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Sonic Automotive Reports 1st Quarter 2020 Results With All-Time Record EchoPark Revenue And Unit Sales

April 29, 2020 7:00 AM

Strengthens Balance Sheet and Liquidity

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Sonic Automotive Inc. (“Sonic” or the “Company”) (NYSE: SAH), one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers, today reported financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2020. The Company also provided a business update regarding the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and the actions Sonic is taking to protect the health and safety of its guests and teammates.

In the first quarter of 2020, the Company was required to record a non-cash goodwill impairment charge of $268.0 million related to its franchised dealerships reporting unit as a result of a decrease in the Company’s market value due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s effect on the stock market and expected reduction in economic activity in the near term. Including the effect of this non-cash goodwill impairment charge, the Company reported GAAP loss per diluted share from continuing operations of $4.67 for the first quarter of 2020, compared to GAAP earnings per diluted share from continuing operations of $0.99 for the first quarter of 2019.

Excluding the effect of the non-cash goodwill impairment charge, adjusted earnings per diluted share from continuing operations* were $0.40 for the first quarter of 2020, compared to $0.39 for the first quarter of 2019, up nearly 3%.

First Quarter Highlights

* Adjusted net income from continuing operations, adjusted earnings per diluted share from continuing operations, adjusted SG&A expenses, and adjusted SG&A expenses as a percentage of gross profit are non-GAAP financial measures. The schedules included in this press release reconcile these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

Commentary

David Smith, Sonic’s and EchoPark’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “Our exceptional 2019 momentum carried over into the first quarter of 2020, where we saw strong operational performance prior to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business in the last three weeks of March. Through the first two months of 2020, same store total revenues increased 17% versus the comparable two-month period in 2019, driven by an 11% increase in new vehicle unit sales volume, a 27% increase in used vehicle unit sales volume and an 8% increase in Fixed Operations revenues. In mid-March, we began to see the sudden and severe impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, as many state and local governments across the nation enacted stay-at-home orders. As essential businesses, our stores have remained open as permitted by governmental orders, however we have experienced a significant reduction in customer foot traffic in both our service and sales businesses.”

Mr. Smith continued, “During this challenging time, our primary concern remains the health and safety of our teammates and guests. We have taken extensive actions to ensure that first responders and other essential workers have safe, reliable access to transportation so they can continue to supply critical needs in our communities. In addition to implementing CDC-recommended social distancing protocols and enhanced sanitization procedures at our dealerships, we are also providing no-contact vehicle pick-up and delivery services for both vehicle sales and vehicle service, ensuring stability and continuity for our guests, our teammates and our business partners.”

Jeff Dyke, Sonic’s and EchoPark’s President, commented, “Looking to the longer term, we continue to take appropriate steps to strengthen our balance sheet and fortify the business. This includes continuing to enhance our liquidity outlook by lowering operating costs, postponing certain capital expenditures and working with our manufacturer and lending partners to access additional sources of liquidity. I would like to thank all of our teammates and manufacturer partners for their dedication and commitment during this difficult time. Due to their efforts, we believe that we have the operating procedures and financial resources in place to manage the current economic climate and to quickly recover when consumer and commercial activity resumes.”

Heath Byrd, Sonic’s and EchoPark’s Chief Financial Officer, commented, “The one-time, non-cash goodwill impairment charge was related to our franchised dealerships only and was triggered by the decrease in our stock market value from the time period between the official announcement of the COVID-19 pandemic on March 11, 2020 and the end of the first quarter, March 31, 2020. While there continues to be near-term disruption from the COVID-19 pandemic, our liquidity is strong and our long-term outlook and prospects for Sonic and EchoPark have not changed. We believe that our current liquidity position, coupled with the actions taken to improve efficiencies during this pandemic, position us well for the recovery and will make us a stronger company into the future.”

