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LKQ Corp.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 30 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 4 raised, 2 lowered, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose $46 million: Revenue was $3,499 million, against $3,453 million in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Diluted EPS down 2.8 percent: Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.69 and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.84, against $0.71 and $0.86 a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EPS midpoint raised: Management said the adjusted diluted EPS midpoint was raised by $0.07, and the range narrowed to $3.00 to $3.15 after the divestiture. Source
  • Cash flow ranges raised: Operating cash flow is now $0.825 to $1.025 billion and free cash flow $0.60 to $0.75 billion, both raised from the revised prior ranges. Source
  • Repairable claims fell 6 percent: Management said North American repairable claims fell 6%, and North American organic revenue per day declined 30 basis points. Source
  • Total Segment EBITDA margin 11.3 percent: Total Segment EBITDA was $395 million, an 11.3% margin, against $420 million at 12.2%. Nine-month margin was 11.5% against 12.2%. Source
  • Quarterly free cash flow $387 million: Operating cash flow was $440 million and free cash flow $387 million in the quarter. Both figures include discontinued operations. Source

“We delivered on our commitment to simplify the business with the divestiture of Self Service, continued to gain market share in a down market in North America”

Justin Jude, President and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Organic revenue growth, parts and services SourceFull year 2025(3.0%) to (2.0%)Kept
Diluted EPS SourceFull year 2025$2.47 to $2.62Raised from $2.32 to $2.62
Adjusted diluted EPS SourceFull year 2025$3.00 to $3.15Raised from $2.85 to $3.15
Operating cash flow SourceFull year 2025$0.825 to $1.025 billionRaised from $0.80 to $1.0 billion
Free cash flow SourceFull year 2025$0.60 to $0.75 billionRaised from $0.525 to $0.675 billion
Purchases of property, plant and equipment SourceFull year 2025$225 million to $275 millionLowered from $275 million to $325 million
Weighted average diluted shares SourceFull year 2025258.0 millionLowered from 258.4 million

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Adjusted diluted EPS midpoint raised by $0.07; range narrowed to $3.00 to $3.15. Source
  • Guidance raised: Operating cash flow and free cash flow ranges raised against the revised prior ranges. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Forecast capital expenditure range lowered to $225 million to $275 million from $275 million to $325 million. Source
  • Ended: Self Service segment sold September 30, 2025; now reported as discontinued operations. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose $46 million: Revenue was $3,499 million, against $3,453 million in the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Diluted EPS down 2.8 percent: Diluted EPS from continuing operations was $0.69 and adjusted diluted EPS was $0.84, against $0.71 and $0.86 a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income fell 8.4 percent: Operating income was $274 million, or 7.8% of revenue, against $299 million, or 8.7%. Source
  • Nine-month reported EPS rose; adjusted fell: Nine-month reported diluted EPS was $2.02 against $1.94; nine-month adjusted diluted EPS was $2.43 against $2.61. Source

Full-year 2025 guidance update

  • Adjusted EPS midpoint raised: Management said the adjusted diluted EPS midpoint was raised by $0.07, and the range narrowed to $3.00 to $3.15 after the divestiture. Source
  • Reported EPS floor moved up: Reported diluted EPS range is $2.47 to $2.62 on the revised basis, with the top of the range unchanged at $2.62. Source
  • Organic revenue range narrowed: Parts and services organic growth range is (3.0%) to (2.0%), with the midpoint unchanged at (2.5%). Source
  • Cash flow ranges raised: Operating cash flow is now $0.825 to $1.025 billion and free cash flow $0.60 to $0.75 billion, both raised from the revised prior ranges. Source
  • Capital expenditure range lowered: Implied purchases of property, plant and equipment are $225 million to $275 million, down from $275 million to $325 million in the July reconciliation. Source

“bounced back with double digit margins in Europe and achieved more than 9% organic growth in our Specialty business”

