Penske Automotive Reports Record Second Quarter Results

-- Selling, General & Administrative Expense Leverage of 110 Basis Points

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan, 29/07/2015 (informazione.it - comunicati stampa - industria)

-- Selling, General & Administrative Expense Leverage of 110 Basis Points

BLOOMFIELD HILLS, Michigan, July 29, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Penske Automotive Group, Inc. (NYSE: PAG), an international transportation services company, announced today that second quarter 2015 income from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders increased 17.3% to $94.4 million, and related earnings per share increased 18.0% to $1.05 when compared to the same period last year. Total revenue increased 12.2% to $4.9 billion. Excluding foreign exchange, total revenue increased 17.0%. Same-store retail revenue increased 5.6% in the second quarter, or 9.8% when excluding foreign exchange. Gross profit improved 11.4% to $729.6 million, while operating income increased 17.2% to $159.1 million.

"We just completed the best quarter and six-month period in the history of our company," said Chairman Roger S. Penske. "The performance of our business continues to demonstrate the flexibility and resiliency of the company's brand mix and business model. The record second quarter results were driven by a 7.5% increase in retail automotive unit sales, a 50-basis point increase in automotive retail service and parts gross margin and a reduction of 110 basis points in selling, general and administrative expenses as a percent of gross profit."

Automotive Retail Highlights of the Second Quarter

Note: f/x = foreign exchange

For the six months ended June 30, 2015, total revenue increased 11.8% to $9.4 billion. The revenue increase was driven by a 7.1% increase in retail automotive unit sales, including 6.1% on a same-store basis. Income from continuing operations attributable to common shareholders increased 15.6% to $170.8 million and related earnings per share increased 16.0% to $1.89 when compared to the same period last year.

U.S. Commercial Truck Operations

During 2015, the company acquired two commercial truck dealerships which are expected to contribute estimated annualized revenues of approximately $200 million. For the three and six months ended June 30, 2015, our U.S. commercial truck dealerships ("Premier Truck Group") generated $241.9 million and $434.6 million of revenue, and $38.3 million and $71.1 million of gross profit, respectively, principally through the retail sale of new/used medium and heavy-duty trucks and service/ parts sales. Service and parts gross profit represents approximately 72% of total gross profit for both periods.

Share Repurchases

For the six months ended June 30, 2015, the company has acquired or repurchased 439,383 shares of common stock for approximately $22.0 million, or approximately $50.07 per share. As of June 30, 2015, the company has a remaining share repurchase authorization of $136.0 million.

Conference Call

Penske Automotive will host a conference call discussing financial results relating to the second quarter of 2015 on July 29, 2015, at 2:00 p.m.Eastern Daylight Time. To listen to the conference call, participants must dial (800) 230-1085 [International, please dial (612) 288-0337]. The call will also be simultaneously broadcast over the Internet through the Investor Relations section of the Penske Automotive Group website. Additionally, an investor presentation relating to the second quarter 2015 financial results has been posted to the company's website. To access the presentation or to listen to the company's webcast, please refer to www.penskeautomotive.com.

About Penske Automotive

Penske Automotive Group, Inc., (NYSE:PAG) headquartered in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, is an international transportation services company that operates automotive and commercial truck dealerships principally in the United States and Western Europe, and distributes commercial vehicles, diesel engines, gas engines, power systems and related parts and services principally in Australia and New Zealand. PAG employs more than 22,000 people worldwide and is a member of the Fortune 500 and Russell 2000. For additional information, visit the company's website at www.penskeautomotive.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures as defined under SEC rules, such as earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") and earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization and rent expense ("EBITDAR"). The company has reconciled these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures in the release. The company believes that these widely accepted measures of operating profitability improve the transparency of the company's disclosures and provide a meaningful presentation of the company's results from its core business operations excluding the impact of items not related to the company's ongoing core business operations, and improve the period-to-period comparability of the company's results from its core business operations. These non-GAAP financial measures are not substitutes for GAAP financial results, and should only be considered in conjunction with the company's financial information that is presented in accordance with GAAP.

Caution Concerning Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this press release may involve forward-looking statements, including forward-looking statements regarding Penske Automotive Group, Inc.'s future sales potential. Actual results may vary materially because of risks and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. These risks and uncertainties include, among others: economic conditions generally, conditions in the credit markets and changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, adverse conditions affecting a particular manufacturer, including the adverse impact to the vehicle and parts supply chain due to natural disasters or other disruptions that interrupt the supply of vehicles or parts to us, changes in consumer credit availability, the outcome of legal and administrative matters, and other factors over which management has limited control. These forward-looking statements should be evaluated together with additional information about Penske Automotive's business, markets, conditions and other uncertainties, which could affect Penske Automotive's future performance. These risks and uncertainties are addressed in Penske Automotive's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014, and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). This press release speaks only as of its date, and Penske Automotive disclaims any duty to update the information herein.

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Inquiries should contact:

Penske Automotive Group, Inc.
248-648-2810
[email protected]

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