchange rates, regulations governing imports and the costs related thereto, and foreign governmental regulations.
Adverse conditions that materially affect a vehicle manufacturer and its ability to profitably design, market, produce or distribute desirable new vehicles could in turn materially adversely affect our ability to (i) sell vehicles produced by that manufacturer, (ii) obtain or finance our new vehicle inventories, (iii) access or benefit from manufacturer financial assistance programs, (iv) collect in full or on a timely basis any amounts due therefrom, and/or (v) obtain other goods and services provided by the impacted manufacturer. In addition, we depend on manufacturers’ ability to design, produce, and supply parts to us and any failure to do so could have a material adverse effect on our parts and services business. Our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows could be materially adversely affected as a result of any event that has an adverse effect on any vehicle manufacturer.
In addition, if a vehicle manufacturer’s financial condition worsens and it seeks protection from creditors in bankruptcy or similar proceedings, or otherwise under the laws of its jurisdiction of organization, (i) the manufacturer could seek to terminate or reject all or certain of our franchises, (ii) if the manufacturer is successful in terminating all or certain of our franchises, we may not receive adequate compensation for those franchises, (iii) our cost to obtain financing for our new vehicle inventory
22
Table of Contents
may increase or no longer be available from such manufacturer’s captive finance subsidiary, (iv) consumer demand for such manufacturer’s products could be materially adversely affected, especially if costs related to improving such manufacturer’s financial condition are factored into the price of its products, (v) there may be a significant disruption in the availability of consumer credit to purchase or lease that manufacturer’s vehicles or negative changes in the terms of such financing, which may negatively impact our sales, or (vi) there may be a reduction in the value of receivables and inventory associated with that manufacturer, among other things. The occurrence of any one or more of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
Furthermore, the automotive manufacturing supply chain spans the globe. As such, supply chain disruptions resulting from natural disasters, adverse weather, pandemics, tariffs, labor stoppages, wars, conflicts and other events may affect the flow of vehicle and parts inventories to us or our manufacturing partners. If we experience disruptions in the supply of vehicle and parts inventories, such disruptions could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows.
Substantial competition in automobile sales and services may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
The automotive retail and service industry is highly competitive with respect to price, service, location, and selection. Our competition includes: (i) franchised automobile dealerships in our markets that sell the same or similar new and used vehicles; (ii) privately negotiated sales of used vehicles; (iii) other used vehicle retailers, including regional and national vehicle rental companies; (iv) companies with a primarily internet-based business model, such as Carvana, and used vehicle brokers that sell used vehicles to consumers; (v) service center and parts supply chain stores; and (vi) independent service and repair shops.
We do not have any cost advantage over other retailers in purchasing new vehicles from manufacturers. We typically rely on our advertising, merchandising, sales expertise, service reputation, strong local branding and dealership location to sell new vehicles. Because our dealer agreements only grant us a non-exclusive right to sell a manufacturer’s product within a specified market area, our revenues, gross profit and overall profitability may be materially adversely affected if competing dealerships expand their market share. Further, our vehicle manufacturers may decide to award additional franchises in our markets in ways that negatively impact our sales.
The internet has become a significant part of the advertising and sales process in our industry. Customers are using the internet to shop and compare prices for new and used vehicles, automotive repair and maintenance services, finance and insurance products and other automotive products. If we are unable to effectively use the internet to attract customers to our own online channels, and mobile applications, and, in turn, to our stores, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows could be materially adversely affected. Additionally, the growing use of social media by consumers increases the speed and extent that information and opinions can be shared, and negative posts or comments on social media about us or any of our stores could damage our reputation and brand names, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Additionally, we rely on the protection of state franchise laws in the states in which we operate and if those laws are repealed or weakened, our framework, franchise and related agreements may become more susceptible to termination, nonrenewal or renegotiation. These laws have historically restricted the ability of automobile manufacturers to directly enter the retail market and sell vehicles directly to consumers. However, many states have recently passed or introduced legislation to permit direct to consumer sales of electric vehicles by certain companies, such as Tesla and Rivian, without the requirements of establishing a dealer network. If the state franchise laws are repealed, weakened or amended to permit vehicle manufacturers to sell vehicles (whether electric or not) directly to consumers, they may be able to have a competitive advantage over the traditional dealers, which could have a material adverse effect on our sales in those states, which in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are dependent upon our relationships with the manufacturers of vehicles that we sell and are subject to restrictions imposed by, and significant influence from, these vehicle manufacturers. Any of these restrictions or any changes or deterioration of these relationships could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
We are dependent on our relationships with the manufacturers of the vehicles we sell, which have the ability to exercise a great deal of control and influence over our day-to-day operations, as a result of the terms of our dealer, framework and related agreements. We may obtain new vehicles from manufacturers, service vehicles, sell new vehicles and display vehicle manufacturers’ trademarks only to the extent permitted under these agreements. The terms of these agreements may conflict with our interests and objectives and may impose limitations on key aspects of our operations, including acquisition strategy and capital spending.
23
Table of Contents
For example, manufacturers can set performance standards with respect to sales volume, sales effectiveness and customer satisfaction, and require us to obtain manufacturer consent before we can acquire dealerships selling a manufacturer’s automobiles. From time to time, we may be precluded under agreements with certain manufacturers from acquiring additional franchises, or subject to other adverse actions, to the extent we are not meeting certain performance criteria at our existing stores (with respect to matters such as sales volume, customer satisfaction and sales effectiveness) until our performance improves in accordance with the agreements, subject to applicable state franchise laws. In addition, many vehicle manufacturers place limits on the total number of franchises that any group of affiliated dealerships may own and certain manufacturers place limits on the number of franchises or share of total brand vehicle sales that may be maintained by an affiliated dealership group on a national, regional or local basis, as well as limits on store ownership in contiguous markets. If we reach any of these limits, we may be prevented from making further acquisitions, or we may be required to dispose of certain dealerships, which could adversely affect our future growth. We cannot provide assurance that manufacturers will approve future acquisitions timely, if at all, which could significantly impair the execution of our acquisition strategy.
In addition, certain manufacturers use a dealership’s manufacturer-determined customer satisfaction index ("CSI") score as a factor governing participation in incentive programs. To the extent we do not meet minimum score requirements, our future payments may be materially reduced or we may be precluded from receiving certain incentives, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Manufacturers also typically establish facilities and minimum capital requirements for dealerships on a case-by-case basis. In certain circumstances, including as a condition to obtaining consent to a proposed acquisition and qualifying for certain financial incentives, a manufacturer may require us to remodel, upgrade or move our facilities, and capitalize the subject dealership at levels we would not otherwise choose to fund, causing us to divert our financial resources away from uses that management believes may be of higher long-term value to us. Delays in obtaining, or failing to obtain, manufacturer consent, would impede our ability to execute acquisitions that we believe would integrate well with our overall strategy and limit our ability to expand our business.
Manufacturers can also establish new franchises or relocate existing franchises, subject to applicable state franchise laws. The establishment or relocation of franchises in our markets could have a material adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of our dealerships in the market in which the action is taken.
Manufacturers may also limit our ability to divest one or more of our franchise dealerships in a timely manner. Most of our dealer agreements provide the manufacturer with a right of first refusal to purchase any of the manufacturer’s franchises we seek to sell. Divestitures of our franchise dealerships may also require manufacturer consent and failure to obtain consent would require us to find another potential buyer or wait until the buyer is able to meet the requirements of the manufacturer. A delay in the sale of a dealership could have a negative impact on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Manufacturers may terminate or may not renew our dealer and framework agreements, or may compel us to divest our dealerships, for a number of reasons, including default under the agreement, any unapproved change of control (which specific changes vary from manufacturer to manufacturer, but which include material changes in the composition of our Board of Directors during a specified time period, the acquisition of 5% or more of our voting stock by another vehicle manufacturer or distributor, the acquisition of 20% or more of our voting stock by third parties, and the acquisition of an ownership interest sufficient to direct or influence management and policies), or certain other unapproved events (including certain extraordinary corporate transactions such as a merger or sale of all or substantially all of our assets). Triggers of these clauses are often based upon actions by our stockholders and are generally outside of our control. Restrictions on any unapproved changes of ownership or management may adversely impact our value, as they may prevent or deter prospective acquirers from gaining control of us. In addition, actions taken by a manufacturer to exploit its bargaining position in negotiating the terms of renewals of franchise agreements or otherwise could also have a material adverse effect on our revenues and profitability.