COVID-19 Update

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, certain automotive dealership operations have been deemed essential businesses to support the continuity of people’s daily lives and ensure the transportation needs of our nation’s first responders and essential workers. Presently, all Sonic stores remain open, with full service operations and various levels of vehicle sales as stipulated by individual state and local orders. Sonic is committed to ensuring the safety of its guests and teammates by limiting the spread of COVID-19 while maintaining the continuity of its operations to the best of our ability.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States, Sonic has implemented a number of initiatives nationwide to protect the health and safety of its guests and teammates in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, notably:

The COVID-19 pandemic is having a widespread effect on worldwide commerce, including the automotive industry. The positive momentum Sonic experienced during fiscal 2019, including increased revenues, higher overall vehicle sales volumes, and increased levels of profit, continued in early fiscal 2020 through the beginning of March. Since mid-March, Sonic has experienced a significant decrease in overall vehicle sales volumes and service department revenue compared to the prior year, mainly due to lower consumer demand related to the COVID-19 pandemic and related government-imposed restrictions and uncertainty around the overall economic outlook.

Financial Position

Sonic continues to have considerable financial resources and access to diversified funding sources. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company continues to opportunistically assess all available funding options to further strengthen its balance sheet and increase liquidity to maximize its financial flexibility. Sonic has also taken proactive measures to bolster its liquidity position and provide additional financial flexibility, including drawing down $210 million of additional cash from its revolving credit facility prior to March 31, 2020.

As of April 28, 2020, Sonic’s total available liquidity had increased to approximately $418.4 million, up from $311.5 million as of March 31, 2020 and $280.0 million as of December 31, 2019. Sonic’s liquidity at April 28, 2020 consists of $304.0 million of cash and cash equivalents on hand, $90.0 million of floor plan deposit balances and $24.4 million of availability under our existing credit facilities. All of the additional liquidity generated since December 31, 2019 was a result of maximizing availability under pre-existing agreements and cash from operations. Sonic may have additional opportunities to further increase its liquidity position using unfinanced real estate and other sources, if necessary. From a debt perspective, Sonic has no significant near-term debt maturities.

First Quarter 2020 Operational Summary

For the first quarter of 2020, Sonic’s consolidated total revenues were $2.3 billion, down 3% compared to the first quarter of 2019. EchoPark Segment revenues were $331.7 million for the first quarter of 2020, representing a 33% increase from the first quarter of 2019. Franchised Dealerships Segment revenues were $2.0 billion for the first quarter of 2020, down 8% from the first quarter of 2019, attributable to a substantial decrease in new and used vehicle sales during the last three weeks of March due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related government-imposed restrictions.

Adjusted SG&A expenses as a percentage of gross profit* were up 40 basis points for the first quarter of 2020, compared to the first quarter of 2019, due primarily to lower levels of gross profit for the first quarter of 2020, attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Adjusted net income from continuing operations* for the first quarter of 2020 was $17.6 million, or $0.40 per diluted share. Comparatively, adjusted net income from continuing operations* for the first quarter of 2019 was $16.8 million, or $0.39 per diluted share.

Adjusted results exclude the following pre-tax items of interest:

(In millions)

Q1 2020

Q1 2019

Income Statement
Line Item

Gain on franchise disposals

$

$

46.7

SG&A expenses

Executive transition costs

$

$

(6.3)

SG&A expenses

(1)

Impairment charges

$

(268.0)

$

(1.9)

Impairment charges

(2)

Note: Amounts in table relate to the Franchised Dealerships Segment unless otherwise noted below.

(1)

$6.0 million of Q1 2019 amount is not deductible for tax purposes.

(2)

$91.1 million of Q1 2020 amount is not deductible for tax purposes. $1.9 million Q1 2019 amount is related to the EchoPark Segment.

Dividend

Sonic’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.10 per share payable on July 15, 2020 to all stockholders of record on June 15, 2020.

First Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call

Senior management will host a conference call on Thursday, April 30, 2020 at 11:00 A.M. (Eastern) to discuss the quarter’s results. To access the live broadcast of the call over the Internet, please go to ir.sonicautomotive.com. The conference call will also be available live by dialing in 15 minutes prior to the start of the call at:

Domestic: (833) 353-0344
International: (346) 294-9374
Conference ID: 5789957

A conference call replay will be available one hour following the call for seven days and can be accessed by calling:

Domestic: (855) 859-2056
International: (404) 537-3406
Conference ID: 5789957

Investor presentation and earnings press release materials for the Company’s earnings conference call will be accessible beginning the morning of the conference call on the Company’s website at ir.sonicautomotive.com.

About Sonic Automotive

Sonic Automotive, Inc., a Fortune 500 company based in Charlotte, North Carolina, is one of the nation’s largest automotive retailers. Sonic can be reached on the web at www.sonicautomotive.com.

