On today’s episode of Inside Automotive, we’re diving into the red-hot automotive buy/sell market with Ryan Kerrigan, Managing Director of Kerrigan Advisors. With projections showing potential for over 400 transactions this year, breaking all previous records, it’s clear that despite some dips in profit margins, the industry is alive with activity and investment. Join us as we explore the factors driving this unprecedented surge and what it means for dealerships nationwide.
1. The automotive buy-sell market is experiencing unprecedented activity levels, with projections suggesting that 2024 could see over 400 transactions, marking an all-time high. This transaction surge continues the strong market performance seen in previous years. In 2023, the industry came close to this milestone, and the momentum has carried forward, indicating robust demand for dealership acquisitions and consolidations.
2. Despite a downturn in profits, which have decreased slightly from the highs seen in recent years, the automotive retail sector continues to thrive. This resilience is due primarily to substantial retained earnings within the industry. Many retailers are sitting on significant cash reserves and are eager to reinvest in the industry rather than diversifying into other sectors like real estate. This ongoing investment is a key driver of the sustained high level of buy-sell activity.
3. In the current market, deal valuation is increasingly centered on recent financial performance. Buyers are placing a premium on the most up-to-date earnings, often focusing on the trailing 12 months and the latest quarterly results. This shift is due to rapidly changing market dynamics, which have moved away from averaging pre-COVID and COVID-era earnings. The emphasis on current performance reflects buyers’ desire to ensure they are making informed investments in a volatile environment.
4. There is a notable trend of increasing involvement of outside capital in the automotive retail industry. While traditional private equity firms face restrictions in obtaining OEM approvals, other forms of professional capital are being creatively integrated with dealership groups. This influx of external funding has enabled some of the fastest-growing dealership groups to expand significantly. The number of stores owned by groups backed by outside capital has grown by approximately 45% year-over-year, highlighting the transformative impact of this trend.
5. Texas has emerged as a robust market for buy-sell transactions, driven by robust economic growth, business relocations, and population increases. The state’s major metropolitan areas, such as Austin, Dallas, and Houston, are seeing high levels of interest and activity. In contrast, despite facing regulatory and operational challenges, California continues to see large deals due to its market size and affluence. This dual focus on Texas and California underscores the diverse regional dynamics in the automotive buy-sell market.
"At the current track record, we'll actually be above 400 transactions." – Ryan Kerrigan
Kerrigan Advisors is the leading sell-side advisor and thought partner to auto dealers nationwide. Since its founding in 2014, the firm has led the industry with the sale of over 275 dealerships representing nearly $9 billion in client proceeds, including the third largest transaction in auto retail history – the sale of Jim Koons Automotive Companies to Asbury Automotive Group. The firm advises the industry’s leading dealership groups, enhancing value through the lifecycle of growing, operating and, when the time is right, selling their businesses. Led by a team of veteran industry experts with backgrounds in investment banking, private equity, accounting, finance and real estate, Kerrigan Advisors does not take listings, rather they develop a customized sales approach for each client to achieve their personal and financial goals. In addition to the firm’s sell-side advisory services, Kerrigan Advisors also provides a suite of consulting and investor services including growth strategy, market valuation assessments, capital allocation, transactional due diligence, open point proposals, operational improvement and real estate due diligence.
Kerrigan Advisors monitors conditions in the buy/sell market and publishes an in-depth analysis each quarter in The Blue Sky Report®, which includes Kerrigan Advisors’ signature blue sky charts, multiples, and analysis for each franchise in the luxury and non-luxury segments. To download a preview of the report, click here. The firm also releases monthly The Kerrigan Index™ composed of the seven publicly traded auto retail companies with operations focused on the US market. The Kerrigan Auto Retail Index is designed to track dealership valuation trends, while also providing key insights into factors influencing auto retail. To access The Kerrigan Index™, click here. To read the 2023 Kerrigan Dealer Survey, click here. To read the 2024 Kerrigan OEM Survey, click here. Kerrigan Advisors also is the co-author of NADA’s Guide to Buying and Selling a Dealership.
Contact us to learn more about Kerrigan Advisors’ sell-side services.
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