There can be no assurances that we will be able to renew our dealer and framework agreements on a timely basis, on acceptable terms, or at all. Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected to the extent that our rights become compromised or our operations are restricted due to the terms of our dealer or framework agreements or if we lose franchises representing a significant percentage of our revenues due to the termination of, or failure to renew, such agreements.
If vehicle manufacturers reduce or discontinue sales incentive, warranty or other promotional programs, our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be materially adversely affected.
We benefit from certain sales incentive, warranty, and other promotional programs of vehicle manufacturers that are intended to promote and support their respective new vehicle sales. Key incentive programs include: (i) customer rebates on new vehicles; (ii) dealer incentives on new vehicles; (iii) special financing or leasing terms; (iv) warranties on new and used vehicles; and (v) sponsorship of used vehicle sales by authorized new vehicle dealers.
24
Table of Contents
Vehicle manufacturers often make many changes to their incentive programs. Any reduction or discontinuation of manufacturers’ incentive programs for any reason, including a supply and demand imbalance, may reduce our sales volume which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Technological advances, including electrification of vehicles and adoption of autonomous vehicles in the long-term, could have a material adverse effect on our business.
The automotive industry is predicted to experience change over the long-term. Technological advances are facilitating the development of electric, battery powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles and autonomous vehicles. While most major vehicle manufacturers have announced plans to electrify some or all of their new vehicle offerings, the eventual timing of widespread availability of electric, battery powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles and driverless vehicles is uncertain due to regulatory requirements, additional technological requirements, and uncertain consumer acceptance of these vehicles. We expect to continue to sell electric, battery powered and hybrid gas/electric vehicles through our dealerships; however, the effect of these vehicles on the automotive retail business is uncertain and could include changes in the level of the new and used vehicle sales, the price of new and used vehicles and the levels of service required for such vehicles and the profitability of our parts and service business, our finance and insurance business, including our TCA business, and the role of franchised dealers, any of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Risks Related to Our Indebtedness and Financial Matters
Our outstanding indebtedness, ability to incur additional debt and the provisions in the agreements governing our debt, and certain other agreements, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
As of December 31, 2024, we had total debt of $3.16 billion and total floor plan notes payable, net of $1.69 billion. We have the ability to incur substantial additional debt in the future to finance, among other things, acquisitions, working capital and capital expenditures, and new and used vehicle inventory, as well as to refinance new and used vehicle inventory, subject in each case to the restrictions contained in our debt instruments and other agreements existing at the time such indebtedness is incurred. We will continue to have substantial debt service obligations, consisting of required cash payments of principal and interest, for the foreseeable future.
We anticipate the completion of the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition will cause us to (i) use a substantial portion of our cash resources; (ii) incur additional debt, which will increase our interest expense, leverage and debt service requirements; (iii) assume certain liabilities; (iv) record goodwill and intangible assets that are subject to impairment testing on a regular basis and potential periodic impairment charges; (v) incur tax expenses in connection with the acquisition and related to the effect of the acquisition on our legal structure; (vi) incur financing, restructuring and other related expenses; and (vii) be subject to certain litigation of the acquired company. We also expect that the completion of the Herb Chambers Dealerships acquisition will impact our debt service obligations.
Our debt service obligations could have important consequences to us for the foreseeable future, including the following: (i) our ability to obtain additional financing, or to obtain such financing on attractive terms, for acquisitions, capital expenditures, working capital or other general corporate purposes may be impaired; (ii) a substantial portion of our cash flow from operating activities must be dedicated to the payment of principal and interest on our debt, thereby reducing the funds available to us for our operations and other corporate purposes; (iii) some of our borrowings are and will continue to be at variable rates of interest, which exposes us to certain risks of interest rate increases; and (iv) we may be or become substantially more leveraged than some of our competitors, which may place us at a relative competitive disadvantage and make us more vulnerable to changes in market conditions and governmental regulations.
In addition to our ability to incur additional debt in the future, there are operating and financial restrictions and covenants, such as leverage covenants, in certain of our debt and mortgage agreements, including the agreement governing our 2023 Senior Credit Facility and our mortgage agreements and related mortgage guarantees, as well as certain other agreements to which we are a party that may adversely affect our ability to finance our future operations or capital needs or to pursue certain business activities. These limit, among other things, our ability to incur certain additional debt, create certain liens or other encumbrances and make certain payments (including dividends and repurchases of our common stock and for investments). Certain of these agreements also require us to maintain compliance with certain financial ratios, including, but not limited to, our adjusted net leverage ratio.
Our failure to comply with any of these covenants in the future could constitute a default under the relevant agreement, which could, depending on the relevant agreement, (i) entitle the creditors under such agreement to terminate our ability to borrow under the relevant agreement and accelerate our obligations to repay outstanding borrowings; (ii) require us to repay those borrowings; (iii) entitle the creditors under such agreement to foreclose on the property securing the relevant
25
Table of Contents
indebtedness; or (iv) prevent us from making debt service payments on certain of our other indebtedness, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In many cases, a default under one of our debt, mortgage, or other agreements, could trigger cross-default provisions in one or more of our other debt or mortgage agreements. There can be no assurance that our creditors would agree to an amendment or waiver of our covenants. In the event we obtain an amendment or waiver, we would likely incur additional fees and higher interest expense.
In addition to the financial and other covenants contained in our various debt or mortgage agreements, certain of our lease agreements contain covenants that give our landlords the right to terminate the lease, seek significant cash damages, or evict us from the applicable property, if we fail to comply. Similarly, our failure to comply with any financial or other covenants in any of our framework agreements would give the relevant manufacturer certain rights, including the right to reject proposed acquisitions, and may give it the right to repurchase its franchises from us. Events that give rise to such rights, and our inability to acquire additional dealerships or the requirement that we sell one or more of our dealerships at any time, could inhibit the growth of our business, and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Manufacturers may also have the right to restrict our ability to provide guarantees of our operating companies, pledges of the capital stock of our subsidiaries and liens on our assets, which could materially adversely affect our ability to obtain financing for our business and operations on favorable terms or at desired levels, if at all.
The occurrence of any one of these events may limit our ability to take strategic actions that would otherwise enable us to manage our business in a manner in which we otherwise would, absent such limitations, which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected by increases in interest rates.
We generally finance our purchases of new vehicle inventory, have the ability to finance the purchases of used vehicle inventory, and have the availability to borrow funds for working capital under our senior secured credit facilities that charge interest at variable rates. Therefore, our interest expense from variable rate debt will rise with increases in interest rates. In addition, a significant rise in interest rates may also have the effect of depressing demand in the interest rate sensitive aspects of our business, particularly new and used vehicle sales and the related profit margins and F&I revenue per vehicle, because most of our customers finance their vehicle purchases.As a result, rising interest rates may have the effect of simultaneously increasing our capital costs and reducing our revenues. Given our variable interest rate debt and floor plan notes payable outstanding as of December 31, 2024, each one percent increase in market interest rates would increase our total annual interest expense by approximately $16.7 million. When considered in connection with reduced expected sales, if interest rates increase, any such increase could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our vehicle sales, financial condition and results of operations may be materially adversely affected by changes in costs or availability of consumer financing.
The majority of vehicles purchased by our customers are financed. Reductions in the availability of credit to consumers have contributed to declines in our vehicle sales in past periods. Reductions in available consumer credit or increased costs of that credit, could result in a decline in our vehicle sales, which would have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Lenders that have historically provided financing to those buyers who, for various reasons, do not have access to traditional financing, including those buyers who have a poor credit history or lack the down payment necessary to purchase a vehicle, are often referred to as subprime lenders. If market conditions cause subprime lenders to tighten credit standards, or if interest rates increase, the ability to obtain financing from subprime lenders for these consumers to purchase vehicles could become limited, resulting in a decline in our vehicle sales, which in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We have identified a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting and may identify additional material weaknesses in the future or otherwise fail to maintain an effective system of internal controls, which may result in material misstatements or otherwise adversely affect the accuracy, reliability or timeliness of our financial statements.
As described under Item 9A. "Controls and Procedures" below, we have concluded that a material weakness in our internal control over financial reporting existed as of December 31, 2024 and, accordingly, internal control over financial reporting and our disclosure controls and procedures were not effective as of such date. A material weakness is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of our annual or interim consolidated financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. As a result of management's evaluation, management identified the material weakness as a result of deficiencies in information
26
Table of Contents
technology general controls ("ITGCs") at a third-party software vendor who supports the Dealer Management System ("DMS") utilized by the Koons dealership group that we acquired in December 2023.