About EchoPark Automotive

EchoPark Automotive is an operating segment within the Company with 10 existing locations that specialize in pre-owned vehicle sales and provide a unique guest experience unlike traditional used car stores. More information about EchoPark Automotive can be found at www.echopark.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Included herein are forward-looking statements. There are many factors that affect management’s views about future events and trends of the Company’s business. These factors involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results or trends to differ materially from management’s views, including, without limitation, economic conditions in the markets in which we operate, new and used vehicle industry sales volume, anticipated liquidity position, expected future capital expenditures, anticipated future growth in our EchoPark Segment, the success of our operational strategies, the rate and timing of overall economic expansion or contraction, the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic and related government-imposed restrictions on operations, and the risk factors described in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and the Company’s other periodic reports and information filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking information, except as required under federal securities laws and the rules and regulations of the SEC.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and the attached financial tables contain certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined under SEC rules, such as adjusted net income from continuing operations, adjusted earnings per diluted share from continuing operations, adjusted SG&A expenses, and adjusted SG&A expenses as a percentage of gross profit. As required by SEC rules, the Company provides reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures improve the transparency of the Company’s disclosures and provide a meaningful presentation of the Company’s results.

Sonic Automotive, Inc.

Results of Operations (Unaudited)

Results of Operations

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

% Change

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

Revenues:

New vehicles

$

959,489

$

1,066,334

(10.0

)%

Used vehicles

850,052

820,366

3.6

%

Wholesale vehicles

48,543

54,770

(11.4

)%

Parts, service and collision repair

334,680

341,430

(2.0

)%

Finance, insurance and other, net

115,292

106,238

8.5

%

Total revenues

2,308,056

2,389,138

(3.4

)%

Cost of Sales:

New vehicles

(914,074

)

(1,012,538

)

(9.7

)%

Used vehicles

(817,922

)

(783,358

)

4.4

%

Wholesale vehicles

(48,700

)

(56,037

)

(13.1

)%

Total vehicles

(1,780,696

)

(1,851,933

)

(3.8

)%

Parts, service and collision repair

(176,782

)

(178,194

)

(0.8

)%

Total cost of sales

(1,957,478

)

(2,030,127

)

(3.6

)%

Gross profit

350,578

359,011

(2.3

)%

Selling, general and administrative expenses

(282,156

)

(247,095

)

(14.2

)%

Impairment charges

(268,000

)

(1,952

)

(13,629.5

)%

Depreciation and amortization

(22,297

)

(22,649

)

1.6

%

Operating income (loss)

(221,875

)

87,315

(354.1

)%

Other income (expense):

Interest expense, floor plan

(10,508

)

(13,226

)

20.6

%

Interest expense, other, net

(10,965

)

(12,853

)

14.7

%

Other income (expense), net

100

100

%

Total other income (expense)

(21,373

)

(25,979

)

17.7

%

Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes

(243,248

)

61,336

(496.6

)%

Provision for income taxes for continuing operations - benefit (expense)

44,117

(18,987

)

332.4

%

Income (loss) from continuing operations

(199,131

)

42,349

(570.2

)%

Discontinued operations:

Income (loss) from discontinued operations before taxes

(285

)

(180

)

(58.3

)%

Provision for income taxes for discontinued operations - benefit (expense)

83

52

59.6

%

Income (loss) from discontinued operations

(202

)

(128

)

(57.8

)%

Net income (loss)

$

(199,333

)

$

42,221

(572.1

)%

Basic earnings (loss) per common share:

Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations

$

(4.67

)

$

0.99

(571.7

)%

Earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations

(0.01

)

(0.01

)

%

Earnings (loss) per common share

$

(4.68

)

$

0.98

(577.6

)%

Weighted-average common shares outstanding

42,615

42,838

0.5

%

Diluted earnings (loss) per common share:

Earnings (loss) per share from continuing operations

$

(4.67

)

$

0.99

(571.7

)%

Earnings (loss) per share from discontinued operations

(0.01

)

(0.01

)

%

Earnings (loss) per common share

$

(4.68

)

$

0.98

(577.6

)%

Weighted-average common shares outstanding

42,615

42,888

0.6

%

Dividends declared per common share

$

0.10

$

0.10

%

New Vehicles - Consolidated

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported new vehicle:

