UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-K
(Mark One)
þ | ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017
or
¨ | TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 |
For the transition period from ________ to ________
Commission File Number: 1-13107
AutoNation, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 73-1105145 | |
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization) | (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.) | |
200 SW 1st Ave Fort Lauderdale, Florida | 33301 | |
(Address of principal executive offices) | (Zip Code) | |
(954) 769-6000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class | Name of each exchange on which registered | |
Common Stock, Par Value $0.01 Per Share | New York Stock Exchange | |
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act. Yes ¨ No þ
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the new registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes þ No ¨
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
Large accelerated filer þ | Accelerated filer o |
Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company o |
Emerging growth company o | |
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ¨ No þ
As of June 30, 2017, the aggregate market value of the common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates was approximately $2.7 billion based on the closing price of the common stock on the New York Stock Exchange on such date (for the purpose of this calculation, the registrant assumed that each of its directors, executive officers, and greater than 10% stockholders was an affiliate of the registrant as of June 30, 2017).
As of February 12, 2018, the registrant had 91,824,778 shares of common stock outstanding.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the registrant’s Proxy Statement relating to its 2018 Annual Meeting of Stockholders to be filed with the SEC within 120 days after the end of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017 are incorporated herein by reference in Part III.
AUTONATION, INC.
FORM 10-K
FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
General
AutoNation, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the largest automotive retailer in the United States. As of December 31, 2017, we owned and operated 360 new vehicle franchises from 253 stores located in the United States, predominantly in major metropolitan markets in the Sunbelt region. Our stores, which we believe include some of the most recognizable and well-known in our key markets, sell 33 different new vehicle brands. The core brands of new vehicles that we sell, representing approximately 93% of the new vehicles that we sold in 2017, are manufactured by Toyota (including Lexus), Honda, Ford, General Motors, FCA US, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, BMW, and Volkswagen (including Audi and Porsche). We also own and operate 76 AutoNation-branded collision centers.
We offer a diversified range of automotive products and services, including new vehicles, used vehicles, “parts and service” (also referred to as “Customer Care”), which includes automotive repair and maintenance services as well as wholesale parts and collision businesses, and automotive “finance and insurance” products (also referred to as “Customer Financial Services”), which include vehicle service and other protection products, as well as the arranging of financing for vehicle purchases through third-party finance sources. The following charts present the contribution to total revenue and gross profit by each of new vehicle, used vehicle, parts and service, and finance and insurance sales in 2017.
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We were incorporated in Delaware in 1991. For convenience, the terms “AutoNation,” “Company,” and “we” are used to refer collectively to AutoNation, Inc. and its subsidiaries, unless otherwise required by the context. Our store operations are conducted by our subsidiaries.
Reportable Segments
As of December 31, 2017, we had three reportable segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. These segments are comprised of retail automotive franchises that sell the following new vehicle brands:
Domestic | Import | Premium Luxury | |||||
Buick | Ford | Acura | Mitsubishi | Alfa Romeo | Lexus | ||
Cadillac | GMC | Fiat | Nissan | Audi | Maserati | ||
Chevrolet | Jeep | Honda | Subaru | Bentley | Mercedes-Benz | ||
Chrysler | Lincoln | Hyundai | Toyota | BMW | MINI | ||
Dodge | Ram | Infiniti | Volkswagen | Jaguar | Porsche | ||
Mazda | Volvo | Land Rover | |||||
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The franchises in each segment also sell used vehicles, parts and automotive repair and maintenance services, and automotive finance and insurance products. For the year ended December 31, 2017, Domestic revenue represented 35% of total revenue, Import revenue represented 32% of total revenue, and Premium Luxury revenue represented 32% of total revenue. For additional financial information regarding our three reportable segments, refer to Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements set forth in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Except to the extent that differences among reportable segments are material to an understanding of our business taken as a whole, the description of our business in this report is presented on a consolidated basis.
Business Strategy
We seek to create long-term value for our stockholders by being the best-run, most profitable automotive retailer in the United States. We believe that the significant scale of our operations and the quality of our managerial talent allow us to achieve efficiencies in our key markets. To achieve and sustain operational excellence, we are pursuing the following strategies:
• | Create an industry-leading automotive retail customer experience in our stores and through our digital channels. |
We seek to deliver a consistently superior customer experience by offering a large selection of inventory, customer-friendly, transparent sales and service processes, and competitive pricing. We believe that this will benefit us by encouraging our customers to bring their vehicles to our stores for all of their vehicle service, maintenance, and collision repair needs and also by driving repeat and referral vehicle sales business.
We continue to make significant investments to build a seamless, end-to-end customer experience in our stores and through our digital channels, and to improve our ability to generate business through those channels. As part of our strategic initiatives, we implemented “AutoNation Express,” which enables our customers to complete certain automotive retail- and service-related transactions through our digital channels and offers a more fully integrated in-store and digital customer experience while also increasing traffic to our digital channels. We have developed features such as selecting and reserving a vehicle with a guaranteed price, scheduling a test drive, calculating payments, receiving a firm purchase offer for a vehicle that a customer wants to sell, applying for financing options, arranging service appointments, receiving updates on maintenance and repair services, and paying for maintenance and repair services online.
• | Continue to invest in the AutoNation retail brand to enhance our strong customer satisfaction and expand our market share. |
We continue to implement our comprehensive, customer-focused brand extension strategy, which includes AutoNation-branded parts and accessories, AutoNation-branded Customer Financial Services products (including extended service and maintenance contracts and other vehicle protection products), the expansion of AutoNation-branded collision centers and AutoNation-branded automotive auctions, and AutoNation USA stand-alone used vehicle sales and service centers. During 2017, we opened two automotive auctions, three AutoNation USA stores, and one collision center. Additionally, we acquired seven collision centers during 2017. As part of our brand extension strategy, we also implemented AutoNation Pre-Owned 360, which includes our technology, processes, and procedures for our One Price used vehicle centralized pricing and appraisal strategy, as well as our “We’ll Buy Your Car” program (under which customers receive a guaranteed trade-in offer honored for 7 days or 500 miles at any of our locations), and related training and systems.
We also continue to implement our Customer Care initiatives, including our AutoNation-branded parts and accessories, as well as the direct sourcing and distribution of other retail and wholesale parts for sale to our customers and other dealerships and collision centers. Our branded parts are sold under the name “AutoNation PrecisionParts,” which are sourced through various partnerships with third-party suppliers. These parts include maintenance and repair items such as batteries, wiper blades, filters, and service-drive chemicals. In addition, we have launched an accessory line called “AutoNation AutoGear” with more than 26 high quality accessory brands for lifestyle, appearance, protection, and vehicle security.
We expect that these initiatives will expand and strengthen the AutoNation retail brand, improve the customer experience, provide new growth opportunities, and enable us to expand our footprint in our core and other markets.
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• | Leverage our significant scale and cost structure to improve our operating efficiency. |
As the largest automotive retailer in the United States, we are uniquely positioned to leverage our significant scale so that we are able to achieve competitive operating margins by centralizing and streamlining various business processes. We strive to manage our new and used vehicle inventories so that our stores’ supply and mix of vehicles are in line with seasonal sales trends and also minimize our carrying costs. Additionally, we are able to improve financial controls and lower servicing costs by maintaining many key store-level accounting and administrative activities in our Shared Services Center located in Irving, Texas. Finally, we leverage our scale to reduce costs related to purchasing certain equipment, supplies, and services through national vendor relationships.
• | Continue to build density in our core markets where we operate. |
We have retail operations in 16 states with a focus on major metropolitan areas, and we seek to offer an optimal mix of our products and services within our key markets. We will continue to actively pursue acquisitions and new store and collision center opportunities that meet our return on investment threshold.
Our business benefits from a well-diversified portfolio of automotive retail franchises. In 2017, approximately 38% of our segment income was generated by Premium Luxury franchises, approximately 33% by Import franchises, and approximately 28% by Domestic franchises. We believe that our business also benefits from diverse revenue streams generated by our new and used vehicle sales, parts and service business, and finance and insurance sales. Our higher-margin parts and service business has historically been less sensitive to macroeconomic conditions as compared to new and used vehicle sales.
Our capital allocation strategy is focused on maximizing stockholder returns. We invest capital in our business to maintain and upgrade our existing facilities and to build new facilities for existing franchises, as well as for other strategic and technology initiatives, including our brand extension strategy discussed above under “Business Strategy.” We also deploy capital opportunistically to repurchase our common stock and/or debt or to complete dealership or collision center acquisitions and/or build facilities for newly awarded franchises. Our capital allocation decisions are based on factors such as the expected rate of return on our investment, the market price of our common stock versus our view of its intrinsic value, the market price of our debt, the potential impact on our capital structure, our ability to complete acquisitions that meet our market and vehicle brand criteria and return on investment threshold, and limitations set forth in our debt agreements. For additional information regarding our capital allocation, refer to “Liquidity and Capital Resources – Capital Allocation” in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K.
Operations
Each of our stores acquires new vehicles for retail sale either directly from the applicable automotive manufacturer or distributor or through dealer trades with other stores of the same brand franchise. We generally acquire used vehicles from customers, primarily through trade-ins, as well as through auctions, lease terminations, and other sources, and we generally recondition used vehicles acquired for retail sale in our parts and service departments. Used vehicles that we do not sell at our stores generally are sold at wholesale prices through auctions. See also “Inventory Management” in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K.
Our stores provide a wide range of vehicle maintenance, repair, and collision repair services, including manufacturer recall repairs and other warranty work that can be performed only at franchised dealerships and customer-pay service work. Our parts and service departments also recondition used vehicles acquired by our used vehicle departments and perform minor preparatory work on new vehicles acquired by our new vehicle departments. In addition to our retail business, we also have a wholesale parts operation, which sells automotive parts to both collision repair shops and independent vehicle repair providers. We also offer AutoNation PrecisionParts and AutoNation AutoGear, product and accessory lines that are integrated into our parts and service operations.
We offer a wide variety of automotive finance and insurance products to our customers. We arrange for our customers to finance vehicles through installment loans or leases with third-party lenders, including the vehicle manufacturers’ and distributors’ captive finance subsidiaries, in exchange for a commission payable to us. We do not directly finance our customers’ vehicle leases or purchases, and our exposure to loss in connection with these financing arrangements generally is limited to the commissions that we receive.
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We also offer our customers various vehicle protection products, including extended service contracts, maintenance programs, guaranteed auto protection (known as “GAP,” this protection covers the shortfall between a customer’s loan balance and insurance payoff in the event of a casualty), “tire and wheel” protection, and theft protection products, and several of these vehicle protection products are AutoNation-branded. These products are underwritten and administered by independent third parties, including the vehicle manufacturers’ and distributors’ captive finance subsidiaries. We primarily sell the products on a straight commission basis; however, we also participate in future underwriting profit for certain products pursuant to retrospective commission arrangements with the issuers of those products.