Management has developed its remediation plan and plans to implement it during 2025. Until the remediation plan is fully implemented, tested and deemed effective, we cannot provide assurance that our actions will adequately remediate the material weakness or that additional material weaknesses in our internal controls will not be identified in the future. Effective internal control over financial reporting is necessary for us to provide reliable and timely financial reports and, together with adequate disclosure controls and procedures, are designed to reasonably detect and prevent fraud. The occurrence of, or failure to remediate, this material weakness and any future material weaknesses in our internal control over financial reporting may adversely affect the accuracy, reliability and timeliness of our financial statements and have other consequences that could materially and adversely affect our business.
Risks Related to Legal and Regulatory Matters
If state laws that protect automotive retailers are repealed, weakened, or superseded by our framework agreements with manufacturers, our dealerships will be more susceptible to termination, non-renewal, or renegotiation of their dealer agreements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
Applicable state laws generally provide that an automobile manufacturer may not terminate or refuse to renew a dealer agreement unless it has first provided the dealer with written notice setting forth "good cause" and stating the grounds for termination or non-renewal. Many states also limit the circumstances in which an automobile manufacturer may sell vehicles directly to consumers.Some state laws allow dealers to file protests or petitions or allow them to attempt to comply with the manufacturer’s criteria within a notice period to avoid the termination or non-renewal. Our framework agreements with certain manufacturers contain provisions that, among other things, attempt to limit the protections available to dealers under these laws, and, though unsuccessful to date, manufacturers’ ongoing lobbying efforts may lead to the repeal or revision of these laws. If these laws are repealed in the states in which we operate, manufacturers may be able to terminate our franchises without providing advance notice, an opportunity to cure or a showing of good cause. Without the protection of these state laws, it may also be more difficult for us to renew our dealer agreements upon expiration. Changes in laws that provide manufacturers the ability to terminate our dealer agreements could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. Furthermore, if a manufacturer seeks protection from creditors in bankruptcy, courts have held that the federal bankruptcy laws may supersede the state laws that protect automotive retailers resulting in either the termination, non-renewal or rejection of franchises by such manufacturers, which, in turn, could materially adversely affect our business, result of operations, financial condition and cash flows.Market disruptors continue to push for legislation permitting direct-to-consumer sales models; if those lobbying efforts are successful, automotive manufacturers could bypass the traditional franchised dealer network, which in turn could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
New laws, regulations, or governmental policies in response to climate change, including fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards, or changes to existing standards, could adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and prospects.
New laws and regulations designed to address climate change concerns could affect vehicle manufacturers’ ability to produce cost effective vehicles. For example, laws and regulations enacted that directly or indirectly affect vehicle manufacturers (through an increase in the cost of production or their ability to produce satisfactory products) or our business (through an impact on our inventory availability, cost of sales, operations or demand for the products we sell) could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and prospects. In addition, vehicle manufacturers are subject to government-mandated fuel economy and greenhouse gas, or GHG, emission standards, which continue to change and become more stringent over time. Significant increases in fuel economy requirements or new federal or state restrictions on emissions of carbon dioxide that may be imposed on vehicles and automobile fuels could adversely affect demand for vehicles, annual miles driven or the products we sell or lead to changes in automotive technology.
A failure of any of our information systems or those of our third-party service providers, the inability to successfully transition from one key information system platform to a different platform, or a data security breach with regard to personally identifiable information ("PII") about our customers or employees, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We depend on the efficient operation of our information systems and those of our third-party service providers. We rely on information systems at our dealerships in all aspects of our sales and service efforts, as well as in the preparation of our consolidated financial and operating data. All of our dealerships currently operate on three dealer management systems ("DMS"). We have piloted a new DMS, and the inability to successfully transition from our existing DMS to a new DMS could
27
Table of Contents
have a material adverse effect on the management of our day-to-day business activities. Additionally, in the ordinary course of business, we and our partners receive significant PII about our customers in order to complete the sale or service of a vehicle and related products. We also receive PII from our employees. The regulatory environment surrounding information security and privacy is increasingly demanding, with numerous state and federal regulations, as well as payment card industry and other vendor standards, governing the collection and maintenance of PII from consumers and other individuals.
Cyber incidents can result from human error or intentional (or deliberate) attacks or unintentional events by insiders (e.g., employees) or third parties, including cybercriminals, competitors, nation-states and "hacktivists," among others. Cyber incidents can include, for example, phishing, credential harvesting or use of stolen access credentials, unauthorized access to systems, networks or devices (for example, through hacking activity), structured query language attacks, infection from or spread of malware, ransomware, computer viruses or other malicious software code, corruption of data, exfiltration of data to malicious sites, the dark web or other locations or threat actors, the use of fraudulent or fake websites, and other attacks (including, but not limited to, denial-of-service attacks on websites), which shut down, disable, slow, impair or otherwise disrupt operations, business processes, technology, connectivity or website or internet access, functionality or performance. In addition to intentional cyber incidents, unintentional cyber incidents can occur (for example, the inadvertent release of confidential or non-public personal information). Changes to our business, processes, systems, or technology, if not implemented properly, can increase our vulnerability to cyber incidents.
Our business could be significantly disrupted if (i) the DMS fails to integrate with other third-party information systems, customer relations management tools or other software, or to the extent that any of these systems become unavailable to us or fail to perform as designed for an extended period of time for any reason or (ii) our relationship with our DMS providers or any other third-party provider deteriorates. Additionally, any disruption to access and connectivity of our information systems due to natural disasters, power loss or other reasons could disrupt our business operations, impact sales and results of operations, expose us to customer or third-party claims, or result in adverse publicity. In addition, we believe the automotive dealership industry is a particular target of identity thieves and other threat actors, as there are numerous opportunities for cybersecurity incidents, including cybersecurity breaches, burglary, lost or misplaced data, malware, ransomware, computer viruses or other malicious software code, corruption of data, exfiltration of data to malicious sites, the dark web or other locations or threat actors, or misappropriation of data by employees, vendors or unaffiliated third parties. Because of the increasing number and sophistication of some cybersecurity incidents and cyber-attacks, and despite the security measures we have in place and any additional measures we may implement or adopt in the future, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers and business partners, could be vulnerable to cybersecurity incidents, security breaches, computer viruses, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, scams, burglary, human errors, acts of vandalism and/or other events. While we and the business partners and service providers on which we rely have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past, and may experience additional incidents in the future, we are not aware of any incident having a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition to date. However, there can be no assurance that we or the business partners and service providers on which we rely will not experience future cybersecurity incidents that may be material. Although we believe we have systems and processes in place to protect against risks associated with cybersecurity incidents in the future, depending on the nature of an incident, these protections may not be fully sufficient. In addition, because techniques used in cybersecurity attacks and incidents change frequently and may not be recognized until launched against a target, we or our business partners and service providers may be unable to anticipate these techniques or to implement adequate preventative measures. An incident may not be detected until well after it occurs and the severity and potential impact may not be fully known for a substantial period of time after it has been discovered. Any such alleged or actual incident can increase costs of doing business, negatively affect customer satisfaction and loyalty, expose us to negative publicity, individual claims or consumer class actions, administrative, civil or criminal investigations or actions, and infringe on proprietary information, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Our dealership operations and facilities are subject to extensive governmental laws and regulations. If we are found to be in purported violation of or subject to liabilities under any of these laws or regulations, or if new laws or regulations are enacted that adversely affect our operations, our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and prospects could suffer.
The automotive retail industry, including our facilities and operations, is subject to a wide range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, such as those relating to motor vehicle sales, retail installment sales, leasing, finance and insurance, marketing, licensing, consumer protection, consumer privacy, escheatment, anti-money laundering, environmental, vehicle emissions and fuel economy, and health and safety. In addition, with respect to employment practices, we are subject to various laws and regulations, including complex federal, state, and local wage and hour and anti-discrimination laws. The violation of the laws or regulations to which we are subject could result in administrative, civil, or criminal sanctions against us, which may include a cease and desist order against the subject operations or even revocation or suspension of our license to operate the subject business, as well as significant fines and penalties. Violation of certain laws and regulations to which we are subject may also subject us to consumer class action or other lawsuits or governmental investigations and adverse publicity. We
28
Table of Contents
currently devote significant resources to comply with applicable federal, state, and local regulation of health, safety, environmental, zoning and land use regulations, and we may need to spend additional time, effort, and money to keep our operations and existing or acquired facilities in compliance therewith.
