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Asbury Automotive Group Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 February 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue and gross profit reached records: Fourth-quarter revenue was $4.7 billion, up 4%, and gross profit was $793 million, up 6%. Full-year revenue was $18 billion, the company's highest annual revenue. Source
  • Net income fell on impairments: Net income was $60 million, or $3.10 per diluted share, down 53%. Adjusted net income was $129 million, or $6.67 per diluted share, down 10%, excluding non-core items. Source
  • Parts and service grew fastest: Parts and service revenue rose 12% and gross profit rose 13% in the quarter. On a same store basis, parts and service revenue rose 2% and gross profit rose 2%. Source
  • Gross margin rose 31 bps: Total gross margin was 17.0%, up from 16.6%. Same store gross margin was also 17.0%, up 26 bps. New vehicle gross margin fell to 6.3% from 7.0%. Source
  • Adjusted SG&A ratio rose to 65.3%: SG&A was 66.7% of gross profit, against 63.6% a year earlier. Adjusted SG&A was 65.3% of gross profit. Same store adjusted SG&A was 64.1%, up 162 bps. Source
  • Leverage ratio 3.2x at quarter end: The transaction adjusted net leverage ratio was 3.2x at quarter end. Management said this was ahead of its leverage forecast for the year. Source
  • Acquisitions added $2.9 billion revenue: During 2025 the company acquired $2.9 billion in annualized revenue and repurchased $100 million in shares. Professional fees tied to the Herb Chambers acquisition were $1 million in the quarter. Source
  • Tekion transition resumed across stores: The Tekion transition resumed with implementation across 15 additional stores. Tekion implementation expenses in the quarter were $6.4 million in SG&A, per the reconciliation. Source

“Our fourth quarter results wrapped up a productive year for Asbury”

David Hult, Asbury’s President and Chief Executive Officer

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Tekion transition resumed, with implementation across 15 additional stores. Source
  • Ended: Four stores were divested in the fourth quarter as part of capital allocation and portfolio optimization efforts. Source
  • New: The vehicle protection business is now named Total Care Auto, Powered by Asbury. The prior release used the name Powered by Landcar. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue and gross profit reached records: Fourth-quarter revenue was $4.7 billion, up 4%, and gross profit was $793 million, up 6%. Full-year revenue was $18 billion, the company's highest annual revenue. Source
  • Net income fell on impairments: Net income was $60 million, or $3.10 per diluted share, down 53%. Adjusted net income was $129 million, or $6.67 per diluted share, down 10%, excluding non-core items. Source
  • Full-year EPS and revenue rose: Full-year net income was $492 million, or $25.13 per diluted share, up 17%. Adjusted EPS was $28.10, up 3%. Full-year transaction adjusted EBITDA was $1.1 billion. Source
  • Impairments and divestiture gains excluded: Adjusted net income excluded, net of tax, non-cash impairments of $87 million ($4.50 per diluted share) and a net gain on divestitures of $26 million ($1.35 per diluted share). Source

Segments: dealerships and Total Care Auto

  • Dealerships drove segment operating income: Segment operating income was $204.2 million for dealerships and $20.6 million for Total Care Auto. A year earlier the figures were $210.5 million and $17.4 million. Source
  • Total Care Auto renamed from Landcar: The vehicle protection and service contract business is now described as Total Care Auto, Powered by Asbury, after being named Powered by Landcar in the prior release. Source
  • Divested stores carried $150 million revenue: The four stores divested in the quarter contributed an estimated $150 million of annualized revenue. Gain on dealership divestitures in the quarter was $34.5 million. Source

“This year, we acquired $2.9 billion in annualized revenue, repurchased $100 million in shares and continued our transition to Tekion”