As of December 31, 2017, we operated stores in the following states:
State | Number of Stores | Number of Franchises | % of Total Revenue (1) | ||||
Florida | 50 | 59 | 24 | ||||
Texas | 47 | 76 | 21 | ||||
California | 39 | 53 | 18 | ||||
Colorado | 15 | 25 | 7 | ||||
Arizona | 14 | 18 | 6 | ||||
Georgia | 23 | 44 | 5 | ||||
Washington | 16 | 22 | 4 | ||||
Nevada | 11 | 13 | 3 | ||||
Tennessee | 8 | 12 | 3 | ||||
Illinois | 7 | 8 | 3 | ||||
Maryland | 7 | 9 | 1 | ||||
Ohio | 4 | 4 | 1 | ||||
Alabama | 5 | 9 | 1 | ||||
New York | 4 | 5 | 1 | ||||
Virginia | 2 | 2 | 1 | ||||
Minnesota | 1 | 1 | 1 | ||||
Total | 253 | 360 | 100 | ||||
(1) | Revenue by state includes non-store activities, such as collision centers, auction operations, and AutoNation USA stand-alone used vehicle sales and service centers. |
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The following table sets forth information regarding new vehicle revenues and retail new vehicle unit sales for the year ended, and the number of franchises owned as of, December 31, 2017:
New Vehicle Revenues (in millions) | Retail New Vehicle Unit Sales | % of Total Retail New Vehicle Units Sold | Franchises Owned | |||||||||
Domestic: | ||||||||||||
Ford, Lincoln | $ | 1,745.0 | 44,659 | 13.6 | 39 | |||||||
Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, GMC | 1,299.7 | 35,233 | 10.7 | 43 | ||||||||
Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram | 1,133.6 | 31,136 | 9.4 | 92 | ||||||||
Domestic Total | 4,178.3 | 111,028 | 33.7 | 174 | ||||||||
Import: | ||||||||||||
Toyota | 1,734.6 | 61,241 | 18.6 | 19 | ||||||||
Honda | 1,121.8 | 43,223 | 13.1 | 24 | ||||||||
Nissan | 601.5 | 22,423 | 6.8 | 12 | ||||||||
Other Import | 710.6 | 23,535 | 7.2 | 40 | ||||||||
Import Total | 4,168.5 | 150,422 | 45.7 | 95 | ||||||||
Premium Luxury: | ||||||||||||
Mercedes-Benz | 1,567.4 | 26,608 | 8.1 | 39 | ||||||||
BMW | 844.6 | 15,344 | 4.7 | 14 | ||||||||
Lexus | 379.0 | 8,447 | 2.6 | 3 | ||||||||
Audi | 399.0 | 7,909 | 2.4 | 9 | ||||||||
Other Premium Luxury | 644.0 | 9,358 | 2.8 | 26 | ||||||||
Premium Luxury Total | 3,834.0 | 67,666 | 20.6 | 91 | ||||||||
$ | 12,180.8 | 329,116 | 100.0 | 360 | ||||||||
Agreements with Vehicle Manufacturers
Framework Agreements
We have entered into framework and related agreements with most major vehicle manufacturers and distributors. These agreements, which are in addition to the franchise agreements described below, contain provisions relating to our management, operation, advertising and marketing, and acquisition and ownership structure of automotive stores franchised by such manufacturers. These agreements contain certain requirements pertaining to our operating performance (with respect to matters such as sales volume, sales effectiveness, and customer satisfaction), which, if we do not satisfy, adversely impact our ability to make further acquisitions of such manufacturers’ stores or could result in us being compelled to take certain actions, such as divesting a significantly underperforming store, subject to applicable state franchise laws. Additionally, these agreements set limits (nationally, regionally, and in local markets) on the number of stores that we may acquire of the particular manufacturer and contain certain restrictions on our ability to name and brand our stores. Some of these framework agreements give the manufacturer or distributor the right to acquire at fair market value, or the right to compel us to sell, the automotive stores franchised by that manufacturer or distributor under specified circumstances in the event of a change in control of our Company (generally including certain material changes in the composition of our Board of Directors during a specified time period, the acquisition of 20% or more of the voting stock of our Company by another vehicle manufacturer or distributor, or the acquisition of 50% or more of our voting stock by a person, entity, or group not affiliated with a vehicle manufacturer or distributor) or other extraordinary corporate transactions such as a merger or sale of all or substantially all of our assets. In addition, we have granted certain manufacturers the right to acquire, at fair market value, our automotive dealerships franchised by such manufacturers in specified circumstances in the event of our default under certain of our debt agreements.
Franchise Agreements
We operate each of our new vehicle stores under a franchise agreement with a vehicle manufacturer or distributor. The franchise agreements grant the franchised automotive store a non-exclusive right to sell the manufacturer’s or distributor’s
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brand of vehicles and offer related parts and service within a specified market area. These franchise agreements grant our stores the right to use the relevant manufacturer’s or distributor’s trademarks in connection with their operations, and they also impose numerous operational requirements and restrictions relating to inventory levels, working capital levels, the sales process, marketing and branding, showroom and service facilities, signage, personnel, changes in management, and monthly financial reporting, among other things. The contractual terms of our stores’ franchise agreements provide for various durations, ranging from one year to no expiration date, and in certain cases manufacturers have undertaken to renew such franchises upon expiration so long as the store is in compliance with the terms of the agreement. We generally expect our franchise agreements to survive for the foreseeable future and, when the agreements do not have indefinite terms, anticipate routine renewals of the agreements without substantial cost or modification. Our stores’ franchise agreements provide for termination of the agreement by the manufacturer or non-renewal for a variety of causes (including performance deficiencies in such areas as sales volume, sales effectiveness, and customer satisfaction). However, in general, the states in which we operate have automotive dealership franchise laws that provide that, notwithstanding the terms of any franchise agreement, it is unlawful for a manufacturer to terminate or not renew a franchise unless “good cause” exists. It generally is difficult, outside of bankruptcy, for a manufacturer to terminate, or not renew, a franchise under these laws, which were designed to protect dealers. In addition, in our experience and historically in the automotive retail industry, dealership franchise agreements are rarely involuntarily terminated or not renewed by the manufacturer outside of bankruptcy. From time to time, certain manufacturers assert sales and customer satisfaction performance deficiencies under the terms of our framework and franchise agreements. We generally work with these manufacturers to address the asserted performance issues. For additional information, please refer to the risk factor captioned “We are subject to restrictions imposed by, and significant influence from, vehicle manufacturers that may adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects, including our ability to acquire additional stores” in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K.
Regulations
We operate in a highly regulated industry. A number of state and federal laws and regulations affect our business. In every state in which we operate, we must obtain various licenses in order to operate our businesses, including dealer, sales and finance, and insurance licenses issued by state regulatory authorities. Numerous laws and regulations govern our conduct of business, including those relating to our sales, operations, finance and insurance, advertising, and employment practices. These laws and regulations include state franchise laws and regulations, consumer protection laws, privacy laws, escheatment laws, anti-money laundering laws, and other extensive laws and regulations applicable to new and used motor vehicle dealers, as well as a variety of other laws and regulations. These laws also include federal and state wage and hour, anti-discrimination, and other employment practices laws. See the risk factor “Our operations 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, operating results, and prospects could suffer” in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K.
Automotive and Other Laws and Regulations
Our operations are subject to the National Traffic and Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards promulgated by the United States Department of Transportation, and the rules and regulations of various state motor vehicle regulatory agencies. In addition, automotive dealers are subject to regulation by the Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”), which has implemented an enforcement initiative relating to the advertising practices of automotive dealers. The imported automobiles, parts, and accessories we purchase are subject to United States customs duties and, in the ordinary course of our business we may, from time to time, be subject to claims for duties, penalties, liquidated damages, or other charges.
Our financing activities with customers are subject to federal truth-in-lending, consumer leasing, and equal credit opportunity laws and regulations, as well as state and local motor vehicle finance laws, leasing laws, installment finance laws, usury laws, and other installment sales and leasing laws and regulations, some of which regulate finance and other fees and charges that may be imposed or received in connection with motor vehicle retail installment sales and leasing. Claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law may be asserted against us or our stores by individuals, a class of individuals, or governmental entities and may expose us to significant damages or other penalties, including fines and revocation or suspension of our licenses to conduct store operations. Our financing activities may also be impacted indirectly by laws and regulations that govern automotive finance companies and other financial institutions, including regulations adopted by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”).
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See the risk factor “Our operations 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, operating results, and prospects could suffer” in Part I, Item 1A of this Form 10-K for additional information.
Environmental, Health, and Safety Laws and Regulations
Our operations involve the use, handling, storage, and contracting for recycling and/or disposal of materials such as motor oil and filters, transmission fluids, antifreeze, refrigerants, paints, thinners, batteries, cleaning products, lubricants, degreasing agents, tires, and fuel. Consequently, our business is subject to a complex variety of federal, state, and local requirements that regulate the environment and public health and safety.
Most of our stores utilize aboveground storage tanks and, to a lesser extent, underground storage tanks, primarily for petroleum-based products. Storage tanks are subject to periodic testing, containment, upgrading, and removal under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act and its state law counterparts. Clean-up or other remedial action may be necessary in the event of leaks or other discharges from storage tanks or other sources. In addition, water quality protection programs under the federal Water Pollution Control Act (commonly known as the Clean Water Act), the Safe Drinking Water Act, and comparable state and local programs govern certain discharges from some of our operations. Similarly, certain air emissions from operations, such as auto body painting, may be subject to the federal Clean Air Act and related state and local laws. Certain health and safety standards promulgated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration of the United States Department of Labor and related state agencies also apply.
Some of our stores are parties to proceedings under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act, or CERCLA, typically in connection with materials that were sent to former recycling, treatment, and/or disposal facilities owned and operated by independent businesses. The remediation or clean-up of facilities where the release of a regulated hazardous substance occurred is required under CERCLA and other laws.
We have a proactive strategy related to environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations, which includes contracting with third-party vendors to inspect our facilities routinely in an effort to ensure compliance. We incur significant costs to comply with applicable environmental, health, and safety laws and regulations in the ordinary course of our business. We do not anticipate, however, that the costs of such compliance will have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, cash flows, or financial condition, although such outcome is possible given the nature of our operations and the extensive environmental, health, and safety regulatory framework. We do not have any material known environmental commitments or contingencies.
Competition
We operate in a highly competitive industry. We believe that the principal competitive factors in the automotive retail business are location, service, price, selection, and online and mobile offerings. Each of our markets includes a large number of well-capitalized competitors that have extensive automotive retail managerial experience and strong retail locations and facilities. According to industry sources, as of December 31, 2017, there were approximately 16,800 franchised automotive dealerships, which sell both new and used vehicles, in the United States. In addition, we estimate that there were approximately twice as many independent used vehicle dealers in the United States. We face competition from (i) several public companies that operate numerous automotive retail stores on a regional or national basis, including franchised dealers that sell new and used vehicles as well as non-franchised dealers that sell only used vehicles, (ii) private companies that operate automotive retail stores in our markets, and (iii) online and mobile sales platforms. We compete with dealers that sell the same vehicle brands that we sell, as well as dealers and certain manufacturers that sell other vehicle brands that we do not represent in a particular market. Our new vehicle store competitors have franchise agreements with the various vehicle manufacturers and, as such, generally have access to new vehicles on the same terms as we have. We also compete with other dealers for qualified employees, particularly for general managers and sales and service personnel.
In general, the vehicle manufacturers have designated marketing and sales areas within which only one franchised dealer of a given vehicle brand may operate. Under most of our framework agreements with the vehicle manufacturers, our ability to acquire multiple dealers of a given vehicle brand within a particular market is limited. We are also restricted by various state franchise laws from relocating our stores or establishing new stores of a particular vehicle brand within any area that is served by another dealer of the same vehicle brand, and we generally need the manufacturer to approve the
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relocation or grant a new franchise in order to relocate or establish a store. However, to the extent that a market has multiple dealers of a particular vehicle brand, as most of our key markets do with respect to most vehicle brands we sell, we face significant intra-brand competition.
We also compete with independent automobile service shops and service center chains. We believe that the principal competitive factors in the parts and service business are price, location, expertise with the particular vehicle lines, and customer service. We also compete with a broad range of financial institutions in our finance and insurance business. We believe that the principal competitive factors in the finance and insurance business are product selection, convenience, price, contract terms, and the ability to finance vehicle protection and aftermarket products.
Insurance and Bonding
Our business exposes us to the risk of liabilities arising out of our operations. For example, liabilities may arise out of claims of employees, customers, or other third parties for personal injury or property damage occurring in the course of our operations. We could also be subject to fines and civil and criminal penalties in connection with alleged violations of federal and state laws or regulatory requirements.