In addition, there is a risk that our employees could engage in misconduct that violates the laws or regulations to which we are subject. It is not always possible to detect or deter employee misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect and prevent this activity may not be effective in all cases. If any of our employees were to engage in misconduct or were to be accused of such misconduct, our business and reputation could be adversely affected.
The CFPB does not have direct regulatory authority over automotive dealers but could implement additional, indirect regulation of automotive dealers, in particular, their sale and marketing of finance and insurance products, through its regulation of automotive finance companies and other financial institutions. In addition, the CFPB possesses supervisory authority with respect to certain non-bank lenders, including automotive finance companies, participating in automotive financing. The FTC may exercise its additional rule-making authority to expand consumer protection regulations relating to the sale, financing and leasing of motor vehicles.
In May 2016, we signed a consent order with the FTC to settle allegations that in certain instances our advertisements did not adequately disclose information about used vehicles with open safety recalls. Under the consent order, we did not agree to make any payments or admit wrong-doing, but we did agree to make certain disclosures in marketing materials and at the point of sale and comply with certain record-keeping obligations. Our failure to comply with the consent order may result in the imposition of significant fines and/or penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations. In January 2024, the FTC published the Combatting Auto Retail Scams Final Rule (the "CARS Rule"), which prohibits a broad range of current accepted industry sales and marketing practices and imposes significant new dealer disclosure obligations and record-keeping requirements throughout the vehicle-buying process.The FTC stayed the CARS Rule’s original effective date of July 30, 2024 pending the resolution of a judicial challenge to the CARS Rule.On January 27, 2025, the United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit ruled to vacate the CARS Rule on the basis that the FTC violated procedural rules by not providing advance notice of the planned regulation. Although currently nullified based on the Fifth Circuit's ruling, compliance with the CARS Rule, if it becomes effective, would be burdensome and cause us to incur increased costs. A failure to comply with the CARS Rule would expose us to potential significant damages, penalties and adverse publicity, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial results.
Continued pressure from the CFPB, FTC, and other federal agencies could lead to significant changes in the manner that dealers are compensated for arranging customer financing and vehicle protection products, and while it is difficult to predict how any such changes might impact us, any adverse changes could have a material adverse impact on our finance and insurance business and results of operations. Furthermore, we expect that new laws and regulations, particularly at the federal level, in other areas may be enacted, which could also materially adversely impact our business. On August 3, 2022, we received a Civil Investigative Demand ("CID") from the FTC requesting information and documents concerning the Company’s corporate structure and operation of six of its dealerships. We responded to the CID by producing information and documents for the period August 1, 2019 to April 24, 2023. On February 8, 2024, the FTC staff counsel sent to us a proposed consent order and draft complaint, alleging that the Company and three of our dealerships had violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ("FTC Act") and certain provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA") in connection with the sale of add-on products (e.g., vehicle service contracts, maintenance plans, etc.), and advised that it would recommend the filing of an enforcement action if the Company did not settle the FTC’s claims. The Company vigorously disputed, and continues to vigorously dispute, the FTC’s allegations that it violated the FTC Act and the ECOA. As a result, on August 16, 2024, the FTC initiated an administrative proceeding by filing an enforcement action against the Company; David McDavid Honda Frisco, David McDavid Honda Irving, and David McDavid Ford Fort Worth, three of the Company’s dealerships; and an individual general manager at one of the dealerships pursuant to the allegations set forth above. On October 4, 2024, the Company filed a lawsuit against the FTC in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, seeking to enjoin the FTC’s administrative proceeding on the ground that the administrative proceeding was unconstitutional. Among other things, the Company’s lawsuit asserts that the FTC’s administrative proceeding violates Asbury’s constitutional rights by denying it the right to a jury trial and by allowing the FTC to serve as both prosecutor and judge in the same proceeding. The Company’s lawsuit also contends that FTC commissioners and in-house administrative law judges are effectively insulated from removal by the President in contravention of the Constitution’s requirements. At this time, we are unable to reasonably predict the possible outcome of the Company’s dispute with the FTC, or provide a reasonably possible range of loss, if any. There can be no assurance that the Company will succeed in either the FTC’s administrative proceeding against the Company or in the Company’s lawsuit against the FTC, and the FTC’s allegations, whether meritorious or not, may adversely affect our ability to attract customers, result in the loss of existing customers, harm our reputation and cause us to incur defense costs and other expenses.
29
Table of Contents
Environmental laws and regulations govern, among other things, discharges into the air and water, storage of petroleum substances and chemicals, the handling and disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, investigation and remediation of contamination. Similar to many of our competitors, we have incurred and expect to continue to incur capital and operating expenditures and other costs to comply with such federal and state laws and regulations. In addition, we may become subject to broad liabilities arising out of contamination at our currently and formerly owned or operated facilities, at locations to which hazardous substances were transported from such facilities, and at such locations related to entities formerly affiliated with us. Liability under these laws and regulations can be imposed on a joint and several basis and without regard to fault. For such potential liabilities, we believe we are entitled to indemnification from other entities. However, we cannot provide assurance that such entities will view their obligations as we do or will be able or willing to satisfy them. We may have indemnity obligations for liabilities relating to contamination at our currently or formerly owned and/or operated facilities as part of the acquisition or divestiture of certain properties in the ordinary course of business. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or significant additional expenditures required to maintain compliance therewith, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
A significant judgment against us or the imposition of a significant fine could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and future prospects. We further expect that, from time to time, new laws and regulations, particularly in the environmental area, will be enacted, and compliance with such laws, or penalties for failure to comply, could significantly increase our costs. For example, vehicle manufacturers are subject to government-mandated fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards, which continue to change and become more stringent over time. Failure of a manufacturer to develop passenger vehicles and light trucks that meet these and other government standards could subject the manufacturer to substantial penalties, increase the cost of vehicles sold to us, and adversely affect our ability to market and sell vehicles to meet consumer needs and desires, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition or cash flows.
Our TCA business is subject to a wide range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, some of which we may not have previously been subject. If we are found to be in purported violation of or subject to liabilities under any of these laws or regulations, or if new laws or regulations are enacted that adversely affect our TCA business, our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and prospects could suffer.
The TCA business is, and will continue to be, subject to a wide range of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, some of which Asbury may not have been previously subject. Such laws and regulations include but are not limited to:
•state and local licensing requirements;
•federal and state laws regulating vehicle finance and insurance products; and
•federal and state consumer protection laws.
No assurance can be given that applicable statutes, regulations, and other laws will not be amended or construed differently, that new laws will not be adopted, or that any of these laws will not be enforced more aggressively. For example, changes in the regulatory and supervisory environments could adversely affect the TCA business in substantial and unpredictable ways. Further, the TCA business’ noncompliance with applicable laws (whether as a result of changes in interpretation or enforcement, system or human errors, or otherwise) could result in the suspension or revocation of licenses or registrations necessary to the operation, or the initiation of enforcement actions or private litigation.
In addition, we are required to set aside an amount of restricted cash sufficient to satisfy potential claims associated with the TCA business. While we are permitted to invest such cash in fixed income and equity securities, and other investments, we cannot provide any assurance that a loss in such investments would not have a material adverse effect on our ability to honor customers’ claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are subject to risks related to the provision of employee health care benefits, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows.
We use a combination of insurance and self-insurance for health care plans. We record expenses under those plans based on estimates of the costs of expected claims, administrative costs, stop-loss insurance premiums, and expected health care trends. Actual costs under these plans are subject to variability that is dependent upon participant enrollment, demographics and the actual costs of claims made. Negative trends in any of these areas could cause us to incur additional unplanned health care costs, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. In addition, if enrollment in our health care plans increases significantly, the additional costs that we will incur may be significant enough to materially affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
30
Table of Contents
We are, and expect to continue to be, subject to legal and administrative proceedings, which, if the outcomes are adverse to us, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, reputation and prospects.
We are involved and expect to continue to be involved in numerous legal proceedings arising out of the conduct of our business, including litigation with customers, employment-related lawsuits, class actions, purported class actions, and actions brought by governmental authorities. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of any known matters will have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows or prospects. However, the results of these matters cannot be predicted with certainty, and an unfavorable resolution of one or more of these matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
A decline in our credit rating or a general disruption in the credit markets could negatively impact our liquidity and ability to conduct our operations.