Revenue

$

959,489

$

1,066,334

$

(106,845

)

(10.0

)%

Gross profit

$

45,415

$

53,796

$

(8,381

)

(15.6

)%

Unit sales

21,724

25,197

(3,473

)

(13.8

)%

Revenue per unit

$

44,167

$

42,320

$

1,847

4.4

%

Gross profit per unit

$

2,091

$

2,135

$

(44

)

(2.1

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

4.7

%

5.0

%

(30

)

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store new vehicle:

Revenue

$

959,491

$

1,006,903

$

(47,412

)

(4.7

)%

Gross profit

$

45,465

$

51,752

$

(6,287

)

(12.1

)%

Unit sales

21,724

23,133

(1,409

)

(6.1

)%

Revenue per unit

$

44,167

$

43,527

$

640

1.5

%

Gross profit per unit

$

2,093

$

2,237

$

(144

)

(6.4

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

4.7

%

5.1

%

(40

)

bps

Used Vehicles - Consolidated

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported used vehicle:

Revenue

$

850,052

$

820,366

$

29,686

3.6

%

Gross profit

$

32,130

$

37,008

$

(4,878

)

(13.2

)%

Unit sales

40,024

38,463

1,561

4.1

%

Revenue per unit

$

21,239

$

21,329

$

(90

)

(0.4

)%

Gross profit per unit

$

803

$

962

$

(159

)

(16.5

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

3.8

%

4.5

%

(70

)

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store used vehicle:

Revenue

$

832,190

$

793,460

$

38,730

4.9

%

Gross profit

$

30,444

$

32,351

$

(1,907

)

(5.9

)%

Unit sales

39,105

36,692

2,413

6.6

%

Revenue per unit

$

21,281

$

21,625

$

(344

)

(1.6

)%

Gross profit per unit

$

779

$

882

$

(103

)

(11.7

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

3.7

%

4.1

%

(40

)

bps

Wholesale Vehicles - Consolidated

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported wholesale vehicle:

Revenue

$

48,543

$

54,770

$

(6,227

)

(11.4

)%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(157

)

$

(1,267

)

$

1,110

87.6

%

Unit sales

8,675

8,647

28

0.3

%

Revenue per unit

$

5,596

$

6,334

$

(738

)

(11.7

)%

Gross profit (loss) per unit

$

(18

)

$

(147

)

$

129

87.8

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(0.3

)%

(2.3

)%

200

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store wholesale vehicle:

Revenue

$

48,313

$

52,004

$

(3,691

)

(7.1

)%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(154

)

$

(1,083

)

$

929

85.8

%

Unit sales

8,586

7,972

614

7.7

%

Revenue per unit

$

5,627

$

6,523

$

(896

)

(13.7

)%

Gross profit (loss) per unit

$

(18

)

$

(136

)

$

118

86.8

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(0.3

)%

(2.1

)%

180

bps

Parts, Service and Collision Repair ("Fixed Operations") - Consolidated

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands)

Reported:

Revenue

Customer pay

$

135,056

$

137,721

$

(2,665

)

(1.9

)%

Warranty

60,760

68,973

(8,213

)

(11.9

)%

Wholesale parts

38,706

39,297

(591

)

(1.5

)%

Internal, sublet and other

100,158

95,439

4,719

4.9

%

Total

$

334,680

$

341,430

$

(6,750

)

(2.0

)%

Gross profit

Customer pay

$

74,595

$

74,326

$

269

0.4

%

Warranty

33,746

38,407

(4,661

)

(12.1

)%

Wholesale parts

6,667

6,796

(129

)

(1.9

)%

Internal, sublet and other

42,890

43,707

(817

)

(1.9

)%

Total

$

157,898

$

163,236

$

(5,338

)

(3.3

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

Customer pay

55.2

%

54.0

%

120

bps

Warranty

55.5

%

55.7

%

(20

)

bps

Wholesale parts

17.2

%

17.3

%

(10

)

bps

Internal, sublet and other

42.8

%

45.8

%

(300

)

bps

Total

47.2

%

47.8

%

(60

)

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands)

Same Store:

Revenue

Customer pay

$

137,147

$

133,233

$

3,914

2.9

%

Warranty

61,313

65,474

(4,161

)