The automotive retail business is also subject to substantial risk of property loss due to the significant concentration of property values at store locations. In our case in particular, our operations are concentrated in states and regions in which natural disasters and severe weather events (such as hail storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, snow storms, and landslides) may subject us to substantial risk of property loss and operational disruption. Under self-insurance programs, we retain various levels of aggregate loss limits, per claim deductibles, and claims-handling expenses as part of our various insurance programs, including property and casualty, workers’ compensation, and employee medical benefits. Costs in excess of this retained risk per claim may be insured under various contracts with third-party insurance carriers. We estimate the ultimate costs of these retained insurance risks based on actuarial evaluations and historical claims experience, adjusted for current trends and changes in claims-handling procedures. The level of risk we retain may change in the future as insurance market conditions or other factors affecting the economics of our insurance purchasing change. Although we have, subject to certain limitations and exclusions, substantial insurance, we cannot assure you that we will not be exposed to uninsured or underinsured losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Provisions for retained losses and deductibles are made by charges to expense based upon periodic evaluations of the estimated ultimate liabilities on reported and unreported claims. The insurance companies that underwrite our insurance require that we secure certain of our obligations for deductible reimbursements with collateral. Our collateral requirements are set by the insurance companies and, to date, have been satisfied by posting surety bonds, letters of credit, and/or cash deposits. Our collateral requirements may change from time to time based on, among other things, our claims experience.
Employees
As of December 31, 2017, we employed approximately 26,000 full-time and part-time employees, approximately 260 of whom were covered by collective bargaining agreements. We believe that we have good relations with our employees.
Seasonality
In a stable environment, our operations generally experience higher volumes of vehicle unit sales in the second and third quarters of each year due in part to consumer buying trends and the introduction of new vehicle models. Also, demand for vehicles and light trucks is generally lower during the winter months than in other seasons, particularly in regions of the United States where stores may be subject to adverse winter conditions. However, we typically experience higher sales of Premium Luxury vehicles, which have higher average selling prices and gross profit per vehicle retailed, in the fourth quarter. Revenue and operating results may be impacted significantly from quarter to quarter by changing economic conditions, vehicle manufacturer incentive programs, and actual or threatened severe weather events.
Trademarks
We own a number of registered service marks and trademarks, including, among other marks, AutoNation® and AutoNation USA®. Pursuant to agreements with vehicle manufacturers, we have the right to use and display manufacturers’ trademarks, logos, and designs at our stores and in our advertising and promotional materials, subject to
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certain restrictions. We also have licenses pursuant to various agreements with third parties authorizing the use and display of the marks and/or logos of such third parties, subject to certain restrictions. The current registrations of our service marks and trademarks are effective for varying periods of time, which we may renew periodically, provided that we comply with all applicable laws.
Executive Officers of AutoNation
The following sets forth certain information regarding our executive officers as of February 12, 2018. Beneficial ownership includes shares that may be acquired through the exercise of outstanding stock options within 60 days of February 12, 2018, as well as shares of restricted stock.
Name | Age | Position | Years with AutoNation | Years in Automotive Industry | Number of Shares of Common Stock Beneficially Owned | ||||||
Mike Jackson | 69 | Chairman of the Board, Chief Executive Officer and President | 18 | 47 | 1,509,426 | ||||||
Lance Iserman | 53 | Executive Vice President, Sales and Chief Operating Officer | 17 | 30 | 15,531 | ||||||
Cheryl Miller | 45 | Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer | 10 | 19 | 157,294 | ||||||
Marc Cannon | 56 | Executive Vice President - Chief Marketing Officer, Communications and Public Policy | 20 | 31 | 92,887 | ||||||
Donna Parlapiano | 53 | Executive Vice President, Franchise Operations, Mergers & Acquisitions, and Corporate Real Estate | 19 | 31 | 65,257 | ||||||
Thomas M. Conophy | 57 | Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer | 2 | 2 | 4,658 | ||||||
C. Coleman Edmunds | 53 | Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary | 22 | 22 | 67,905 | ||||||
Scott Arnold | 59 | Executive Vice President of Customer Care and Brand Extensions | 13 | 40 | 24,350 | ||||||
Mike Jackson has served as our Chief Executive Officer and Director since September 1999, as our Chairman of the Board since January 2003, and as our President since June 2017. He also served as our President from February 2015 until January 2017. From October 1998 until September 1999, Mr. Jackson served as Chief Executive Officer of Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC, a North American operating unit of DaimlerChrysler AG, a multinational automotive manufacturing company. From April 1997 until September 1999, Mr. Jackson also served as President of Mercedes-Benz USA. From July 1990 until March 1997, Mr. Jackson served in various capacities at Mercedes-Benz USA, including as Executive Vice President immediately prior to his appointment as President of Mercedes-Benz USA. Mr. Jackson was also the managing partner from March 1979 to July 1990 of Euro Motorcars of Bethesda, Maryland, a regional group that owned and operated 11 automotive dealership franchises, including Mercedes-Benz and other brands of automobiles. Since January 2018, Mr. Jackson has served as Chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. From January 2015 until December 2017, he served as the Deputy Chair of the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta. He was appointed to the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta in January 2014, after having previously served on the Board of Directors of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta’s Miami Branch.
Lance Iserman was appointed our Executive Vice President of Sales and Chief Operating Officer in June 2017. Prior to such appointment, Mr. Iserman served as the President of the Company’s Western Region, with responsibility for stores located in California, Washington, Nevada, and Arizona from October 2014 through May 2017. From April 2012 through September 2014, Mr. Iserman served as a Market President in California, leading the operations of 21 stores in Southern
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California, and from October 2006 through March 2012, as a Market President in Arizona, leading the operations of 15 stores in Phoenix and Tucson.
Cheryl Miller has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer since March 2014. Prior thereto, Ms. Miller was appointed Interim Chief Financial Officer in January 2014, and she served as Treasurer, Vice President Investor Relations, a role she assumed in April 2010. From May 2009 to March 2010, Ms. Miller served as the Company’s Vice President, Treasurer. From November 2006 until April 2009, she served as Vice President, Treasurer of JM Family Enterprises, Inc., a diversified automotive company. Ms. Miller serves as a director of Tyson Foods, Inc.
Marc Cannon was appointed Executive Vice President - Chief Marketing Officer, Communications and Public Policy in January 2017. Prior to that appointment, Mr. Cannon served as our Chief Marketing Officer, Senior Vice President of Communications and Public Policy from February 2016 through January 2017. Mr. Cannon is responsible for overseeing the Company’s marketing, communications, community affairs, and public policy functions. From February 2007 until February 2016, Mr. Cannon served as our Senior Vice President, Corporate Communications.
Donna Parlapiano was appointed Executive Vice President, Franchise Operations and Corporate Real Estate, in January 2017. Prior to that appointment, Ms. Parlapiano served as our Senior Vice President, Franchise Operations and Corporate Real Estate, from February 2015 through January 2017. Ms. Parlapiano is responsible for our franchise operations, real estate development, construction projects, and facilities maintenance. From November 2006 until January 2015, she served as our Senior Vice President, Franchise Operations, and in February 2015, she assumed responsibility for our corporate real estate function. Prior to joining AutoNation in 1998, Ms. Parlapiano held finance, marketing, and strategic management positions with Ford Motor Company.
Thomas M. Conophy has served as our Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer since October 2016. From September 2013 to August 2016, Mr. Conophy served as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Staples, Inc. From February 2006 to March 2012, he served as Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of Intercontinental Hotels Group.
C. Coleman Edmunds has served as our Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Corporate Secretary since April 2017. From October 2007 through March 2017, Mr. Edmunds served as our Senior Vice President, Deputy General Counsel and Assistant Secretary. Prior to joining AutoNation, Mr. Edmunds was in private practice with the international law firm of Baker & McKenzie.
Scott Arnold was appointed our Executive Vice President of Customer Care and Brand Extensions in May 2017. From January 2017 through April 2017, Mr. Arnold served as Senior Vice President, Customer Care. Prior to becoming a Senior Vice President, Mr. Arnold held various leadership roles within the Company, including as a Market President in the Company’s Western Region from February 2011 until September 2012, as Region Vice President, Customer Care in the Company’s Western Region from October 2012 through July 2015, and as Vice President, Customer Care from August 2015 through December 2016.
Corporate Social Focus
We have transformed our brand through our “Drive Pink” initiative. More than a charitable focus on cancer research and treatment, Drive Pink is a core element of our corporate culture and has impacted customers, associates, and communities in meaningful ways.
We fund national cancer research and treatment facilities from coast to coast through our philanthropic activities. Through the combined efforts of our 26,000 associates, vendors/partners, customers, and executive leadership, we have raised and donated over $12 million to support the world-class AutoNation Institute for Breast Cancer, the Moffitt Cancer Center, the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and other leading cancer facilities. As the title sponsor of the AutoNation Cure Bowl, the first-ever college bowl game with a charitable cause in its name, we utilize a sports platform to deliver our cancer awareness message.
Our presence is felt at local community-based cancer events, as teams of our associates represent AutoNation at runs, walks, and other fundraisers. Yearly, AutoNation celebrates Drive Pink Across America Day by providing our associates with opportunities to deliver thousands of gift bags to local hospitals in our markets for patients undergoing cancer treatment.
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Vehicles sold at our AutoNation locations are fitted with a pink license plate frame as a symbol of our commitment to “driving out” cancer. More than one million pink plates have been distributed to date.
Most recently, we announced an innovative company-paid cancer insurance plan that provides financial assistance to associates or their families recently diagnosed with cancer. This company-paid benefit is offered by fewer than 5% of companies nationally and it further underscores our commitment to driving out cancer.
Available Information
Our website is located at www.autonation.com, and our Investor Relations website is located at investors.autonation.com. The information on or accessible through our websites and social media channels is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to reports filed or furnished pursuant to Sections 13(a) and 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, are available, free of charge, on our Investor Relations website as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
Our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects, and the prevailing market price and performance of our common stock may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including the matters discussed below. Certain statements and information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including, without limitation, statements regarding our strategic initiatives, our expectations for the future performance of our business and the automotive retail industry, and the impact of tax reform in the United States, as well as other written or oral statements made from time to time by us or by our authorized executive officers on our behalf, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical fact, including statements that describe our objectives, plans, or goals, are, or may be deemed to be, forward-looking statements. Words such as “anticipate,” “expect,” “intend,” “goal,” “plan,” “believe,” “continue,” “may,” “will,” “could,” and variations of such words and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Our forward-looking statements reflect our current expectations concerning future results and events, and they involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that are difficult to predict and may cause our actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by these statements. These forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report or when made, and we undertake no obligation to revise or update these statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. The risks, uncertainties, and other factors that our stockholders and prospective investors should consider include the following:
The automotive retail industry is sensitive to changing economic conditions and various other factors. Our business and results of operations are substantially dependent on vehicle sales levels in the United States and in our particular geographic markets, as well as the gross profit margins that we can achieve on our sales of vehicles, all of which are very difficult to predict.
We believe that many factors affect sales of new and used vehicles and automotive retailers’ gross profit margins in the United States and in our particular geographic markets, including the economy, fuel prices, credit availability, interest rates, consumer confidence, consumer shopping preferences and the success of third-party online and mobile sales platforms, the level of personal discretionary spending, unemployment rates, the state of housing markets, vehicle production levels and capacity, auto emission and fuel economy standards, the rate of inflation, currency exchange rates, tariffs, manufacturer incentives (and consumers’ reaction to such offers), intense industry competition, the prospects of war, other international conflicts or terrorist attacks, severe weather events, product quality, affordability and innovation, the number of consumers whose vehicle leases are expiring, the length of consumer loans on existing vehicles, and the rise of ride-sharing applications. Changes in interest rates can 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. Sales of certain vehicles, particularly trucks and sport utility vehicles that historically have provided us with higher gross profit per vehicle retailed, are sensitive to fuel prices and the level of construction activity. In addition, volatility in fuel prices can cause rapid shifts in consumer preferences which are difficult to accommodate given the long lead-time of inventory acquisition. The imposition of new
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tariffs could increase prices for vehicles imported into the United States and adversely impact demand for such vehicles. Our vehicle sales, service, and collision businesses could also be adversely affected by changes in the automotive industry driven by new technologies, distribution channels, or products, including ride-sharing applications, subscription services, autonomous and electric vehicles, and accident avoidance technology.