David Hult, Asbury’s President and Chief Executive Officer

Products, parts and service

  • Parts and service grew fastest: Parts and service revenue rose 12% and gross profit rose 13% in the quarter. On a same store basis, parts and service revenue rose 2% and gross profit rose 2%. Source
  • Parts and service margin improved: Parts and service gross margin was 58.6%, up 102 bps from 57.6%. Full-year parts and service gross margin was 58.7%, up 136 bps. Source
  • Luxury share of new vehicle revenue rose: Luxury brands made up 36% of new vehicle revenue, up from 32%. Imports were 38%, down from 40%, and domestic brands were 26%, down from 28%. Source
  • F&I per vehicle retailed rose: Finance and insurance per vehicle retailed was $2,334 in the quarter, compared with $2,236 a year earlier. Same store F&I per vehicle was $2,335. Source

Margins, costs and pricing

  • Gross margin rose 31 bps: Total gross margin was 17.0%, up from 16.6%. Same store gross margin was also 17.0%, up 26 bps. New vehicle gross margin fell to 6.3% from 7.0%. Source
  • Adjusted SG&A ratio rose to 65.3%: SG&A was 66.7% of gross profit, against 63.6% a year earlier. Adjusted SG&A was 65.3% of gross profit. Same store adjusted SG&A was 64.1%, up 162 bps. Source
  • Used retail gross per unit rose: Same store used retail gross profit per unit was $1,749, up 18%. Same store used retail gross profit rose 4% while used retail units fell 12%. Source
  • New vehicle gross per unit fell: Same store new vehicle gross profit per unit was $3,135, down 14%. Same store new vehicle gross margin was 6.0%, down 103 bps. Source
  • Operating margin fell on impairments: Operating margin was 2.7%, down 262 bps. Adjusted operating margin was 5.4%, down 34 bps. The quarter included $115 million of asset impairments. Source

“ended the year ahead of our leverage forecast, showing our discipline in running the business today”

David Hult, Asbury’s President and Chief Executive Officer

Demand and inventory

  • Same store used retail units fell: Same store used retail unit sales fell 12% in the quarter, to 29,444 units. The used to new ratio was 70.5%, down from 75.0% a year earlier. Source
  • New vehicle units flat overall: Total new vehicle unit sales were 47,201, close to the 47,255 of a year earlier. Same store new vehicle units fell 7% to 41,760. Source
  • Inventory days supply higher: New vehicle days supply was 52 at year end, against 49 a year earlier and 58 at September 30. Used vehicle days supply was 38, against 37 a year earlier. Source
  • Average selling prices rose: Used vehicle retail average selling price rose 6% to $32,993 in the quarter. New vehicle average selling price rose 3% to $53,500. Source

Capital, cash and share repurchases

  • Liquidity totaled $927 million: At year end, cash and floorplan offset accounts were $180 million and floorplan and revolver availability was $747 million, for total liquidity of $927 million. Source
  • Leverage ratio 3.2x at quarter end: The transaction adjusted net leverage ratio was 3.2x at quarter end. Management said this was ahead of its leverage forecast for the year. Source
  • Share repurchases in quarter and year: The company repurchased about 212,000 shares for $50 million in the fourth quarter, and about 433,000 shares for $100 million in 2025. About $176 million remained on the authorization. Source
  • Capex and operating cash flow: Capital expenditures were $186 million for the year. Adjusted operating cash flow for the full year was $651 million, compared with $688 million in 2024. Source

Acquisitions, Tekion and portfolio changes

  • Acquisitions added $2.9 billion revenue: During 2025 the company acquired $2.9 billion in annualized revenue and repurchased $100 million in shares. Professional fees tied to the Herb Chambers acquisition were $1 million in the quarter. Source
  • Tekion transition resumed across stores: The Tekion transition resumed with implementation across 15 additional stores. Tekion implementation expenses in the quarter were $6.4 million in SG&A, per the reconciliation. Source
  • Four stores divested in quarter: Four stores were divested in the fourth quarter as part of ongoing capital allocation and portfolio optimization. Their estimated annualized revenue was $150 million. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: The quarter included non-cash asset impairments of $87 million net of tax, and $115 million before tax in the income statement. Source
  • Operational: Tekion implementation costs were excluded from adjusted results, with $5 million net of tax recorded in the quarter. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the company ended the year ahead of its leverage forecast. Source
  • Not stated: In the prior quarter, management said it intended to keep balanced capital allocation alongside store portfolio optimization.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.