(6.4

)%

Wholesale parts

38,706

38,157

549

1.4

%

Internal, sublet and other

99,559

90,698

8,861

9.8

%

Total

$

336,725

$

327,562

$

9,163

2.8

%

Gross profit

Customer pay

$

75,729

$

71,929

$

3,800

5.3

%

Warranty

33,907

36,525

(2,618

)

(7.2

)%

Wholesale parts

6,667

6,565

102

1.6

%

Internal, sublet and other

42,752

40,832

1,920

4.7

%

Total

$

159,055

$

155,851

$

3,204

2.1

%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

Customer pay

55.2

%

54.0

%

120

bps

Warranty

55.3

%

55.8

%

(50

)

bps

Wholesale parts

17.2

%

17.2

%

bps

Internal, sublet and other

42.9

%

45.0

%

(210

)

bps

Total

47.2

%

47.6

%

(40

)

bps

Finance, Insurance and Other, Net ("F&I") - Consolidated

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported:

Revenue

$

115,292

$

106,238

$

9,054

8.5

%

Unit sales

61,163

63,381

(2,218

)

(3.5

)%

Gross profit per retail unit (excludes fleet)

$

1,885

$

1,676

$

209

12.5

%

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same Store:

Revenue

$

109,054

$

99,384

$

9,670

9.7

%

Unit sales

60,244

59,546

698

1.2

%

Gross profit per retail unit (excludes fleet)

$

1,810

$

1,669

$

141

8.4

%

Q1 2020 Build - Consolidated Same Store

B/(W) than Comparable Period in 2019

(In millions, except unit and per unit data)

January - February 2020

March 2020

Q1 2020

$

%

$

%

$

%

New vehicle revenues

$

83

13.5

%

$

(130

)

(33.2

)%

$

(47

)

(4.7

)%

Retail used vehicle revenues

127

25.8

%

(88

)

(29.0

)%

39

4.9

%

Wholesale used vehicle revenues

2.2

%

(4

)

(28.4

)%

(5

)

(7.1

)%

Fixed Operations revenues

18

8.3

%

(9

)

(7.6

)%

9

2.8

%

F&I revenues

17

27.8

%

(7

)

(18.4

)%

10

9.7

%

Total revenues

$

245

17.3

%

$

(238

)

(27.6

)%

$

6

0.3

%

New vehicle gross profit

$

1

3.5

%

$

(7

)

(34.8

)%

$

(6

)

(12.1

)%

New vehicle unit sales volume

1,603

11.3

%

(3,012

)

(33.6

)%

(1,409

)

(6.1

)%

New vehicle GPU

$

(151

)

(7.0

)%

$

(41

)

(1.7

)%

$

(144

)

(6.4

)%

Retail used vehicle gross profit

$

3

14.1

%

$

(5

)

(36.1

)%

$

(2

)

(5.9

)%

Retail used vehicle unit sales volume

6,100

26.9

%

(3,687

)

(26.4

)%

2,413

6.6

%

Retail used vehicle GPU

$

(86

)

(10.0

)%

$

(122

)

(13.2

)%

$

(103

)

(11.7

)%

Wholesale used vehicle gross profit

$

1

63.4

%

$

196.1

%

$

1

85.8

%

Fixed Operations gross profit

$

8

8.1

%

$

(5

)

(9.3

)%

$

3

2.1

%

Customer Pay gross profit

$

5

11.6

%

$

(2

)

(6.6

)%

$

4

5.3

%

F&I gross profit

$

17

27.8

%

$

(7

)

(18.4

)%

$

10

9.7

%

F&I GPU

$

106

6.4

%

$

261

15.3

%

$

141

8.4

%

Total gross profit

$

30

14.0

%

$

(24

)

(18.9

)%

$

6

1.7

%

New Vehicles - Franchised Dealership Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported new vehicle:

Revenue

$

959,489

$

1,066,334

$

(106,845

)

(10.0

)%

Gross profit

$

45,415

$

53,796

$

(8,381

)

(15.6

)%

Unit sales

21,724

25,197

(3,473

)

(13.8

)%

Revenue per unit

$

44,167

$

42,320

$

1,847

4.4

%

Gross profit per unit

$

2,091

$

2,135

$

(44

)

(2.1

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

4.7

%

5.0

%

(30

)