Approximately 17.2 million, 17.5 million, and 17.5 million new vehicles were sold in the United States in 2017, 2016, and 2015, respectively. We currently expect that the annual rate of U.S. new vehicle unit sales will be approximately 16.8 million in 2018. However, actual sales may materially differ. If new vehicle production exceeds the new vehicle industry selling rate, our new vehicle gross profit per vehicle retailed could be adversely impacted by excess supply and any resulting changes in incentive, marketing, and other programs of vehicle manufacturers. See the risk factor “Our new vehicle sales are impacted by the incentive, marketing, and other programs of vehicle manufacturers” below. Further, our performance may differ from the performance of the automotive retail industry due to particular economic conditions and other factors in the geographic markets in which we operate. Economic conditions and the other factors described above may also materially adversely impact our sales of parts and automotive repair and maintenance services and automotive finance and insurance products.
Our new vehicle sales are impacted by the incentive, marketing, and other programs of vehicle manufacturers.
Most vehicle manufacturers from time to time establish various marketing and sales incentive programs designed to spur consumer demand for their vehicles, particularly during periods of excess supply and/or in a flat or declining new vehicle market. These programs impact our operations, particularly our sales of new vehicles. Since these programs are often not announced in advance, they can be difficult to plan for when ordering inventory. Furthermore, manufacturers may modify and discontinue these marketing and incentive programs from time to time, which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows.
In 2017, our new vehicle unit volume and new vehicle gross profit on a per vehicle retailed basis were adversely impacted by certain manufacturers’ disruptive marketing and sales incentive programs based upon store-level growth targets established by those manufacturers (commonly referred to as “stair-step” incentive programs), which result in multi-tier pricing and adversely impact our ability to compete with other dealers. If those manufacturers continue to use such incentive programs or if other manufacturers adopt similar incentive programs, our operating results could continue to be adversely impacted.
We are dependent upon the success and continued financial viability of the vehicle manufacturers and distributors with which we hold franchises.
The success of our stores is dependent on vehicle manufacturers in several key respects. First, we rely exclusively on the various vehicle manufacturers for our new vehicle inventory. Our ability to sell new vehicles is dependent on a vehicle manufacturer’s ability to produce and allocate to our stores an attractive, high-quality, and desirable product mix at the right time in order to satisfy customer demand. Second, manufacturers generally support their franchisees by providing direct financial assistance in various areas, including, among others, floorplan assistance and advertising assistance. Third, manufacturers provide product warranties and, in some cases, service contracts to customers. Our stores perform warranty and service contract work for vehicles under manufacturer product warranties and service contracts, and direct bill the manufacturer as opposed to invoicing the store customer. At any particular time, we have significant receivables from manufacturers for warranty and service work performed for customers. In addition, we rely on manufacturers to varying extents for original equipment manufactured replacement parts, training, product brochures and point of sale materials, and other items for our stores. Our business, results of operations, and financial condition could be materially adversely affected as a result of any event that has a material adverse effect on the vehicle manufacturers or distributors that are our primary franchisors.
The core brands of vehicles that we sell, representing approximately 93% of the new vehicles that we sold in 2017, are manufactured by Toyota (including Lexus), Honda, Ford, General Motors, FCA US, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, BMW, and Volkswagen (including Audi and Porsche). We are subject to a concentration of risk in the event of adverse events or financial distress, including bankruptcy, impacting one or more of these manufacturers.
Vehicle manufacturers may be adversely impacted by economic downturns or recessions, significant declines in the sales of their new vehicles, natural disasters, increases in interest rates, adverse fluctuations in currency exchange rates,
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declines in their credit ratings, labor strikes or similar disruptions (including within their major suppliers), supply shortages or rising raw material costs, rising employee benefit costs, vehicle recall campaigns, adverse publicity that may reduce consumer demand for their products (including due to bankruptcy), product defects, litigation, poor product mix or unappealing vehicle design, governmental laws and regulations (including fuel economy requirements), import product restrictions, the rise of ride-sharing applications, or other adverse events. These and other risks could materially adversely affect any manufacturer and impact its ability to profitably design, market, produce, or distribute new vehicles, which in turn could materially adversely affect our ability to obtain or finance our desired new vehicle inventories, our ability to take advantage of manufacturer financial assistance programs, our ability to collect in full or on a timely basis our manufacturer warranty and other receivables, and/or our ability to obtain other goods and services provided by the impacted manufacturer. In addition, vehicle recall campaigns could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, and financial condition.
Our business could be materially adversely impacted by the bankruptcy of a major vehicle manufacturer or related lender. For example, (i) a manufacturer in bankruptcy could attempt to terminate all or certain of our franchises, in which case we may not receive adequate compensation for our franchises, (ii) consumer demand for such manufacturer’s products could be materially adversely affected, (iii) a lender in bankruptcy could attempt to terminate our floorplan financing and demand repayment of any amounts outstanding, (iv) we may be unable to arrange financing for our customers for their vehicle purchases and leases through such lender, in which case we would be required to seek financing with alternate financing sources, which may be difficult to obtain on similar terms, if at all, (v) we may be unable to collect some or all of our significant receivables that are due from such manufacturer or lender, and we may be subject to preference claims relating to payments made by such manufacturer or lender prior to bankruptcy, and (vi) such manufacturer may be relieved of its indemnification obligations with respect to product liability claims. Additionally, any such bankruptcy may result in us being required to incur impairment charges with respect to the inventory, fixed assets, and intangible assets related to certain franchises, which could adversely impact our results of operations, financial condition, and our ability to remain in compliance with the financial ratios contained in our debt agreements.
If we are not able to maintain and enhance our retail brands and reputation or to attract consumers to our own digital channels, or if events occur that damage our retail brands, reputation, or sales channels, our business and financial results may be harmed. We are investing significantly in our brand extension strategy, and if our strategic initiatives are not successful, we will have incurred significant expenses without the benefit of improved financial results.
We believe that we have built an excellent reputation as an automotive retailer in the United States. During the first half of 2013, we transitioned our Domestic and Import stores to a unified AutoNation retail brand. We believe that our continued success will depend on our ability to maintain and enhance the value of our retail brands across all of our sales channels, including in the communities in which we operate, and to attract consumers to our own digital channels.
Consumers are increasingly shopping for new and used vehicles, automotive repair and maintenance services, 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 leads that are sold to automotive dealers. If we fail to preserve the value of our retail brands, maintain our reputation, or attract consumers to our own digital channels, our business could be adversely impacted.
An isolated business incident at a single store could materially adversely affect our other stores, retail brands, reputation, and sales channels, particularly if such incident results in adverse publicity, governmental investigations, or litigation. In addition, 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 AutoNation or any of our stores could materially damage our retail brands, reputation, and sales channels.
We have invested and will continue to invest substantial resources in marketing activities with the goals of, among other things, extending and enhancing the AutoNation retail brand and attracting consumers to our own digital channels. We are also investing significantly in our brand extension strategy, which includes stand-alone used vehicle sales and service centers and branded parts and accessories and the expansion of branded collision centers and automotive auctions. In connection with our brand extension strategy, we have adopted a one price used vehicle centralized pricing and appraisal strategy at all of our stores. See “Business Strategy” in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K. The roll-out of these strategic initiatives may be impacted by a number of variables, including customer adoption, market conditions, and our ability to identify, acquire, and build out suitable locations in a timely manner. There can be no assurance that those initiatives will
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be successful or that the amount we invest in those initiatives will result in improved financial results. If our initiatives are not successful, we will have incurred significant expenses without the benefit of improved financial results.
New laws, regulations, or governmental policies regarding fuel economy and greenhouse gas emission standards, or changes to existing standards, may affect vehicle manufacturers’ ability to produce cost-effective vehicles or vehicles that consumers demand, which could adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and prospects.
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. In May 2010, the Environmental Protection Agency and the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration issued a joint final rule implementing harmonized federal standards for fuel economy and GHG emissions standards, which will substantially increase fuel economy requirements. These and other laws and regulations could materially adversely affect, particularly during periods when fuel prices are low, the ability of manufacturers to produce, and our ability to sell, vehicles in demand by consumers at affordable prices, which could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and prospects.
Natural disasters and adverse weather events can disrupt our business.
Our stores are concentrated in states and regions in the United States, including primarily Florida, Texas, and California, in which actual or threatened natural disasters and severe weather events (such as hail storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, fires, tornadoes, snow storms, and landslides) may disrupt our store operations, which may adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows. In 2017, Hurricanes Harvey and Irma resulted in temporary store closures, with business disruption lasting up to a week in certain parts of Texas and Florida. In addition to business interruption, the automotive retail business is subject to substantial risk of property loss due to the significant concentration of property values at store locations.
We cannot assure you that we will not be exposed to uninsured or underinsured losses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows. In addition, natural disasters may adversely impact new vehicle production and the global automotive supply chain, which in turn could materially adversely impact our business, results of operations, financial conditions, and cash flows.
We are subject to restrictions imposed by, and significant influence from, vehicle manufacturers that may adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects, including our ability to acquire additional stores.
Vehicle manufacturers and distributors with whom we hold franchises have significant influence over the operations of our stores. The terms and conditions of our framework, franchise, and related agreements and the manufacturers’ interests and objectives may, in certain circumstances, conflict with our interests and objectives. For example, manufacturers can set performance standards with respect to sales volume, sales effectiveness, and customer satisfaction, and can influence our ability to acquire additional stores, the naming and marketing of our stores, our digital channels, our selection of store management, product stocking and advertising spending levels, and the level at which we capitalize our stores. Manufacturers also impose minimum facility requirements that can require significant capital expenditures. Manufacturers may also have certain rights to restrict our ability to provide guaranties of our operating companies, pledges of the capital stock of our subsidiaries, and liens on our assets, which could adversely impact our ability to obtain financing for our business and operations on favorable terms or at desired levels. From time to time, we are 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, sales effectiveness, and customer satisfaction) until our performance improves in accordance with the agreements, subject to applicable state franchise laws.
Manufacturers also have the right to 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 financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects of our stores in the market in which the franchise action is taken.
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Our framework, franchise, and related agreements also grant the manufacturer the right to terminate or compel us to sell our franchise for a variety of reasons (including uncured performance deficiencies, any unapproved change of ownership or management, or any unapproved transfer of franchise rights or impairment of financial standing or failure to meet capital requirements), subject to applicable state franchise laws. From time to time, certain major manufacturers assert sales and customer satisfaction performance deficiencies under the terms of our framework and franchise agreements. Additionally, our framework agreements contain restrictions regarding a change in control, which may be outside of our control. See “Agreements with Vehicle Manufacturers” in Part I, Item 1 of this Form 10-K. While we believe that we will be able to renew all of our franchise agreements, we cannot guarantee that all of our franchise agreements will be renewed or that the terms of the renewals will be favorable to us. We cannot assure you that our stores will be able to comply with manufacturers’ sales, customer satisfaction, performance, facility, and other requirements in the future, which may affect our ability to acquire new stores or renew our franchise agreements, or subject us to other adverse actions, including termination or compelled sale of a franchise, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects. Furthermore, 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, non-renewal, or renegotiation.
In addition, we have granted certain manufacturers the right to acquire, at fair market value, our automotive dealerships franchised by that manufacturer in specified circumstances in the event of our default under certain of our debt agreements.
