August 22, 2015 — By the end of the year, it is conceivable the automotive retail industry may see at least three publicly traded vendors go private in deals ranging from $4.5 billion to $9-$10 billion. Dealertrack, CDK Global and Solera Holdings, all multi-billion dollar vendors, are either close to or are exploring sales to private…
The news last week that two researchers were able to remotely hack into a Jeep from several miles away and shut off its engine has significant implications for the automotive retail space. Make no mistake, we are now in the hackable vehicle era. As Charlie Vogelheim, an automotive consultant and host of MotorTrend’s Audio Podcast… Continue Reading
July 11, 2015 — Headlines in the trade press in January hyped the increasing involvement private equity would play in automotive retail — specifically in the acquisition of dealerships. On the heels of Warren Buffett’s announcement of that Berkshire Hathaway was buying the 81-store Van Tuyl automotive group (a deal that ended up being for… Continue Reading
July 5, 2015 — Through June, dealership buy-sells continues to be vibrant and is on a record pace fueled by a strong May and June coupled with Berkshire Hathaway’s purchase of the Van Tuyl Group in March. Meanwhile, automakers continue to leverage the Right of First Refusal to scuttle deals. The industry hit the mid-point…
July 2, 2015 — In this report The Banks Report analyzes the financials of Cox’s pending acquisition of Dealertrack; why the deal makes sense; and its effect on the industry and other companies. Background Cox Automotive’s pending acquisition of Dealertrack is big on several levels. Not only is the $4 billion deal the biggest acquisition financially… Continue Reading
July 2, 2015 — Its stock price has more than doubled since October, yet CDK is transforming its company. Executives recently announced a series of moves that will have a long term effect on the company’s future. The moves include an ambitious financial plan to return value to shareholders; a new board member who could end… Continue Reading
June 29, 2015 — Over the next several months, we believe the automotive industry will see a more aggressive Cars.com at play in the acquisitions market as its parent company, the newly minted Tegna begins trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol TGNA this morning. Gannett Co., the giant newspaper publishing and…
June 11, 2015 — Since October of 2014, when asked which automotive brands I like during the Q&A sessions following presentations I’ve given, my advice has been to “Sell your Chrysler store today.” Often the response is incredulous — “Sales are through the roof, and we’re making money, why would we sell?” is the question.…
June 7, 2015 — There have been 13 automotive retail vendor acquisitions through the first week of June far outpacing 2014’s total of 19 transactions. The difference this year is that the transactions are much smaller. While last year’s acquisitions, mergers and IPOs involved more than $30 billion in equity in changing hands, according to…
May 22, 2015 — Yesterday, Autobytel announced the acquisition of competitor Dealix for $25 million from CDK Global, confirming a prediction The Banks Report made in February. We have the inside story and a full analysis of the deal and what it means for the industry and Autobytel’s future. Meanwhile, numbers show the leads business may…