Justin Jude, President and Chief Executive Officer

Segments and regions

  • North America wholesale margin lower: Wholesale North America segment EBITDA was $199 million, a 14.0% margin, against $224 million at 15.8%. Segment revenue was $1,423 million in both periods. Source
  • Europe organic revenue declined: Europe third-party revenue of $1,615 million rose 0.4% against $1,609 million, with organic revenue down 4.7% and foreign exchange adding 5.6%. Source
  • Europe segment margin 10.0 percent: Europe segment EBITDA was $162 million, a 10.0% margin, against $165 million at 10.2%. Source
  • Specialty organic growth 9.4 percent: Specialty revenue was $457 million, up 9.3%, with organic growth of 9.4%. Segment EBITDA margin was 7.3%, the same as the prior year. Source

Demand and market backdrop

  • Repairable claims fell 6 percent: Management said North American repairable claims fell 6%, and North American organic revenue per day declined 30 basis points. Source
  • Nine-month organic revenue fell 2.8 percent: Nine-month organic revenue declined 2.8%. Acquisitions and divestitures reduced revenue by 0.7 points, and foreign exchange added 1.1 points. Source
  • Parts and services organic down 1.2 percent: Parts and services organic revenue fell 1.2% in the quarter. Foreign exchange added 2.6 points, and acquisitions and divestitures subtracted 0.3 points. Source

“Following the Self Service divestiture, we have reduced our debt by more than $600 million since the end of the second quarter”

Rick Galloway, Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Costs, margins and pricing

  • Gross margin slightly lower: Gross margin was 38.3% of revenue against 38.7%. Cost of goods sold was 61.7% of revenue against 61.3%. Source
  • SG&A expense rose 3.0 percent: SG&A rose $27 million to $958 million, or 27.4% of revenue, against 27.0% a year earlier. Source
  • Restructuring spend fell $6 million: Restructuring and transaction related expenses were $14 million, down from $20 million a year earlier. Source
  • Total Segment EBITDA margin 11.3 percent: Total Segment EBITDA was $395 million, an 11.3% margin, against $420 million at 12.2%. Nine-month margin was 11.5% against 12.2%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA declined: Adjusted EBITDA was $381 million, against $402 million. Nine-month Adjusted EBITDA was $1,155 million against $1,182 million. Source

Cash flow and balance sheet

  • Quarterly free cash flow $387 million: Operating cash flow was $440 million and free cash flow $387 million in the quarter. Both figures include discontinued operations. Source
  • Nine-month free cash flow $573 million: Nine-month operating cash flow was $733 million and free cash flow $573 million. Self Service contributed about $50 million of nine-month free cash flow. Source
  • Total debt $4.2 billion, leverage 2.5x: Total debt was $4.2 billion and credit-facility leverage was 2.5x EBITDA, down from $4.5 billion and 2.6x at June 30. Source

Capital returned to shareholders

  • Quarterly buybacks and dividends: In the quarter the company spent about $40 million repurchasing 1.2 million shares and paid $78 million in cash dividends. Source
  • Nine-month returns $353 million: Nine-month shareholder returns combined about $119 million of repurchases of 3.2 million shares with $234 million of dividends. Source
  • Cumulative repurchases 67.7 million shares: Since the program began in late October 2018, about 67.7 million shares have been repurchased for $2.9 billion. Source

Strategy and portfolio simplification

  • Portfolio simplification leads the plan: First initiative is simplifying the business portfolio and operations by focusing on non-discretionary businesses and divesting non-core assets. Source
  • Organic investment for above-market growth: Plan includes investing in core businesses to grow above the market and gain share. Source
  • Lean operating model scaled globally: The lean operating model is being scaled across all regions to improve productivity, execution and decision-making speed. Source
  • Disciplined capital allocation maintained: Capital allocation aims at shareholder value while further strengthening the balance sheet and keeping a competitive market position. Source

Coming up, as management said on 30 October 2025

  • Quarterly dividend payable December 4: Board declared a $0.30 quarterly dividend on October 28, 2025, payable December 4 to holders of record November 20. Source
  • Repurchase authorization runs to 2026: $1.6 billion remains available for repurchases through October 25, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Repairable claims, North America (year over year) Sourcedown 6%

Risks management discussed

  • External: CFO cites a challenging macro environment that the balance sheet is meant to help navigate. Source
  • Financial: Management linked a one-time tax benefit with operating performance when updating full-year guidance. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: CEO says the company delivered on its commitment to simplify the business through the Self Service divestiture. Source
  • Not stated: CFO says capital is being deployed in alignment with the capital allocation strategy and the multiyear transformation plan. Source

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.