We are subject to numerous legal and administrative proceedings, which, if the outcomes are adverse to us, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and prospects.
We are involved, and will continue to be involved, in numerous legal proceedings arising out of the conduct of our business, including litigation with customers, wage and hour and other employment-related lawsuits, and actions brought by governmental authorities. Some of these lawsuits purport or may be determined to be class or collective actions and seek substantial damages or injunctive relief, or both, and some may remain unresolved for several years. We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of these matters will have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, 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, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and prospects.
Our operations 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, operating results, 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, advertising, licensing, consumer protection, consumer privacy, escheatment, anti-money laundering, the environment, vehicle emissions and fuel economy, health and safety, and employment practices. With respect to motor vehicle sales, retail installment sales, leasing, finance and insurance, and advertising, we are subject to various laws and regulations, the violation of which could subject us to consumer class action or other lawsuits or governmental investigations and adverse publicity, in addition to administrative, civil, or criminal sanctions. 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. We are also subject to lawsuits and governmental investigations alleging violations of these laws and regulations, including purported class action lawsuits, which could result in significant liability, fines, and penalties. See the risk factor “We are subject to numerous legal and administrative proceedings, which, if the outcomes are adverse to us, could materially adversely affect our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and prospects” above. The violation of other laws and regulations to which we are subject also can 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. We 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, we may be 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. Although for some such
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liabilities we believe we are entitled to indemnification from other entities, we cannot assure you that such entities will view their obligations as we do or will be able to satisfy them. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations or the unfavorable resolution of one or more lawsuits or governmental investigations may have an adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, and prospects.
The Dodd-Frank Act established the CFPB, an independent federal agency funded by the United States Federal Reserve with broad regulatory powers and limited oversight from the United States Congress. Although automotive dealers are generally excluded, the Dodd-Frank Act could lead to 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 issued a rule, pursuant to its authority under the Dodd-Frank Act, expanding its supervisory authority with respect to certain non-bank lenders, including automotive finance companies, participating in automotive financing. The Dodd-Frank Act also provided the FTC with new and expanded authority regarding automotive dealers, and the FTC has implemented an enforcement initiative relating to the advertising practices of automotive dealers. Regulation from the CFPB or other federal agencies could lead to significant changes in the manner that dealers are compensated for arranging customer financing, 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.
A failure of our information systems or any security breach or unauthorized disclosure of confidential information could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our business is dependent upon the efficient operation of our information systems. We rely on our information systems to manage, among other things, our sales, inventory, and service efforts, including through our digital channels, and customer information, as well as to prepare our consolidated financial and operating data. The failure of our information systems to perform as designed or the failure to maintain and enhance or protect the integrity of these systems could disrupt our business operations, impact sales and results of operations, expose us to customer or third-party claims, or result in adverse publicity. Additionally, we collect, process, and retain sensitive and confidential customer information in the normal course of our business. Despite the security measures we have in place and any additional measures we may implement in the future, our facilities and systems, and those of our third-party service providers, could experience security breaches, computer viruses, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, human errors, acts of vandalism, or other events. For example, several well-known retailers have disclosed high-profile security breaches, involving sophisticated and highly targeted attacks on their company’s infrastructure or their customers’ data, which were not recognized or detected until after such retailers had been affected notwithstanding the preventative measures such retailers had in place. Any security breach or event resulting in the misappropriation, loss, or other unauthorized disclosure of confidential information, whether by us directly or our third-party service providers, could damage our reputation, expose us to the risks of litigation and liability, disrupt our business, or otherwise affect our results of operations.
Our debt agreements contain certain financial ratios and other restrictions on our ability to conduct our business, and our substantial indebtedness could adversely affect our financial condition and operations and prevent us from fulfilling our debt service obligations.
The credit agreement governing our revolving credit facility and the indentures relating to our senior unsecured notes contain covenants that limit the discretion of our management with respect to various business matters. These covenants place restrictions on, among other things, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, to create liens or other encumbrances, and to sell or otherwise dispose of assets and to merge or consolidate with other entities. A failure by us to comply with the obligations contained in any of our debt agreements could result in an event of default, which could permit acceleration of the related debt as well as acceleration of debt under other debt agreements that contain cross-acceleration or cross-default provisions. If any debt is accelerated, our liquid assets may not be sufficient to repay in full such indebtedness and our other indebtedness. Additionally, we have granted certain manufacturers the right to acquire, at fair market value, our automotive stores franchised by those manufacturers in specified circumstances in the event of our default under our debt agreements.
Under our credit agreement, we are required to remain in compliance with a maximum leverage ratio and a maximum capitalization ratio. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources — Restrictions and Covenants” in Part II, Item 7 of this Form 10-K. If our earnings decline, we may be unable to comply with the financial ratios required by our credit agreement. In such case, we would seek an amendment or waiver of our credit agreement or consider other options, such as raising
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capital through an equity issuance to pay down debt, which could be dilutive to stockholders. There can be no assurance that our lenders would agree to an amendment or waiver of our credit agreement. In the event we obtain an amendment or waiver of our credit agreement, we would likely incur additional fees and higher interest expense.
As of December 31, 2017, we had $2.7 billion of total non-vehicle debt (including amounts outstanding under our commercial paper program and capital leases) and $3.8 billion of vehicle floorplan financing. Our substantial indebtedness could have important consequences. For example:
• | We may have difficulty satisfying our debt service obligations and, if we fail to comply with these requirements, an event of default could result; |
• | We may be required to dedicate a substantial portion of our cash flow from operations to make required payments on indebtedness, thereby reducing the availability of cash flow for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other general corporate activities; |
• | Covenants relating to our indebtedness may limit our ability to obtain financing for working capital, capital expenditures, acquisitions, and other general corporate activities; |
• | Covenants relating to our indebtedness may limit our flexibility in planning for, or reacting to, changes in our business and the industry in which we operate; |
• | We may be more vulnerable to the impact of economic downturns and adverse developments in our business; |
• | We may be placed at a competitive disadvantage against any less leveraged competitors; |
• | Our variable interest rate debt will fluctuate with changing market conditions and, accordingly, our interest expense will increase if interest rates rise; and |
• | Future share repurchases may be limited by the maximum leverage ratio and/or maximum capitalization ratio described above. |
The occurrence of any one of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, prospects, and ability to satisfy our debt service obligations.
We are subject to interest rate risk in connection with our vehicle floorplan payables, revolving credit facility, and commercial paper program that could have a material adverse effect on our profitability.
Our vehicle floorplan payables and revolving credit facility are subject to variable interest rates, and the interest rate for our commercial paper notes varies based on duration and market conditions. Accordingly, our interest expense will fluctuate with changing market conditions and will increase if interest rates rise. In addition, our net new vehicle inventory carrying cost (new vehicle floorplan interest expense net of floorplan assistance that we receive from automotive manufacturers) may increase due to changes in interest rates, inventory levels, and manufacturer assistance. We cannot assure you that a significant increase in interest rates would not have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Goodwill and other intangible assets comprise a significant portion of our total assets. We must test our goodwill and other intangible assets for impairment at least annually, which could result in a material, non-cash write-down of goodwill or franchise rights and could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and shareholders’ equity.
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets 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 fair-value based test. Our principal intangible assets are goodwill and our rights under our franchise agreements with vehicle manufacturers. A decrease in our market capitalization or profitability increases the risk of goodwill impairment. Negative or declining cash flows or a decline in actual or planned revenues for our stores increases the risk of franchise rights impairment. An impairment loss could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and shareholders’ equity.
17
Our largest stockholders, as a result of their ownership stakes in us, may have the ability to exert substantial influence over actions to be taken or approved by our stockholders or Board of Directors. In addition, future share repurchases and fluctuations in the levels of ownership of our largest stockholders could impact the volume of trading, liquidity, and market price of our common stock.
Based on filings made with the SEC through February 12, 2018, William H. Gates III beneficially owns approximately 22% of the outstanding shares of our common stock, through holdings by Cascade Investment, L.L.C. (“Cascade”), which is solely owned by Mr. Gates, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust (the “Trust”), of which he is a co-trustee. As a result, Cascade and the Trust may have the ability to exert substantial influence over actions to be taken or approved by our stockholders, including the election of directors and any transactions involving a change of control. In addition, Michael Larson, the chief investment officer for William H. Gates III and Business Manager for Cascade, serves as our lead independent director. Cascade and the Trust, therefore, may also have the ability to exert substantial influence over actions to be taken or approved by our Board.
Based on filings made with the SEC through February 12, 2018, ESL Investments, Inc. together with certain of its investment affiliates (collectively, “ESL”) beneficially owns approximately 16% of the outstanding shares of our common stock. As a result, ESL may also have the ability to exert substantial influence over actions to be taken or approved by our stockholders, including the election of directors and any transactions involving a change of control.
In the future, our largest stockholders may acquire or dispose of shares of our common stock and thereby increase or decrease their ownership stake in us. Based on filings made with the SEC through February 12, 2018, since January 1, 2017, ESL has disposed of approximately 1.3 million shares of our common stock. Significant fluctuations in the levels of ownership of our largest stockholders could impact the volume of trading, liquidity, and market price of our common stock.
In the aggregate, based on filings made with the SEC through February 12, 2018, ESL, Cascade, the Trust, our executive officers, and our directors beneficially own approximately 41% of our outstanding shares. Future share repurchases by the Company, together with any future share purchases by our affiliates, will reduce our “public float” (shares owned by non-affiliate stockholders and available for trading). Such reduction in our public float could decrease the volume of trading and liquidity of our common stock, could lead to increased volatility in the market price of our common stock, or could adversely impact the market price of our common stock.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
We lease our current corporate headquarters facility in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, pursuant to a lease expiring on December 31, 2029. We also own or lease numerous facilities relating to our operations under each of our operating segments. These facilities are located in the following 16 states: Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and Washington. These facilities consist primarily of automobile showrooms, display lots, service facilities, collision repair centers, supply facilities, automobile storage lots, parking lots, and offices. We believe that our facilities are sufficient for our current needs and are in good condition in all material respects.
ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
We are involved and will continue to be involved in numerous legal proceedings arising out of the conduct of our business, including litigation with customers, wage and hour and other employment-related lawsuits, and actions brought by governmental authorities. Some of these lawsuits purport or may be determined to be class or collective actions and seek substantial damages or injunctive relief, or both, and some may remain unresolved for several years.
We are cooperating with various District Attorneys in California in an investigation of our disposal of hazardous waste at certain of our stores in California. No administrative or judicial proceeding has yet been instituted with respect to the matters under investigation. We currently expect to settle this matter and have accrued for estimated probable losses we expect to incur.
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We do not believe that the ultimate resolution of any of the foregoing matters will have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition, or cash flows. 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, results of operations, financial condition, cash flow, and prospects.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Market Information, Holders, and Dividends
Our common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol “AN.” The following table sets forth the high and low sales prices of our common stock for the periods indicated.
High | Low | ||||||
2017 | |||||||
Fourth Quarter | $ | 57.83 | $ | 43.42 | |||
Third Quarter | $ | 49.40 | $ | 38.59 | |||
Second Quarter | $ | 45.35 | $ | 38.20 | |||
First Quarter | $ | 53.74 | $ | 41.55 | |||
2016 | |||||||
Fourth Quarter | $ | 50.46 | $ | 39.28 | |||
Third Quarter | $ | 54.15 | $ | 45.19 | |||
Second Quarter | $ | 52.04 | $ | 43.78 | |||
First Quarter | $ | 59.22 | $ | 40.45 | |||
As of February 12, 2018, there were 1,522 holders of record of our common stock. A substantially greater number of holders of our common stock are “street name” or beneficial holders, whose shares are held of record by banks, brokers, and other financial institutions.
We have not declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock during our two most recent fiscal years. We do not currently anticipate paying cash dividends for the foreseeable future.
Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The table below sets forth information with respect to shares of common stock repurchased by AutoNation, Inc. during 2017.
Period | Total Number of Shares Purchased | Average Price Paid Per Share | Total Number of Shares Purchased as Part of Publicly Announced Plans or Programs (1) | Approximate Dollar Value of Shares That May Yet Be Purchased Under the Plans or Programs (in millions) (1) | ||||||||||
October 1, 2017 – October 31, 2017 | 453 | $ | 47.24 | — | $ | 113.7 | ||||||||
November 1, 2017 – November 30, 2017 | — | $ | — | — | $ | 113.7 | ||||||||
December 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017 | — | $ | — | — | $ | 113.7 | ||||||||
Total for three months ended December 31, 2017 | 453 | — | ||||||||||||
Total for twelve months ended December 31, 2017 | 10,141,808 | 10,115,294 | ||||||||||||
(1) | Our Board of Directors from time to time authorizes the repurchase of shares of our common stock up to a certain monetary limit. As of December 31, 2017, $113.7 million remained available under our stock repurchase limit most recently authorized by our Board of Directors. Our stock repurchase program does not have an expiration date. In 2017, all of our shares were repurchased under our stock repurchase program, except for 26,514 shares that were surrendered to AutoNation to satisfy tax withholding obligations in connection with the vesting of restricted stock (8,124 shares in the first quarter of 2017, 17,796 shares in the second quarter of 2017, 141 shares in the third quarter of 2017, and 453 shares in the fourth quarter of 2017). |
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Stock Performance Graph
The following graph and table compare the cumulative total stockholder return on our common stock from December 31, 2012 through December 31, 2017 with the performance of: (i) the Standard & Poor’s (“S&P”) 500 Index and (ii) a self-constructed peer group consisting of other public companies in the automotive retail market, referred to as the “Public Auto Retail Peer Group.” The Public Auto Retail Peer Group consists of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., CarMax, Inc., Group 1 Automotive, Inc., Lithia Motors, Inc., Penske Automotive Group, Inc., and Sonic Automotive, Inc., and these companies are weighted by market capitalization. We have created these comparisons using data supplied by Research Data Group, Inc. The comparisons reflected in the graph and table are not intended to forecast the future performance of our stock and may not be indicative of future performance. The graph and table assume that $100 was invested on December 31, 2012 in each of our common stock, the S&P 500 Index, and the Public Auto Retail Peer Group and that any dividends were reinvested.
Comparison of Five-Year Cumulative Return for AutoNation, Inc., the S&P 500 Index,
and the Public Auto Retail Peer Group
Copyright© 2018 Standard&Poor's, a division of S&P Global. All rights reserved.
12/12 | 12/13 | 12/14 | 12/15 | 12/16 | 12/17 | ||||||||||||
AutoNation Inc. | 100.00 | 125.16 | 152.17 | 150.28 | 122.54 | 129.29 | |||||||||||
S&P 500 | 100.00 | 132.39 | 150.51 | 152.59 | 170.84 | 208.14 | |||||||||||
Public Auto Retail Peer Group | 100.00 | 135.88 | 177.13 | 153.73 | 173.81 | 173.27 | |||||||||||
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ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
You should read the following Selected Financial Data in conjunction with “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations,” our Consolidated Financial Statements and Notes thereto, and other financial information included elsewhere in this Form 10-K.
As of and for the Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||
(In millions, except per share data and unit sales) | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | ||||||||||||||
Consolidated Statements of Income Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 21,534.6 | $ | 21,609.0 | $ | 20,862.0 | $ | 19,108.8 | $ | 17,517.6 | |||||||||
Income from continuing operations before income taxes | $ | 636.5 | $ | 702.3 | $ | 722.7 | $ | 682.3 | $ | 604.4 | |||||||||
Net income | $ | 434.6 | $ | 430.5 | $ | 442.6 | $ | 418.7 | $ | 374.9 | |||||||||
Basic earnings (loss) per share: | |||||||||||||||||||
Continuing operations | $ | 4.45 | $ | 4.19 | $ | 3.94 | $ | 3.58 | $ | 3.10 | |||||||||
Discontinued operations | $ | — | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | |||||
Net income | $ | 4.44 | $ | 4.18 | $ | 3.93 | $ | 3.57 | $ | 3.09 | |||||||||
Weighted average common shares outstanding | 97.8 | 103.1 | 112.7 | 117.3 | 121.3 | ||||||||||||||
Diluted earnings (loss) per share: | |||||||||||||||||||
Continuing operations | $ | 4.43 | $ | 4.16 | $ | 3.90 | $ | 3.53 | $ | 3.05 | |||||||||
Discontinued operations | $ | — | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | $ | (0.01 | ) | |||||
Net income | $ | 4.43 | $ | 4.15 | $ | 3.89 | $ | 3.52 | $ | 3.04 | |||||||||
Weighted average common shares outstanding | 98.2 | 103.8 | 113.9 | 118.9 | 123.3 | ||||||||||||||
Common shares outstanding, net of treasury stock | 91.6 | 100.7 | 110.8 | 113.3 | 120.9 | ||||||||||||||
Consolidated Balance Sheets Data: | |||||||||||||||||||
Total assets | $ | 10,271.5 | $ | 10,060.0 | $ | 9,548.2 | $ | 8,395.0 | $ | 7,905.9 | |||||||||
Long-term debt, net of current maturities | $ | 1,959.2 | $ | 1,611.1 | $ | 1,745.3 | $ | 2,098.7 | $ | 1,801.6 | |||||||||
Shareholders’ equity | $ | 2,369.3 | $ | 2,310.3 | $ | 2,349.3 | $ | 2,072.1 | $ | 2,061.7 | |||||||||
Retail vehicle unit sales (continuing operations): | |||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | 329,116 | 337,622 | 339,080 | 318,008 | 292,922 | ||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | 234,148 | 225,713 | 227,290 | 214,910 | 204,572 | ||||||||||||||
Total | 563,264 | 563,335 | 566,370 | 532,918 | 497,494 | ||||||||||||||
See the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information. See Part II, Item 5 of this Form 10-K for a discussion of our dividend policy.
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Part I, including matters set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of this Form 10-K, and our Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8 of this Form 10-K.
Except to the extent that differences among reportable segments are material to an understanding of our business taken as a whole, we present the discussion in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations on a consolidated basis.
Overview
AutoNation, Inc., through its subsidiaries, is the largest automotive retailer in the United States. As of December 31, 2017, we owned and operated 360 new vehicle franchises from 253 stores located in the United States, predominantly in major metropolitan markets in the Sunbelt region. Our stores, which we believe include some of the most recognizable and well known in our key markets, sell 33 different new vehicle brands. The core brands of new vehicles that we sell, representing approximately 93% of the new vehicles that we sold in 2017, are manufactured by Toyota (including Lexus), Honda, Ford, General Motors, FCA US, Mercedes-Benz, Nissan, BMW, and Volkswagen (including Audi and Porsche). We also own and operate 76 AutoNation-branded collision centers.
We offer a diversified range of automotive products and services, including new vehicles, used vehicles, “parts and service” (also referred to as “Customer Care”), which includes automotive repair and maintenance services as well as wholesale parts and collision businesses, and automotive “finance and insurance” products (also referred to as “Customer Financial Services”), which include vehicle service and other protection products, as well as the arranging of financing for vehicle purchases through third-party finance sources.
As of December 31, 2017, we had three reportable segments: Domestic, Import, and Premium Luxury. Our Domestic segment is comprised of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured by General Motors, Ford, and FCA US. Our Import segment is comprised of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured primarily by Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. Our Premium Luxury segment is comprised of retail automotive franchises that sell new vehicles manufactured primarily by Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Lexus, and Audi. The franchises in each segment also sell used vehicles, parts and automotive repair and maintenance services, and automotive finance and insurance products.
For the year ended December 31, 2017, new vehicle sales accounted for approximately 57% of our total revenue, and approximately 18% of our total gross profit. Used vehicle sales accounted for approximately 23% of our total revenue, and approximately 9% of our total gross profit. Our parts and service and finance and insurance operations, while comprising approximately 20% of total revenue, contributed approximately 72% of our gross profit.
Market Conditions
Full-year U.S. industry new vehicle unit sales were 17.2 million in 2017, as compared to 17.5 million in 2016 and 17.5 million in 2015. We currently expect that full-year U.S. industry new vehicle unit sales in 2018 will be approximately 16.8 million units. However, actual sales may materially differ. Based on industry data, vehicle leasing and manufacturer incentives remain at historically-high levels. To the extent that vehicle manufacturers reduce their support for these programs, U.S. industry and our new vehicle unit retail sales could be adversely impacted. In addition, an increase in off-lease supply of late-model used vehicles could benefit retail used vehicle unit volume but adversely impact retail new vehicle unit volume and pricing.
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Tax Reform
On December 22, 2017, H.R.1, formally known as the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” was enacted into law. This new tax legislation, among other things, reduces the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. We estimate that the tax reform bill will reduce our annual effective income tax rate in 2018 by approximately 12 to 13 percentage points.
The tax reform bill also positively impacted fourth quarter 2017 net income from continuing operations by $41.3 million, or $0.45 per share on a diluted basis, due to the revaluation of our deferred tax liability. Under generally accepted accounting principles, deferred tax assets and liabilities are required to be revalued during the period in which new tax legislation is enacted.
Results of Operations
We had net income from continuing operations of $435.0 million and diluted earnings per share of $4.43 in 2017, as compared to net income from continuing operations of $431.7 million and diluted earnings per share of $4.16 in 2016, and net income from continuing operations of $443.7 million and diluted earnings per share of $3.90 in 2015.
Our finance and insurance gross profit increased 5% and our parts and service gross profit increased 4%, each as compared to 2016, primarily due to our brand extension strategy. These increases were partially offset by increases in SG&A largely as a result of our brand extension strategy and acquisitions, as well as decreases in new and used vehicle gross profit. Our retail new vehicle unit sales were down 3% in 2017 as compared to 2016, largely due to declines in our Florida and Texas markets and competitive market conditions in a plateauing new vehicle sales environment. Our new vehicle unit volume and new vehicle gross profit on a per vehicle retailed (“PVR”) basis were also adversely impacted by certain manufacturers’ disruptive marketing and sales incentive programs, particularly in our Domestic segment. While our used vehicle unit volume benefited from a growing supply of off-lease vehicles and lower used vehicle pricing, gross profit PVR of used vehicles decreased for all three segments, particularly in our Domestic segment.
Net income from continuing operations benefited from a decrease in the income tax provision of $41.3 million in 2017 due to the tax reform bill, net after-tax gains related to business/property divestitures of $42.2 million in 2017, $30.1 million in 2016, and $11.1 million in 2015, and after-tax gains of $6.7 million in 2017 in connection with payments we received from manufacturers related to a legal settlement and for the waiver of certain franchise protest rights and $8.9 million in 2016 related to legal settlements. See “Other Income, Net” below.
Strategic Initiatives
We continue to implement our comprehensive, customer-focused brand extension strategy, which includes AutoNation-branded parts and accessories, the expansion of AutoNation-branded collision centers and AutoNation-branded automotive auctions, and AutoNation USA stand-alone used vehicle sales and service centers. In 2017, we opened two automotive auctions, three AutoNation USA stores, and one collision center. Additionally, we acquired seven collision centers. As part of our brand extension strategy, we also implemented AutoNation Pre-Owned 360, which includes our technology, processes, and procedures for our One Price used vehicle centralized pricing and appraisal strategy, as well as our “We’ll Buy Your Car” program (under which customers receive a guaranteed trade-in offer honored for 7 days or 500 miles at any of our locations), and related training and systems. We expect that these initiatives will expand and strengthen the AutoNation retail brand, improve the customer experience, provide new growth opportunities, and enable us to expand our footprint in our core and other markets.