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store new vehicle:

Revenue

$

959,491

$

1,006,903

$

(47,412

)

(4.7

)%

Gross profit

$

45,465

$

51,752

$

(6,287

)

(12.1

)%

Unit sales

21,724

23,133

(1,409

)

(6.1

)%

Revenue per unit

$

44,167

$

43,527

$

640

1.5

%

Gross profit per unit

$

2,093

$

2,237

$

(144

)

(6.4

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

4.7

%

5.1

%

(40

)

bps

Used Vehicles - Franchised Dealership Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported used vehicle:

Revenue

$

566,888

$

603,949

$

(37,061

)

(6.1

)%

Gross profit

$

32,314

$

36,738

$

(4,424

)

(12.0

)%

Unit sales

26,038

27,412

(1,374

)

(5.0

)%

Revenue per unit

$

21,772

$

22,032

$

(260

)

(1.2

)%

Gross profit per unit

$

1,241

$

1,340

$

(99

)

(7.4

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

5.7

%

6.1

%

(40

)

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store used vehicle:

Revenue

$

566,889

$

577,043

$

(10,154

)

(1.8

)%

Gross profit

$

32,288

$

32,608

$

(320

)

(1.0

)%

Unit sales

26,038

25,641

397

1.5

%

Revenue per unit

$

21,772

$

22,505

$

(733

)

(3.3

)%

Gross profit per unit

$

1,240

$

1,272

$

(32

)

(2.5

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

5.7

%

5.7

%

bps

Wholesale Vehicles - Franchised Dealership Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported wholesale vehicle:

Revenue

$

42,440

$

52,533

$

(10,093

)

(19.2

)%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(83

)

$

(1,204

)

$

1,121

93.1

%

Unit sales

6,910

8,148

(1,238

)

(15.2

)%

Revenue per unit

$

6,142

$

6,447

$

(305

)

(4.7

)%

Gross profit (loss) per unit

$

(12

)

$

(148

)

$

136

91.9

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(0.2

)%

(2.3

)%

210

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store wholesale vehicle:

Revenue

$

42,440

$

49,767

$

(7,327

)

(14.7

)%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(83

)

$

(1,020

)

$

937

91.9

%

Unit sales

6,910

7,473

(563

)

(7.5

)%

Revenue per unit

$

6,142

$

6,660

$

(518

)

(7.8

)%

Gross profit (loss) per unit

$

(12

)

$

(136

)

$

124

91.2

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(0.2

)%

(2.0

)%

180

bps

Fixed Operations - Franchised Dealership Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands)

Reported:

Revenue

Customer pay

$

134,798

$

137,569

$

(2,771

)

(2.0

)%

Warranty

60,760

68,973

(8,213

)

(11.9

)%

Wholesale parts

38,706

39,297

(591

)

(1.5

)%

Internal, sublet and other

90,237

90,386

(149

)

(0.2

)%

Total

$

324,501

$

336,225

$

(11,724

)

(3.5

)%

Gross profit

Customer pay

$

74,593

$

74,324

$

269

0.4

%

Warranty

33,746

38,407

(4,661

)

(12.1

)%

Wholesale parts

6,667

6,796

(129

)

(1.9

)%

Internal, sublet and other

43,090

43,919

(829

)

(1.9

)%

Total

$

158,096

$

163,446

$

(5,350

)

(3.3

)%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

Customer pay

55.3

%

54.0

%

130

bps

Warranty

55.5

%

55.7

%

(20

)

bps

Wholesale parts

17.2

%

17.3

%

(10

)

bps

Internal, sublet and other

47.8

%

48.6

%

(80

)

bps

Total

48.7

%

48.6

%

10

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands)

Same Store:

Revenue

Customer pay

$

136,913

$

133,081

$

3,832

2.9

%

Warranty

61,313

65,474

(4,161

)

(6.4

)%

Wholesale parts

38,706

38,157

549

1.4

%

Internal, sublet and other

90,219

85,646

4,573

5.3

%

Total

$

327,151

$

322,358

$

4,793

1.5

%

Gross profit

Customer pay

$

75,728

$

71,926

$

3,802

5.3

%

Warranty

33,907

36,525

(2,618

)