A deterioration of our credit rating, or a general disruption in the credit markets, could limit our ability to obtain credit on terms acceptable to us, or at all. In addition, uncertain economic conditions or the re-pricing of certain credit risks may make it more difficult for us to obtain one or more types of funding in the amounts, or at rates considered acceptable to us, at any given time. Our inability to access necessary or desirable funding, or to enter into certain related transactions, at times and at costs deemed appropriate by us, could have a negative impact on our liquidity and our ability to conduct our operations. Any of these developments could also reduce the ability or willingness of the financial institutions that have extended credit commitments to us, or that have entered into hedge or similar transactions with us, to fulfill their obligations to us, which also could have a material adverse effect on our liquidity, our ability to conduct our operations and our prospects.
We are subject to risks associated with imported product restrictions or limitations, foreign trade and currency valuations.
Our business involves the sale of vehicles, parts or vehicles composed of parts that are manufactured outside of the United States. As a result, our operations are subject to risks of doing business outside of the United States and importing merchandise, including import duties, exchange rates, trade restrictions, work stoppages, natural or man-made disasters, and general political and socio-economic conditions in other countries. The United States or the countries from which our products are imported may, from time to time, impose new quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or limitations, or adjust presently prevailing quotas, duties or tariffs, including recently proclaimed and possible future tariffs. The imposition of new, or adjustments to prevailing, quotas, duties, tariffs or other restrictions or limitations could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows. Relative weakness of the U.S. dollar against foreign currencies in the future may result in an increase in costs to us and in the retail price of such vehicles or parts, which could discourage consumers from purchasing such vehicles and adversely impact our revenues and profitability.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 1C. Cybersecurity
Overview
We have processes in place designed to protect our information systems, data, assets, infrastructure, and computing environments from cybersecurity threats and risks while maintaining confidentiality, integrity, and availability. Our cybersecurity risk management processes are integrated into our enterprise risk management program.
Training
We conduct regular training for cybersecurity awareness of our employees, senior executives, and certain other vendors or personnel. We also perform phishing and social engineering simulations and provide cybersecurity training for personnel with Company email and access to Company assets. We disseminate security awareness communications to certain employees to highlight emerging or urgent cybersecurity threats.
Asbury’s information and data security training programs are housed in a Learning Management System ("LMS"). We migrate our acquired companies into Asbury’s current LMS.
Governance
Our Chief Information Officer ("CIO"), who has over 35 years of experience in the technology field, oversees cybersecurity, data privacy and manages Asbury’s information and security procedures. Asbury also has a Director of Cybersecurity, as well as a formal team of analysts.
31
Table of Contents
Our Board of Directors maintains ultimate oversight of the Company’s enterprise risk management program, which includes material cyber security risks.Under the oversight of the audit committee and capital allocation and risk management committee of the Company’s Board of Directors, and as directed by the Company’s Chief Executive Officer, our CIO is responsible for the assessment and management of material cybersecurity risks.Our CIO oversees the Company’s cybersecurity incident response plan and related processes that are designed to assess and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. The CIO also coordinates with the Company’s legal counsel and third parties, such as consultants and legal advisors, to assess and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. Our CIO is informed about and monitors the prevention, detection, mitigation, and remediation of cybersecurity incidents pursuant to criteria set forth in the Company’s incident response plan and related processes.
The capital allocation and risk management committee of the Company’s Board of Directors assists the Board in the periodic review and evaluation of the Company’s risk profile and related risk management processes which identify and manage the Company’s key financial, strategic and operational risks.The audit committee of the Company’s Board of Directors oversees, among other things, the adequacy and effectiveness of the Company’s internal controls, including internal controls designed to assess, identify, and manage material risks from cybersecurity threats. The audit committee is informed of material risks from cybersecurity threats pursuant to the escalation criteria as set forth in the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures.Further, our CIO reports on cybersecurity matters, including material risks and threats, to the Company’s audit committee on a quarterly basis, and the audit committee provides updates to the Company’s Board of Directors at regular board meetings. In addition, the audit committee and capital allocation and risk management committee hold a joint meeting annually during which the CIO provides a comprehensive update regarding the assessment and management of material cybersecurity risks. Our CIO also provides updates as appropriate to the Company’s Board of Directors.
Risk Management
We have processes for assessing, identifying, and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. These processes are integrated into the Company’s overall risk management systems. These processes also include overseeing and identifying risks from cybersecurity threats associated with the use of third-party service providers. The Company conducts security assessments of certain third-party providers before engagement and has established monitoring procedures in its effort to mitigate risks related to data breaches or other security incidents originating from third parties.The Company from time to time engages third-party consultants, legal advisors, and audit firms in evaluating and testing the Company’s risk management systems and assessing and remediating certain potential cybersecurity incidents as appropriate.
Management
In an effort to effectively prevent, detect, and respond to cybersecurity threats, we employ a multi-layered cybersecurity risk management program supervised by our CIO, whose team is responsible for leading enterprise-wide cybersecurity strategy, policy, architecture, and processes. This responsibility includes identifying, considering, and assessing potentially material cybersecurity incidents on an ongoing basis, establishing processes designed to prevent and monitor potential cybersecurity risks, implementing mitigation and remedial measures, and maintaining our cybersecurity program. To do so, our program leverages both internal and external techniques and expertise. Internally, among other things, we may perform penetration tests, internal tests/code reviews, and simulations using cybersecurity professionals to assess vulnerabilities in our information systems and evaluate our cyber defense capabilities. Our cybersecurity capabilities, processes, and other security measures also include, without limitation:
•Service Organization Controls ("SOC")-as-a-Service (SOCaas) wherein a third-party vendor operates and maintains a fully-managed SOC on a subscription basis via the cloud;
•Security Information and Event Management ("SIEM") software, which provides a threat detection, compliance, and security incident management system;
•Endpoint Detection and Response ("EDR") software, which monitors for malicious activities on internal endpoints (e.g., Windows workstations, servers, MAC clients, and Linux endpoints);
•Cloud monitoring; and
•Disaster recovery and incident response plans, including a ransomware response plan.
Although we believe we have systems and processes in place to protect against risks associated with cybersecurity incidents in the future, depending on the nature of an incident, these protections may not be fully sufficient. We, or the business partners or services providers on which we rely, have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past that have resulted in disruptions, technology failures, or unauthorized persons gaining access to certain information systems, and we could in the future experience similar incidents.As of the date of this Form 10-K, no cybersecurity incident or attack, or any risk from
32
Table of Contents
cybersecurity threat, has materially affected or has been determined to be reasonably likely to materially affect the Company, our business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition. For additional information regarding the risks from cybersecurity threats we face, see the section captioned. For further discussion of the risks associated with cybersecurity incidents, see "A failure of any of our information systems or those of our third-party service providers, or a data security breach with regard to personally identifiable information ("PII") about our customers or employees, could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows." beginning on page 27 of the section entitled "Item 1A. Risk Factors" in this Form 10-K.
Item 2. Properties
We lease our corporate headquarters, which is located at 2905 Premiere Parkway, NW, Suite 300, Duluth, Georgia 30097. In November 2024, we acquired real estate in Sandy Springs, Georgia to serve as our future corporate headquarters. We anticipate the relocation to our new corporate headquarters during the second half of 2025. We also have a corporate office in Texas. The operations of our TCA business are located in leased office space in Utah.
As of December 31, 2024, our operations encompassed 152 franchised dealership locations, 37 collision repair centers, throughout 14 states as follows:
Dealerships Collision Repair Centers
Dealership Group Brand Name: Owned Leased Owned Leased
Coggin Automotive Group 12 4 (a) 5 2
Courtesy Autogroup 6 2 2 —
Crown Automotive Company 3 1 (b) — —
David McDavid Auto Group 4 — 2 —
Greenville Automotive Group 4 1 1 —
Hare, Bill Estes & Kahlo Automotive Groups 9 — 1 —
Koons Automotive Group 17 2 5 1
Larry H. Miller Dealerships 41 4 (b) 7 2
Mike Shaw, Stevinson & Arapahoe Automotive Groups 8 4 — —
Nalley Automotive Group 14 1 4 1
Park Place Automotive 5 4 (c) 2 1
Plaza Motor Company 5 1 (b) — 1
______________________________________
(a)Includes one dealership that leases a new vehicle facility and operates a separate used vehicle facility that is owned.