In the fourth quarter of 2017, we announced that we have partnered with Waymo, the self-driving technology company of Alphabet Inc., in a multi-year agreement to support Waymo’s autonomous vehicle program. Our franchised stores, AutoNation USA stores, and other AutoNation locations will provide vehicle maintenance and repairs for Waymo’s self-driving hybrid vehicle fleet, beginning with Chrysler Pacificas in the Phoenix area, with the potential to expand to other markets and brands. We do not expect this agreement to have a material effect on our financial results during the early stages of this strategic partnership.
Inventory Management
Our new and used vehicle inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. We monitor our vehicle inventory levels based on current economic conditions and seasonal sales trends.
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We have typically not experienced significant losses on the sale of new vehicle inventory, in part due to incentives provided by manufacturers to promote sales of new vehicles and our inventory management practices. We closely monitor our new vehicle inventory values as compared to market values, and as a result, our new vehicle inventory balance was net of cumulative write-downs of $2.2 million at December 31, 2017.
We recondition the majority of used vehicles acquired for retail sale in our parts and service departments and capitalize the related costs to the used vehicle inventory. Typically, used vehicles that are not sold on a retail basis are sold at wholesale auctions. Our used vehicle inventory balance was net of cumulative write-downs of $4.1 million at December 31, 2017, and $5.9 million at December 31, 2016.
Parts, accessories, and other inventory are carried at the lower of acquisition cost or market. We estimate the amount of potential obsolete inventory based upon past experience, manufacturer return policies, and industry trends. Our parts, accessories, and other inventory balance was net of cumulative write-downs of $5.2 million at December 31, 2017, and $3.9 million at December 31, 2016.
Critical Accounting Estimates
We prepare our Consolidated Financial Statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, which require us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. We evaluate our estimates on an ongoing basis and we base our estimates on historical experience and various other assumptions we believe to be reasonable. Actual outcomes could differ materially from those estimates in a manner that could have a material effect on our Consolidated Financial Statements. Set forth below are the accounting estimates that we have identified as critical to our business operations and an understanding of our results of operations, based on the high degree of judgment or complexity in their application. See Note 1 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of other significant accounting policies.
Goodwill
Goodwill for our reporting units is tested for impairment annually on April 30 or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. We elected to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test as of April 30, 2017, and no impairment charges resulted from the impairment test.
The quantitative goodwill impairment test requires a determination of whether the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. We estimate the fair value of our reporting units using an “income” valuation approach, which discounts expected future cash flows of the reporting unit at a computed weighted average cost of capital as the discount rate. The income valuation approach requires the use of significant estimates and assumptions, which include revenue growth rates and future operating margins used to calculate projected future cash flows, weighted average costs of capital, and future economic and market conditions. In connection with this process, we also reconcile the estimated aggregate fair values of our reporting units to our market capitalization, including consideration of a control premium that represents the estimated amount an investor would pay for our equity securities to obtain a controlling interest. We believe that this reconciliation process is consistent with a market participant perspective. We base our cash flow forecasts on our knowledge of the automotive industry, our recent performance, our expectations of our future performance, and other assumptions we believe to be reasonable but that are unpredictable and inherently uncertain. Actual future results may differ from those estimates. We also make certain judgments and assumptions in allocating shared assets and liabilities to determine the carrying values for each of our reporting units.
As of December 31, 2017, we have $231.7 million of goodwill related to the Domestic reporting unit, $532.4 million related to the Import reporting unit, $712.1 million related to the Premium Luxury reporting unit, and $38.8 million in “Other.” The fair values of each of the reporting units were substantially in excess of their carrying values as of April 30, 2017, the date of our quantitative goodwill impairment test.
Other Intangible Assets
Our principal identifiable intangible assets are individual store rights under franchise agreements with vehicle manufacturers, which have indefinite lives and are tested for impairment annually on April 30 or more frequently when events or changes in circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred.
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Our franchise rights, which related to 73 stores and totaled $589.4 million at April 30, 2017, are evaluated for impairment on a franchise-by-franchise basis annually. We elected to perform quantitative franchise rights impairment tests as of April 30, 2017, and no impairment charges resulted from the impairment tests. The quantitative impairment test for franchise rights requires the comparison of the franchise rights’ estimated fair value to carrying value by store. Fair values of rights under franchise agreements are estimated using Level 3 inputs by discounting expected future cash flows of the store. The forecasted cash flows contain inherent uncertainties, including significant estimates and assumptions related to growth rates, margins, working capital requirements, capital expenditures, and cost of capital, for which we utilize certain market participant-based assumptions using third-party industry projections, economic projections, and other marketplace data we believe to be reasonable. If, hypothetically, the fair value of each of the franchise rights quantitatively tested had been determined to be 10% lower as of the valuation date, no impairment charges would have resulted. The effect of a hypothetical 10% decrease in fair value estimates is not intended to provide a sensitivity analysis of every potential outcome.
Chargeback Liability
Revenue on finance and insurance products represents commissions earned by us for the placement of: (i) loans and leases with financial institutions in connection with customer vehicle purchases financed, (ii) vehicle service contracts with third-party providers, and (iii) other vehicle protection products with third-party providers. We primarily sell these products on a straight commission basis; however, in certain cases, we also participate in the future underwriting profit on certain products pursuant to retrospective commission arrangements with the issuers of those products, which is recognized as earned.
We may be charged back for commissions related to financing, vehicle service contracts, or other vehicle protection products in the event of early termination, default, or prepayment of the contracts by customers (“chargebacks”). However, our exposure to loss generally is limited to the commissions that we receive. These commissions are recorded at the time of the sale of the vehicles, net of an estimated liability for chargebacks.
We estimate our liability for chargebacks on an individual product basis using our historical chargeback experience based on internal cancellation data, as well as cancellation data received from third parties that sell and administer these products. Our estimated liability for chargebacks totaled $120.8 million at December 31, 2017, and $116.8 million at December 31, 2016.
Chargebacks are influenced by the volume of vehicle sales in recent years, commission levels, product penetration, product mix, and increases or decreases in early termination rates resulting from cancellation of vehicle service contracts and other vehicle protection products, defaults, refinancings, payoffs before maturity, and other factors. While we consider these factors in the estimation of our chargeback liability, actual events may differ from our estimates, which could result in an adjustment to our estimated liability for chargebacks. The increase in our liability for chargebacks is largely attributable to increases in commission levels received upon the sale of vehicle service contracts, vehicle unit volume, and product penetration in recent years, as well as product mix. Our actual chargeback experience has not been materially different from our recorded estimates. A 10% change in our estimated cancellation rates would have changed our estimated liability for chargebacks at December 31, 2017, by approximately $12.1 million. See Note 18 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for further information regarding chargeback liabilities.
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Reported Operating Data
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
($ in millions, except per vehicle data) | 2017 vs. 2016 | 2016 vs. 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | 2016 | Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | 2015 | Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | |||||||||||||||||||
Revenue: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 12,180.8 | $ | 12,255.8 | $ | (75.0 | ) | (0.6 | ) | $ | 11,995.0 | $ | 260.8 | 2.2 | |||||||||||
Retail used vehicle | 4,577.1 | 4,481.7 | 95.4 | 2.1 | 4,370.3 | 111.4 | 2.5 | ||||||||||||||||||
Wholesale | 301.3 | 513.6 | (212.3 | ) | (41.3 | ) | 398.4 | 115.2 | 28.9 | ||||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | 4,878.4 | 4,995.3 | (116.9 | ) | (2.3 | ) | 4,768.7 | 226.6 | 4.8 | ||||||||||||||||
Finance and insurance, net | 939.2 | 894.6 | 44.6 | 5.0 | 868.7 | 25.9 | 3.0 | ||||||||||||||||||
Total variable operations(1) | 17,998.4 | 18,145.7 | (147.3 | ) | (0.8 | ) | 17,632.4 | 513.3 | 2.9 | ||||||||||||||||
Parts and service | 3,398.3 | 3,321.4 | 76.9 | 2.3 | 3,082.8 | 238.6 | 7.7 | ||||||||||||||||||
Other | 137.9 | 141.9 | (4.0 | ) | 146.8 | (4.9 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Total revenue | $ | 21,534.6 | $ | 21,609.0 | $ | (74.4 | ) | (0.3 | ) | $ | 20,862.0 | $ | 747.0 | 3.6 | |||||||||||
Gross profit: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 588.4 | $ | 635.8 | $ | (47.4 | ) | (7.5 | ) | $ | 673.1 | $ | (37.3 | ) | (5.5 | ) | |||||||||
Retail used vehicle | 308.0 | 334.9 | (26.9 | ) | (8.0 | ) | 358.4 | (23.5 | ) | (6.6 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Wholesale | 7.2 | (17.3 | ) | 24.5 | (4.7 | ) | (12.6 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | 315.2 | 317.6 | (2.4 | ) | (0.8 | ) | 353.7 | (36.1 | ) | (10.2 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Finance and insurance | 939.2 | 894.6 | 44.6 | 5.0 | 868.7 | 25.9 | 3.0 | ||||||||||||||||||
Total variable operations(1) | 1,842.8 | 1,848.0 | (5.2 | ) | (0.3 | ) | 1,895.5 | (47.5 | ) | (2.5 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Parts and service | 1,490.7 | 1,434.7 | 56.0 | 3.9 | 1,338.0 | 96.7 | 7.2 | ||||||||||||||||||
Other | 25.5 | 30.5 | (5.0 | ) | 28.0 | 2.5 | |||||||||||||||||||
Total gross profit | 3,359.0 | 3,313.2 | 45.8 | 1.4 | 3,261.5 | 51.7 | 1.6 | ||||||||||||||||||
Selling, general, and administrative expenses | 2,436.2 | 2,349.4 | (86.8 | ) | (3.7 | ) | 2,263.5 | (85.9 | ) | (3.8 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 158.6 | 143.4 | (15.2 | ) | 127.4 | (16.0 | ) | ||||||||||||||||||
Franchise rights impairment | — | — | — | 15.4 | 15.4 | ||||||||||||||||||||
Other income, net | (79.2 | ) | (69.1 | ) | 10.1 | (17.9 | ) | 51.2 | |||||||||||||||||
Operating income | 843.4 | 889.5 | (46.1 | ) | (5.2 | ) | 873.1 | 16.4 | 1.9 | ||||||||||||||||
Non-operating income (expense) items: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Floorplan interest expense | (97.0 | ) | (76.5 | ) | (20.5 | ) | (58.3 | ) | (18.2 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Other interest expense | (120.2 | ) | (115.5 | ) | (4.7 | ) | (90.9 | ) | (24.6 | ) | |||||||||||||||
Interest income | 1.0 | 1.1 | (0.1 | ) | 0.1 | 1.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
Other income (loss), net | 9.3 | 3.7 | 5.6 | (1.3 | ) | 5.0 | |||||||||||||||||||
Income from continuing operations before income taxes | $ | 636.5 | $ | 702.3 | $ | (65.8 | ) | (9.4 | ) | $ | 722.7 | $ | (20.4 | ) | (2.8 | ) | |||||||||
Retail vehicle unit sales: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | 329,116 | 337,622 | (8,506 | ) | (2.5 | ) | 339,080 | (1,458 | ) | (0.4 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | 234,148 | 225,713 | 8,435 | 3.7 | 227,290 | (1,577 | ) | (0.7 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
563,264 | 563,335 | (71 | ) | — | 566,370 | (3,035 | ) | (0.5 | ) | ||||||||||||||||
Revenue per vehicle retailed: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 37,011 | $ | 36,300 | $ | 711 | 2.0 | $ | 35,375 | $ | 925 | 2.6 | |||||||||||||
Used vehicle | $ | 19,548 | $ | 19,856 | $ | (308 | ) | (1.6 | ) | $ | 19,228 | $ | 628 | 3.3 | |||||||||||
Gross profit per vehicle retailed: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 1,788 | $ | 1,883 | $ | (95 | ) | (5.0 | ) | $ | 1,985 | $ | (102 | ) | (5.1 | ) | |||||||||
Used vehicle | $ | 1,315 | $ | 1,484 | $ | (169 | ) | (11.4 | ) | $ | 1,577 | $ | (93 | ) | (5.9 | ) | |||||||||
Finance and insurance | $ | 1,667 | $ | 1,588 | $ | 79 | 5.0 | $ | 1,534 | $ | 54 | 3.5 | |||||||||||||
Total variable operations(2) | $ | 3,259 | $ | 3,311 | $ | (52 | ) | (1.6 | ) | $ | 3,355 | $ | (44 | ) | (1.3 | ) | |||||||||
(1) Total variable operations includes new vehicle, used vehicle (retail and wholesale), and finance and insurance results. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) Total variable operations gross profit per vehicle retailed is calculated by dividing the sum of new vehicle, retail used vehicle, and finance and insurance gross profit by total retail vehicle unit sales. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
27
Years Ended December 31, | |||||
2017 (%) | 2016 (%) | 2015 (%) | |||
Revenue mix percentages: | |||||
New vehicle | 56.6 | 56.7 | 57.5 | ||
Used vehicle | 22.7 | 23.1 | 22.9 | ||
Parts and service | 15.8 | 15.4 | 14.8 | ||
Finance and insurance, net | 4.4 | 4.1 | 4.2 | ||
Other | 0.5 | 0.7 | 0.6 | ||
Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
Gross profit mix percentages: | |||||
New vehicle | 17.5 | 19.2 | 20.6 | ||
Used vehicle | 9.4 | 9.6 | 10.8 | ||
Parts and service | 44.4 | 43.3 | 41.0 | ||
Finance and insurance | 28.0 | 27.0 | 26.6 | ||
Other | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.0 | ||
Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | ||
Operating items as a percentage of revenue: | |||||
Gross profit: | |||||
New vehicle | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.6 | ||
Used vehicle-retail | 6.7 | 7.5 | 8.2 | ||
Parts and service | 43.9 | 43.2 | 43.4 | ||
Total | 15.6 | 15.3 | 15.6 | ||
Selling, general, and administrative expenses | 11.3 | 10.9 | 10.8 | ||
Operating income | 3.9 | 4.1 | 4.2 | ||
Other operating items as a percentage of total gross profit: | |||||
Selling, general, and administrative expenses | 72.5 | 70.9 | 69.4 | ||
Operating income | 25.1 | 26.8 | 26.8 | ||
December 31, | |||||
2017 | 2016 | ||||
Days supply: | |||||
New vehicle (industry standard of selling days) | 53 days | 61 days | |||
Used vehicle (trailing calendar month days) | 43 days | 44 days | |||
28
Same Store Operating Data
We have presented below our operating results on a same store basis to reflect our internal performance. The “Same Store” amounts presented below include the results of our stores for the identical months in each period presented in the comparison, commencing with the first full month in which the store was owned by us. For example, the results for a store acquired in February 2016 would be included only in our same store comparison of 2017 to 2016, not in our same store comparison of 2016 to 2015. Therefore, the amounts presented in the year 2016 column that is being compared to the year 2017 column may differ from the amounts presented in the year 2016 column that is being compared to the year 2015 column.