(7.2

)%

Wholesale parts

6,667

6,565

102

1.6

%

Internal, sublet and other

42,911

41,044

1,867

4.5

%

Total

$

159,213

$

156,060

$

3,153

2.0

%

Gross profit as a % of revenue

Customer pay

55.3

%

54.0

%

130

bps

Warranty

55.3

%

55.8

%

(50

)

bps

Wholesale parts

17.2

%

17.2

%

bps

Internal, sublet and other

47.6

%

47.9

%

(30

)

bps

Total

48.7

%

48.4

%

30

bps

F&I - Franchised Dealership Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported:

Revenue

$

83,029

$

80,521

$

2,508

3.1

%

Unit sales

47,177

52,330

(5,153

)

(9.8

)%

Gross profit per retail unit (excludes fleet)

$

1,760

$

1,539

$

221

14.4

%

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same Store:

Revenue

$

78,830

$

73,737

$

5,093

6.9

%

Unit sales

47,177

48,495

(1,318

)

(2.7

)%

Gross profit per retail unit (excludes fleet)

$

1,671

$

1,521

$

150

9.9

%

Used Vehicles and F&I - EchoPark Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported used vehicle and F&I:

Used vehicle revenue

$

283,164

$

216,417

$

66,747

30.8

%

Used vehicle gross profit (loss)

$

(184

)

$

270

$

(454

)

(168.1

)%

Used vehicle unit sales

13,986

11,051

2,935

26.6

%

Used vehicle revenue per unit

$

20,246

$

19,583

$

663

3.4

%

F&I revenue

$

32,263

$

25,717

$

6,546

25.5

%

Combined used vehicle gross profit and F&I revenue

$

32,079

$

25,987

$

6,092

23.4

%

Total used vehicle and F&I gross profit per unit

$

2,294

$

2,352

$

(58

)

(2.5

)%

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store used vehicle:

Used vehicle revenue

$

265,301

$

216,417

$

48,884

22.6

%

Used vehicle gross profit (loss)

$

(1,844

)

$

(257

)

$

(1,587

)

(617.5

)%

Used vehicle unit sales

13,067

11,051

2,016

18.2

%

Used vehicle revenue per unit

$

20,303

$

19,583

$

720

3.7

%

F&I revenue

$

30,224

$

25,647

$

4,577

17.8

%

Combined used vehicle gross profit and F&I revenue

$

28,380

$

25,390

$

2,990

11.8

%

Total used vehicle and F&I gross profit per unit

$

2,172

$

2,298

$

(126

)

(5.5

)%

Wholesale Vehicles - EchoPark Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Reported wholesale vehicle:

Revenue

$

6,103

$

2,237

$

3,866

172.8

%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(74

)

$

(63

)

$

(11

)

(17.5

)%

Unit sales

1,765

499

1,266

253.7

%

Revenue per unit

$

3,458

$

4,483

$

(1,025

)

(22.9

)%

Gross profit (loss) per unit

$

(42

)

$

(126

)

$

84

66.7

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(1.2

)%

(2.8

)%

160

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Same store wholesale vehicle:

Revenue

$

5,873

$

2,237

$

3,636

162.5

%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(71

)

$

(63

)

$

(8

)

(12.7

)%

Unit sales

1,676

499

1,177

235.9

%

Revenue per unit

$

3,504

$

4,483

$

(979

)

(21.8

)%

Gross profit (loss) per unit

$

(42

)

$

(126

)

$

84

66.7

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(1.2

)%

(2.8

)%

160

bps

Fixed Operations - EchoPark Segment

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands)

Total reported Fixed Operations:

Revenue

$

10,179

$

5,205

$

4,974

95.6

%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(198

)

$

(210

)

$

12

5.7

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(1.9

)%

(4.0

)%

210

bps

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands)

Total same store Fixed Operations:

Revenue

$

9,574

$

5,204

$

4,370

84.0

%

Gross profit (loss)

$

(158

)

$

(209

)

$

51

24.4

%

Gross profit (loss) as a % of revenue

(1.7

)%

(4.0

)%

230

bps

Segment Income (Loss)

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

Segment income (loss):

Franchised Dealerships Segment

$

22,656

$

61,182

$

(38,526

)

(63.0

)%

EchoPark Segment

2,096

2,106

(10

)

(0.5

)%

Total segment income (loss)

$

24,752

$

63,288

$

(38,536

)