(b)Includes one dealership location where we lease the underlying land but own the building facilities on that land.
(c)Includes two dealership location where we lease the underlying land but own the building facilities on that land.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
From time to time, we and our dealerships are involved and will continue to be involved in various claims relating to, and arising out of, our business and our operations. These claims may involve, but are not limited to, financial and other audits by vehicle manufacturers or lenders, and certain federal, state, and local government authorities, which relate primarily to (i) incentive and warranty payments received from vehicle manufacturers, or allegations of violations of manufacturer agreements or policies, (ii) compliance with lender rules and covenants and (iii) payments made to government authorities relating to federal, state, and local taxes, as well as compliance with other government regulations. Claims may also arise through litigation, government proceedings, and other dispute resolution processes. Such claims, including class actions, can relate to, but are not limited to, the practice of charging administrative fees, employment-related matters, truth-in-lending practices, contractual disputes, actions brought by governmental authorities, and other matters. We evaluate pending and threatened claims and establish loss contingency reserves based upon outcomes we currently believe to be probable and reasonably estimable. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of the claims we are involved in will have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow and prospects.
On August 3, 2022, we received a Civil Investigative Demand ("CID") from the Federal Trade Commission (the "FTC") requesting information and documents concerning the Company’s corporate structure and operation of six of its dealerships. We responded to the CID by producing information and documents for the period August 1, 2019 to April 24, 2023. On February 8, 2024, the FTC staff counsel sent to us a proposed consent order and draft complaint, alleging that the Company and
33
Table of Contents
three of our dealerships had violated Section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act ("FTC Act") and certain provisions of the Equal Credit Opportunity Act ("ECOA") in connection with the sale of add-on products (e.g., vehicle service contracts, maintenance plans, etc.), and advising that it would recommend the filing of an enforcement action if the Company did not settle the FTC’s claims. The Company vigorously disputed, and continues to vigorously dispute, the FTC’s allegations that it violated the FTC Act and the ECOA. As a result, on August 16, 2024, the FTC initiated an administrative proceeding by filing an enforcement action against the Company; David McDavid Honda Frisco, David McDavid Honda Irving, and David McDavid Ford Fort Worth, three of the Company’s dealerships; and an individual general manager at one of the dealerships pursuant to the allegations set forth above. On October 4, 2024, the Company filed a lawsuit against the FTC in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, seeking to enjoin the FTC’s administrative proceeding on the ground that the administrative proceeding was unconstitutional. Among other things, the Company’s lawsuit asserts that the FTC’s administrative proceeding violates Asbury’s constitutional rights by denying it the right to a jury trial and by allowing the FTC to serve as both prosecutor and judge in the same proceeding. The Company’s lawsuit also contends that FTC commissioners and in-house administrative law judges are effectively insulated from removal by the President in contravention of the Constitution’s requirements. At this time, we are unable to reasonably predict the possible outcome of the Company’s dispute with the FTC, or provide a reasonably possible range of loss, if any. There can be no assurance that the Company will succeed in either the FTC’s administrative proceeding against the Company or in the Company’s lawsuit against the FTC, and the FTC’s allegations, whether meritorious or not, may adversely affect our ability to attract customers, result in the loss of existing customers, harm our reputation and cause us to incur defense costs and other expenses.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
34
Table of Contents
PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (the "NYSE") under the symbol "ABG."
We have not paid any dividends since 2008. On February 24, 2025, the last reported sale price of our common stock on the NYSE was $274.15 per share, and there were approximately 511 record holders of our common stock.
Our credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A. ("Bank of America"), as administrative agent, and the other agents and lenders party thereto (the "2023 Senior Credit Facility") and the Indentures governing the Senior Notes (as defined below) (collectively, the "Indentures") currently allow for us to make certain restricted payments, including payments to repurchase shares of our common stock, among other things, subject to our continued compliance with certain covenants. For additional information, see the "Covenants and Defaults" section within "Liquidity and Capital Resources."
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Share repurchases are implemented through purchases made from time to time in either the open market or private transactions. The share repurchases could include purchases pursuant to a written trading plan in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, which allows companies to repurchase shares of stock at times when they might otherwise be prevented from doing so by securities laws or under self-imposed trading blackout periods. 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.
Information about the shares of our common stock that we repurchased during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 is set forth below:
On May 15, 2024, the Company announced that its Board of Directors approved an increase of $256.2 million in the Company's common share repurchase authorization to $400 million (the "New 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 to which the Company repurchases its shares, the number of shares and the timing of any repurchase will depend on such factors as Asbury’s stock price, general economic and market conditions, the potential impact on its capital structure, the expected return on competing uses of capital such as strategic dealership acquisitions and capital investments and other considerations. The program does not require the Company to repurchase any specific number of shares, and may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time without further notice.
35
Table of Contents
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
The following graph furnished by us shows the value as of December 31, 2024, of a $100 investment in our common stock made on December 31, 2019, as compared with similar investments based on (i) the value of the S&P 500 Index (with dividends reinvested) and (ii) the value of a market-weighted Peer Group Index composed of the common stock of AutoNation, Inc.; Sonic Automotive, Inc.; Group 1 Automotive, Inc.; Penske Automotive Group, Inc.; and Lithia Motors, Inc., in each case on a "total return" basis assuming the reinvestment of any dividends. The market-weighted Peer Group Index values were calculated from the beginning of the performance period. The historical stock performance shown below is not necessarily indicative of future expected performance.
The forgoing graph is not, and shall not be deemed to be, filed as part of our annual report on Form 10-K. Such graph is not, and will not be deemed, filed or incorporated by reference into any filing by us under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, except to the extent specifically incorporated by reference therein by us.
36
Table of Contents
Item 6. Reserved
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, 2022 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, 2023.
OVERVIEW
We are one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States. As of December 31, 2024, through our Dealerships segment, we owned and operated 198 new vehicle franchises (152 dealership locations), representing 31 brands of automobiles, within 14 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 TCA and independent third parties. The F&I products offered by TCA are sold through affiliated dealerships. For the year ended December 31, 2024, our new vehicle revenue brand mix consisted of 41% imports, 30% luxury, and 29% 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, 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 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, during and after the COVID-pandemic, 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 consolidated financial statements.
37
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. Certain 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.
Recent Events
Pending acquisition
On February 14, 2025, the Company, through one of its subsidiaries, entered into a Purchase and Sale Agreement (the "Transaction Agreement") with various entities that comprise the Herb Chambers automotive group (the "Herb Chambers Dealerships"). Pursuant to the Transaction Agreement, the Company is expected to acquire substantially all of the assets, including all real property and businesses of the Herb Chambers Dealerships (collectively, the "Businesses") for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $1.34 billion, which includes $750 million for goodwill, and approximately $590 million for the real estate and leasehold improvements. In addition, the Company will acquire new vehicles, used vehicles, service loaner vehicles, fixed assets, parts and supplies for a purchase price to be determined at the closing (the “Closing”) of the transactions set forth in the Transaction Agreement and will reimburse the Herb Chambers Dealerships for certain dealership construction and development costs incurred prior to the Closing. The Businesses include 33 dealerships, 52 franchises and three collision centers. Herb Chambers will retain ownership of the Mercedes-Benz of Boston dealership in Somerville, Massachusetts (the "MB Boston Dealership"). The Transaction Agreement includes certain restrictions and obligations regarding the sale of the MB Boston Dealership, including a put right obligating the Company to purchase the MB Boston Dealership during the five-year period following the Closing, absent certain circumstances. The Company's acquisition of the Businesses is anticipated to close in the second quarter of 2025 and is subject to various customary closing conditions, including approval from the applicable automotive manufacturers.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton
In September 2024, Hurricane Helene affected our store operations in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. With Hurricane Helene, stores in the path of the storm closed their doors early and many remained offline even after the storm passed due to power outages. Temporary store closures and reduced customer traffic in the days leading up to the storm and immediately afterwards resulted in fewer new and used vehicle unit sales along with lost business in fixed operations. As previously disclosed, we estimated the impact of the storm on diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 to be between $0.07 and $0.09 per diluted share.