Years Ended December 31, | Years Ended December 31, | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
($ in millions, except per vehicle data) | 2017 | 2016 | Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | 2016 | 2015 | Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | |||||||||||||||||||||
Revenue: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 11,818.8 | $ | 11,886.8 | $ | (68.0 | ) | (0.6 | ) | $ | 11,288.4 | $ | 11,605.0 | $ | (316.6 | ) | (2.7 | ) | |||||||||||
Retail used vehicle | 4,420.1 | 4,333.7 | 86.4 | 2.0 | 4,123.5 | 4,201.1 | (77.6 | ) | (1.8 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Wholesale | 286.1 | 495.1 | (209.0 | ) | (42.2 | ) | 471.5 | 387.4 | 84.1 | 21.7 | |||||||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | 4,706.2 | 4,828.8 | (122.6 | ) | (2.5 | ) | 4,595.0 | 4,588.5 | 6.5 | 0.1 | |||||||||||||||||||
Finance and insurance, net | 918.5 | 871.3 | 47.2 | 5.4 | 834.6 | 841.4 | (6.8 | ) | (0.8 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Total variable operations(1) | 17,443.5 | 17,586.9 | (143.4 | ) | (0.8 | ) | 16,718.0 | 17,034.9 | (316.9 | ) | (1.9 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Parts and service | 3,307.3 | 3,220.3 | 87.0 | 2.7 | 3,054.2 | 2,966.2 | 88.0 | 3.0 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Other | 137.0 | 140.8 | (3.8 | ) | 141.6 | 146.1 | (4.5 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||||
Total revenue | $ | 20,887.8 | $ | 20,948.0 | $ | (60.2 | ) | (0.3 | ) | $ | 19,913.8 | $ | 20,147.2 | $ | (233.4 | ) | (1.2 | ) | |||||||||||
Gross profit: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 569.3 | $ | 622.8 | $ | (53.5 | ) | (8.6 | ) | $ | 590.2 | $ | 656.2 | $ | (66.0 | ) | (10.1 | ) | |||||||||||
Retail used vehicle | 299.9 | 323.8 | (23.9 | ) | (7.4 | ) | 311.5 | 345.9 | (34.4 | ) | (9.9 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Wholesale | 0.6 | (15.9 | ) | 16.5 | (15.0 | ) | (4.3 | ) | (10.7 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | 300.5 | 307.9 | (7.4 | ) | (2.4 | ) | 296.5 | 341.6 | (45.1 | ) | (13.2 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Finance and insurance | 918.5 | 871.3 | 47.2 | 5.4 | 834.6 | 841.4 | (6.8 | ) | (0.8 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Total variable operations(1) | 1,788.3 | 1,802.0 | (13.7 | ) | (0.8 | ) | 1,721.3 | 1,839.2 | (117.9 | ) | (6.4 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Parts and service | 1,451.5 | 1,389.9 | 61.6 | 4.4 | 1,324.3 | 1,286.5 | 37.8 | 2.9 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Other | 24.9 | 29.9 | (5.0 | ) | 28.0 | 26.7 | 1.3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||
Total gross profit | $ | 3,264.7 | $ | 3,221.8 | $ | 42.9 | 1.3 | $ | 3,073.6 | $ | 3,152.4 | $ | (78.8 | ) | (2.5 | ) | |||||||||||||
Retail vehicle unit sales: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | 320,641 | 325,927 | (5,286 | ) | (1.6 | ) | 310,351 | 326,306 | (15,955 | ) | (4.9 | ) | |||||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | 225,985 | 216,447 | 9,538 | 4.4 | 206,365 | 216,628 | (10,263 | ) | (4.7 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Total | 546,626 | 542,374 | 4,252 | 0.8 | 516,716 | 542,934 | (26,218 | ) | (4.8 | ) | |||||||||||||||||||
Revenue per vehicle retailed: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 36,860 | $ | 36,471 | $ | 389 | 1.1 | $ | 36,373 | $ | 35,565 | $ | 808 | 2.3 | |||||||||||||||
Used vehicle | $ | 19,559 | $ | 20,022 | $ | (463 | ) | (2.3 | ) | $ | 19,982 | $ | 19,393 | $ | 589 | 3.0 | |||||||||||||
Gross profit per vehicle retailed: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
New vehicle | $ | 1,776 | $ | 1,911 | $ | (135 | ) | (7.1 | ) | $ | 1,902 | $ | 2,011 | $ | (109 | ) | (5.4 | ) | |||||||||||
Used vehicle | $ | 1,327 | $ | 1,496 | $ | (169 | ) | (11.3 | ) | $ | 1,509 | $ | 1,597 | $ | (88 | ) | (5.5 | ) | |||||||||||
Finance and insurance | $ | 1,680 | $ | 1,606 | $ | 74 | 4.6 | $ | 1,615 | $ | 1,550 | $ | 65 | 4.2 | |||||||||||||||
Total variable operations(2) | $ | 3,270 | $ | 3,352 | $ | (82 | ) | (2.4 | ) | $ | 3,360 | $ | 3,395 | $ | (35 | ) | (1.0 | ) | |||||||||||
(1) Total variable operations includes new vehicle, used vehicle (retail and wholesale), and finance and insurance results. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
(2) Total variable operations gross profit per vehicle retailed is calculated by dividing the sum of new vehicle, retail used vehicle, and finance and insurance gross profit by total retail vehicle unit sales. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
29
Years Ended December 31, | Years Ended December 31, | ||||||
2017 (%) | 2016 (%) | 2016 (%) | 2015 (%) | ||||
Revenue mix percentages: | |||||||
New vehicle | 56.6 | 56.7 | 56.7 | 57.6 | |||
Used vehicle | 22.5 | 23.1 | 23.1 | 22.8 | |||
Parts and service | 15.8 | 15.4 | 15.3 | 14.7 | |||
Finance and insurance, net | 4.4 | 4.2 | 4.2 | 4.2 | |||
Other | 0.7 | 0.6 | 0.7 | 0.7 | |||
Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |||
Gross profit mix percentages: | |||||||
New vehicle | 17.4 | 19.3 | 19.2 | 20.8 | |||
Used vehicle | 9.2 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 10.8 | |||
Parts and service | 44.5 | 43.1 | 43.1 | 40.8 | |||
Finance and insurance | 28.1 | 27.0 | 27.2 | 26.7 | |||
Other | 0.8 | 1.0 | 0.9 | 0.9 | |||
Total | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | 100.0 | |||
Operating items as a percentage of revenue: | |||||||
Gross profit: | |||||||
New vehicle | 4.8 | 5.2 | 5.2 | 5.7 | |||
Used vehicle-retail | 6.8 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 8.2 | |||
Parts and service | 43.9 | 43.2 | 43.4 | 43.4 | |||
Total | 15.6 | 15.4 | 15.4 | 15.6 | |||
30
New Vehicle
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
($ in millions, except per vehicle data) | 2017 | 2016 | 2017 vs. 2016 | 2016 vs. 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||
Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | 2015 | Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | |||||||||||||||||||||
Reported: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 12,180.8 | $ | 12,255.8 | $ | (75.0 | ) | (0.6 | ) | $ | 11,995.0 | $ | 260.8 | 2.2 | |||||||||||
Gross profit | $ | 588.4 | $ | 635.8 | $ | (47.4 | ) | (7.5 | ) | $ | 673.1 | $ | (37.3 | ) | (5.5 | ) | |||||||||
Retail vehicle unit sales | 329,116 | 337,622 | (8,506 | ) | (2.5 | ) | 339,080 | (1,458 | ) | (0.4 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Revenue per vehicle retailed | $ | 37,011 | $ | 36,300 | $ | 711 | 2.0 | $ | 35,375 | $ | 925 | 2.6 | |||||||||||||
Gross profit per vehicle retailed | $ | 1,788 | $ | 1,883 | $ | (95 | ) | (5.0 | ) | $ | 1,985 | $ | (102 | ) | (5.1 | ) | |||||||||
Gross profit as a percentage of revenue | 4.8 | % | 5.2 | % | 5.6 | % | |||||||||||||||||||
Days supply (industry standard of selling days) | 53 days | 61 days | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Years Ended December 31, | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
2017 | 2016 | 2017 vs. 2016 | 2016 | 2015 | 2016 vs. 2015 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | Variance Favorable / (Unfavorable) | % Variance | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Same Store: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Revenue | $ | 11,818.8 | $ | 11,886.8 | $ | (68.0 | ) | (0.6 | ) | $ | 11,288.4 | $ | 11,605.0 | $ | (316.6 | ) | < | ||||||||||||