(60.9

)%

Impairment charges

(268,000

)

(1,952

)

(266,048

)

13,629.5

%

Income (loss) from continuing operations before taxes

$

(243,248

)

$

61,336

$

(304,584

)

(496.6

)%

Selling, General and Administrative ("SG&A") Expenses - Non-GAAP Reconciliation

Three Months Ended March 31,

Better / (Worse)

2020

2019

Change

% Change

(In thousands)

Reported:

Compensation

$

174,422

$

184,185

$

9,763

5.3

%

Advertising

14,135

15,050

915

6.1

%

Rent

13,865

15,250

1,385

9.1

%

Other

79,734

32,610

(47,124

)

(144.5

)%

Total SG&A expenses

$

282,156

$

247,095

$

(35,061

)

(14.2

)%

Items of interest:

Gain (loss) on franchise disposals

$

$

46,680

Executive transition costs

(6,264

)

Total SG&A adjustments

$

$

40,416

Adjusted:

Total adjusted SG&A expenses

$

282,156

$

287,511

$

5,355

1.9

%

Reported:

SG&A expenses as a % of gross profit:

Compensation

49.8

%

51.3

%

150

bps

Advertising

4.0

%

4.2

%

20

bps

Rent

4.0

%

4.2

%

20

bps

Other

22.7

%

9.1

%

(1,360

)

bps

Total SG&A expenses as a % of gross profit

80.5

%

68.8

%

(1,170

)

bps

Items of interest:

Gain (loss) on franchise disposals

%

13.1

%

Executive transition costs

%

(1.8

)%

Total effect of adjustments

%

11.3

%

Adjusted:

Total adjusted SG&A expenses as a % of gross profit

80.5

%

80.1

%

(40

)

bps

Earnings Per Share from Continuing Operations - Non-GAAP Reconciliation

Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

Three Months Ended March 31, 2019

Weighted-
Average
Shares

Amount

Per
Share
Amount

Weighted-
Average
Shares

Amount

Per
Share
Amount

(In thousands, except per share amounts)

Diluted earnings (loss) and shares from continuing operations(1)

42,615

$

(199,131

)

$

(4.67

)

42,888

$

42,349

$

0.99

Pre-tax items of interest:

(Gain) loss on franchise disposals

$

$

(46,680

)

Executive transition costs

6,264

Impairment charges

268,000

1,926

Total pre-tax items of interest

$

268,000

$

(38,490

)

Tax effect of above items

$

(51,295

)

$

12,902

Adjusted diluted earnings (loss) and shares from continuing operations

43,432

$

17,574

$

0.40

42,888

$

16,761

$

0.39

(1) Basic Weighted-Average Shares Used For Three Months Ended March 31, 2020 Due To Net Loss On GAAP Basis

Adjusted EBITDA - Non-GAAP Reconciliation

Three Months Ended March 31, 2020

Three Months Ended March 31, 2019

Franchised
Dealerships
Segment

EchoPark
Segment

Discontinued
Operations

Total

Franchised
Dealerships
Segment

EchoPark
Segment

Discontinued
Operations

Total

(In thousands)

Net income (loss)

$

(199,333

)

$

42,221

Provision for income taxes

(44,200

)

18,935

Income (loss) before taxes

$

(245,344

)

$

2,096

$

(285

)

$

(243,533

)

$

61,156

$

180

$

(180

)

$

61,156

Non-floor plan interest

10,043

365

10,408

11,829

433

12,262

Depreciation and amortization

20,144

2,708

22,852

20,824

2,418

23,242

Stock-based compensation expense

2,427

2,427

2,814

2,814

Loss (gain) on exit of leased dealerships

(170

)

(170

)

Impairment charges

268,000

268,000

26

1,926

1,952

Loss (gain) on franchise disposals

(46,750

)

(46,750

)

Adjusted EBITDA

$

55,270

$

5,169

$

(285

)

$

60,154

$

49,729

$

4,957

$

(180

)

$

54,506

Investor Inquiries:

Heath Byrd, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (704) 566-2400

Danny Wieland, Investor Relations (704) 927-3462

Press Inquiries:

Danielle DeVoren / Anthony Feldman

212-896-1272 / 347-487-6194

[email protected] / [email protected]

Source: Sonic Automotive Inc.

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