In October 2024, the size and path of Hurricane Milton placed it over a larger section of our store footprint and the damage to our dealership locations was more extensive. A higher number of stores closed for a longer period compared to Helene. Additionally, several locations experienced flooding, partial loss of vehicle inventories and extended power outages. Other locations had varying degrees of wind and water damage preventing them from reopening in a timely manner. As a result of Hurricane Milton, we incurred losses of $6.4 million, or $0.25 per diluted share during the quarter ended December 31, 2024.
Hurricanes Helene and Milton are not expected to have a continuing impact on the Company's operations and results in future periods.
Stop sale orders for certain Toyota, Lexus and BMW models
The stop sale orders for certain Toyota, Lexus and BMW models during the second half of 2024 impacted volumes on some of our most profitable and in-demand vehicles. A stop sale order is a notification from a manufacturer or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that prohibits the sale or lease of a new or used vehicle due to a safety recall, defect or noncompliance. The Toyota Grand Highlander and Lexus TX models have been popular vehicles with healthy gross profit margins. Based on the pre-stop sale trends for these models, we estimated the impact from this event resulted in approximately 2,100 fewer new units sold during the second half of 2024. As a result, we estimated the impact of the Toyota, Lexus and BMW stop sale orders to be between $0.48 and $0.52 per diluted share during the six months ended December 31, 2024. The stop sale orders were subsequently lifted during the fourth quarter and are not expected to have a continuing impact on the Company's operations and results in future periods.
38
Table of Contents
CDK outage
During June 2024, one of the Company’s vendors (CDK Global) experienced a cyber-incident impacting certain services provided to the Company and many other automotive retailers, including the Company’s sales, service, inventory, customer relationship management, and accounting functions. Upon discovery of the incident, we took immediate precautionary steps to protect our systems. Beginning on June 19, 2024, the outage affected all Asbury locations, with the exception of our Koons stores which utilize a different dealer management system. All functions of CDK were not fully restored for us until July 8, 2024, with other plug-ins and bolt-on applications coming back online in the weeks thereafter.
The CDK outage had a negative impact on our financial results during the quarter ended June 30, 2024 as a result of fewer new and used vehicle sales, which also impacted our F&I business, a reduction in parts and service volumes and certain incremental expenses related to our recovery efforts. As previously disclosed, we estimated the earnings per share for the quarter ended June 30, 2024 was negatively impacted between $0.95 and $1.15 per share, without taking into account any potential recoveries related to the incident. The CDK Global cyber-incident is not expected to continue to impact the Company's operations and results in future periods.
We have cybersecurity insurance coverage of $15.0 million, with a $2.5 million deductible. The timing of recovering some portion of our losses through insurance or other recoveries is difficult to predict. The insurance recoveries we receive, if any, may not occur for several quarters or longer.
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"). The Koons acquisition comprised 20 new vehicle dealerships and six collision centers.
Financial Highlights
Highlights related to our financial condition and results of operations include the following:
•Consolidated revenue for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased to $17.19 billion, compared to $14.80 billion for the prior year.
•Consolidated gross profit for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased to $2.95 billion, compared to $2.76 billion for the prior year.
•The increase in consolidated revenue and consolidated gross profit is primarily due to the effects of the Koons acquisition and growth in parts and services gross profit. This increase was offset by lower gross profit per vehicle sold for both new and used 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, 2024, we divested five franchises (five dealership locations). These divested dealerships contributed $121.2 million of revenue during the year ended December 31, 2024.
•Our capital allocation priorities were supported by share repurchases of approximately 830,297 million shares for $183.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2024.
39
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 for same store reporting.
The Company's full year results for 2024 include the results of the Koons dealerships acquired in the fourth quarter of 2023. Accordingly, the significant increases in revenue, gross profit and income from operations for 2024 compared to 2023 are largely a result of this acquisition.
The Year Ended December 31, 2024 Compared to the Year Ended December 31, 2023
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
(Dollars in millions, except per share data)
REVENUE:
GROSS PROFIT:
OPERATING EXPENSES:
OTHER (INCOME) EXPENSES:
Floor plan interest expense 89.9 9.6 80.2 NM
Gain on dealership divestitures, net (8.6) (13.5) 4.9 (36) %
Net income per common share—Diluted $ 21.50 $ 28.74 $ (7.24) (25) %
______________________________
NM—Not Meaningful
40
Table of Contents
For the Year Ended December 31,
REVENUE MIX PERCENTAGES:
Used retail vehicles 26.8 % 27.1 %
Used vehicle wholesale 3.6 % 2.7 %
Parts and service 13.7 % 14.1 %
Finance and insurance, net 4.5 % 4.6 %
GROSS PROFIT MIX PERCENTAGES:
Used retail vehicles 7.8 % 9.0 %
Used vehicle wholesale 0.6 % 0.6 %
Parts and service 45.8 % 41.8 %
Finance and insurance, net 24.1 % 23.2 %
GROSS PROFIT MARGIN 17.2 % 18.6 %
SG&A EXPENSES AS A PERCENTAGE OF GROSS PROFIT 64.0 % 58.7 %
Total revenue during 2024 increased by $2,385.9 million (16%) compared to 2023, due to a $1,219.0 million (16%) increase in new vehicle revenue, an $803.9 million (18%) increase in used vehicle revenue, a $273.2 million (13%) increase in parts and service revenue and an $89.8 million (13%) increase in F&I revenue.
The $192.8 million (7%) increase in gross profit during 2024 was the result of a $200.6 million (17%) increase in parts and service gross profit and a $73.4 million (11%) increase in F&I gross profit, partially offset by a $62.6 million (9%) decrease in new vehicle gross profit and an $18.6 million (7%) decrease in used vehicle gross profit. Our total gross profit margin decreased 146 basis points from 18.6% in 2023 to 17.2% in 2024.
Income from operations during 2024 decreased by $117.9 million (12%) compared to 2023, primarily due to a $271.2 million (17%) increase in selling, general and administrative expenses and a $32.3 million (28%) increase in asset impairments, partially offset by a $192.8 million (7%) increase in gross profit.
Total other expenses, net increased by $108.1 million (71%) from expenses of $152.2 million in 2023 to $260.3 million of expenses in 2024, primarily due to an $80.2 million (NM) increase in floor plan interest expense, a $23.0 million (15%) increase in other interest expense, net and a $4.9 million (36%) decrease in gain on dealership divestitures, net. As a result, income before income taxes decreased by $226.0 million (28%) to $575.3 million in 2024. The $53.8 million (27%) decrease in income tax expense was primarily attributable to the 28% decrease in income before taxes, partially offset by a 40 basis point increase in the 2024 effective tax rate. Overall, net income decreased by $172.2 million (29%) from $602.5 million in 2023 to $430.3 million in 2024.
41
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:
Total new vehicle gross profit $ 640.4 $ 703.0 $ (62.6) (9) %
New vehicle units:
Same Store:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
New vehicle units:
42
Table of Contents
New Vehicle Metrics—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
As Reported:
New vehicle gross margin 7.2 % 9.2 % (2.0) %
Luxury:
New vehicle gross margin 9.7 % 10.9 % (1.1) %
Import:
New vehicle gross margin 6.5 % 8.9 % (2.3) %
Domestic:
New vehicle gross margin 5.6 % 7.7 % (2.1) %
Same Store:
New vehicle gross margin 7.2 % 9.3 % (2.0) %
Luxury:
Gross profit per new vehicle sold $ 7,096 $ 7,789 $ (693) (9) %
New vehicle gross margin 9.8 % 10.9 % (1.0) %
Import:
New vehicle gross margin 6.0 % 8.9 % (2.9) %
Domestic:
New vehicle gross margin 5.5 % 7.8 % (2.3) %
During 2024, new vehicle revenue increased by $1,219.0 million (16%) when compared to 2023, as a result of a 16% increase in new vehicle unit sales. Same store new vehicle revenue increased by $28.5 million driven by an increase in same store revenue per new vehicle sold from $51,251 for the year ended December 31, 2023 to $51,484 for the year ended December 31, 2024.
New vehicle gross profit decreased by $62.6 million (9%) in 2024 when compared to 2023, as a result of a 21% decrease in gross profit per new vehicle sold partially offset by a 16% increase in unit volumes. Same store new vehicle gross profit decreased by $149.9 million (22%) in 2024 as a result of a 22% decrease in gross profit per new vehicle sold. Same store new vehicle gross margin decreased 205 basis points to 7.2% in 2024. The decrease in our new vehicle gross profit margin was primarily attributable to the continued 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, 2024 was approximately 15.8 million which increased as compared to approximately 15.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2023. The increase in new vehicle sales revenue on a same store basis for the year ended December 31, 2024 over the same period in the prior year is primarily attributable to an increase of $234 of revenue per new vehicle sold, while new vehicle units sold remained relatively flat for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the same period in the prior year. 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
43
Table of Contents
days supply among brands and models. We ended the year with approximately 49 days of supply of new vehicle inventory which reflects an increase from 43 days of supply as of December 31, 2023 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 retail gross profit $ 228.6 $ 248.5 $ (19.9) (8) %
Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 16.8 15.5 1.3 9 %
Used vehicle retail units:
Same Store:
Revenue:
Gross profit:
Used vehicle wholesale gross profit 10.8 15.6 (4.8) (31) %
Used vehicle retail units:
Used Vehicle Metrics—
For the Year Ended December 31, Increase(Decrease) %Change
As Reported:
Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 1,517 $ 1,949 $ (432) (22) %
Used vehicle retail gross margin 5.0 % 6.2 % (1.2) %
Same Store:
Gross profit per used vehicle retailed $ 1,597 $ 1,957 $ (360) (18) %
Used vehicle retail gross margin 5.2 % 6.2 % (1.0) %
Used vehicle revenue increased by $803.9 million (18%), due to a $588.4 million (15%) increase in used vehicle retail revenue and a $215.5 million (54%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Same store used vehicle revenue decreased by $140.5 million (3%) due to a $211.2 million (5%) decrease in used vehicle retail revenue, partially offset by a $70.7 million (19%) increase in used vehicle wholesale revenue. Used vehicle revenues and unit volume have continued to contract during
44
Table of Contents
2024, 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 2024, total Company and same store used vehicle retail gross profit margins decreased 122 and 101 basis points, respectively, to 5.0% and 5.2%. 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 37 days of supply as of December 31, 2024.
Parts and Service—
For the year ended December 31, 2024, we are presenting "Collision" as a separate line item within parts and service gross profit. In periods ending prior to June 30, 2024, "Collision" was included within "Customer pay". We reclassified the corresponding amounts for the year ended December 31, 2023 to conform to current year presentation.
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 57.4% 55.3% 2.1 %
Same Store:
Parts and service gross profit:
Total parts and service gross margin 57.6% 55.4% 2.2 %
* 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.
45
Table of Contents
The $273.2 million (13%) increase in parts and service revenue was due to a $185.6 million (17%) increase in customer pay revenue, a $65.7 million (24%) increase in warranty revenue, a $15.3 million (3%) increase in wholesale parts revenue and a $6.6 million (2%) increase in collision revenue. Same store parts and service revenue increased $35.9 (2%) from $2.03 billion in 2023 to $2.06 billion in 2024. The increase in same store parts and service revenue was due to a $42.7 million (4%) increase in customer pay revenue and a $33.0 million (12%) increase in warranty revenue, partially offset by a $15.6 million (4%) decrease in wholesale parts revenue and a $24.2 million (9%) decrease in collision revenue.
Parts and service gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $167.4 million (18%) to $1.10 billion and same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, increased by $55.4 million (6%) to $968.2 million. The $55.4 million increase in same store gross profit, excluding reconditioning and preparation, is primarily due to a $44.5 million (8%) increase in customer pay gross profit and a $21.3 million (15%) increase in warranty gross profit, partially offset by an $8.1 million (7%) decrease in collision gross profit and a $2.3 million (3%) decrease in wholesale parts gross profit. As a result of the shortage of new vehicle inventory in recent years, coupled with inflationary headwinds, many customers have elected to keep their current vehicles longer which has generated additional customer pay gross profit for the service departments. In addition, the increasing complexity of vehicles due to advanced systems is increasing the frequency of recalls resulting in an increase in warranty gross profit. 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 $ 711.6 $ 638.2 $ 73.4 11 %
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,197 $ 2,304 $ (107) (5) %
Same Store:
Finance and insurance, net revenue $ 630.4 $ 660.7 $ (30.3) (5) %
Finance and insurance, net gross profit $ 576.0 $ 622.8 $ (46.8) (8) %
Finance and insurance, net per vehicle sold $ 2,181 $ 2,325 $ (144) (6) %
F&I revenue, net increased by $89.8 million (13%) in 2024 when compared to 2023 primarily as a result of a 17% increase in new and used retail unit sales, partially offset by a $107 (5%) decrease in F&I per vehicle retailed.
On a same store basis, F&I revenue, net decreased by $30.3 million (5%) in 2024 when compared to 2023 primarily as a result of a 1% decrease in new and used retail unit sales and a $144 (6%) 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 $ 54.4 $ 37.9 $ 16.4 43 %
Finance and insurance, gross profit $ 66.2 $ 100.4 $ (34.2) (34) %
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
46
Table of Contents
losses and income earned associated with the performance of TCA's investment portfolio. During the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, TCA generated $120.6 million and $138.3 million, respectively, of revenue, consisting primarily of earned premium and $17.8 million and $15.7 million, respectively, 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 years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, TCA recorded $54.4 million and $37.9 million, respectively, of cost of sales consisting primarily of claims expense 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 upon consolidation.
As we continue to integrate TCA, we currently expect a rollout of TCA products in our Florida market during the first quarter of 2025 and the Koons platform in the second quarter of 2025; however, no assurance can be given that the rollout will be completed within the timeframe contemplated. 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—
2024 % of GrossProfit 2023 % of GrossProfit
(Dollars in millions)
As Reported:
Same Store:
SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit increased 536 basis points from 58.7% in 2023 to 64.0% in 2024. Same store SG&A expense as a percentage of gross profit increased 528 basis points from 58.3% in 2023 to 63.5% in 2024. The increase in SG&A as a percentage of gross profit is primarily the result of higher cost in personnel and other categories in SG&A expense partially offset by higher gross profits for 2024 as compared to 2023. SG&A expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 includes $7.1 million of expense related to hail damage and $6.4 million of expense related to Hurricane Milton. 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.
Asset Impairments —
During the year ended December 31, 2024, we recognized asset impairment charges of $149.5 million as compared to $117.2 million of impairment charges during the year ended December 31, 2023. The asset impairment charges resulted from our interim and 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.
47
Table of Contents
Floor Plan Interest Expense —
Floor plan interest expense increased by $80.2 million to $89.9 million during 2024 compared to $9.6 million during 2023 due to less cash held in the floor plan offset account during the year ended December 31, 2024 as a result of funding the Koons acquisition in December 2023.
Other Interest Expense —
Other interest expense increased $23.0 million (15%) from $156.1 million in 2023 to $179.1 million in 2024. 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 during the year ended December 31, 2024.
Gain on Dealership Divestitures, Net —
During the year ended December 31, 2024, we sold 1 Lexus franchise (1 dealership location) in Wilmington, Delaware due to OEM requirements in connection with the Koons acquisition, 1 Nissan franchise (1 dealership location) in Denver, Colorado, 1 Nissan franchise (1 dealership location) in Atlanta, Georgia, 1 Chevrolet franchise (1 dealership location) in Atlanta, Georgia and 1 Honda franchise (1 dealership location) in Spokane, Washington. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain totaling $8.6 million, which is presented in our accompanying consolidated statements of income as a gain on dealership divestitures, net.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, we sold 1 franchise (1 dealership location) in Austin, Texas. The Company recorded a pre-tax gain totaling $13.5 million.
Income Tax Expense —
The $53.8 million (27%) decrease in income tax expense was primarily the result of a $226.0 million (28%) decrease in income before income taxes. Our effective tax rate increased 40 basis points from 24.8% in 2023 to 25.2% in 2024. The increase in our effective tax rate was primarily due to 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.
48
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 for same store reporting. During 2022, the Company completed sixteen divestitures that contributed $683 million in revenue for the year.
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
49
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.
50
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:
51
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 days of supply of
52
Table of Contents
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 contract during 2023, along with margins on both an all store and same store basis. Used vehicle revenue and unit volumes have
53
Table of Contents
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 million (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.
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
54
Table of Contents
$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 an 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.
55
Table of Contents
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.
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.
56
Table of Contents
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.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2024, we had total available liquidity of $827.7 million, which consisted of cash and cash equivalents of $38.9 million (excluding $30.5 million held by TCA), available funds in our floor plan offset accounts of $116.7 million million and $486.0 million of availability under our revolving credit facility and $186.1 million of availability under our used vehicle floor plan 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.