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| We're also constructive on SAAR normalizing in the United Kingdom and Canada eventually getting back to 2019 levels, which leaves 20% and 15% in expected recovery, respectively |
| Coupled with the diverse and talented members of our team, this gives us the necessary foundation, to achieve our plan and to continue driving value for our shareholders |
| Results in the quarter were driven by continued strength in new vehicle sales with same-store units up 10% and aftersales revenues up 3% |
| And then obviously some scale advantages and cost that we expect to be able to realize in the coming years |
| As we prepare to transition from the start-up period, I am very proud of all DFC has accomplished since we launched this initiative in May of 2020 |
| This reflects strong performance from our servicing team as well as increasing our overall portfolio credit quality |
| In Q4, Lithia & Driveway grew revenues to $7.7 billion, up 11% from Q4 of last year and generated adjusted diluted earnings per share of $8.24 |
| In the fourth quarter, net interest margin increased to $33.2 million, driven by increasing portfolio APR and relatively flat funding costs |
| We had a recent ABS issuance in the market this quarter that should go off very well and was very well received by the marketplace |
| So our portfolio is performing very well |
| Expanding our store network and leveraging our many strategic adjacencies increases the touch points throughout the customer's life cycle while also equipping our stores with the tools necessary to improve productivity, loyalty and ultimate profitability |
| We remain confident in DFC's ability to deliver long-term earnings growth to LAD and achieving our end-state financial goals with a fully scaled and seasoned portfolio |
| Results in the quarter were driven by continued strength in new vehicle sales and aftersales, offset by lower new vehicle GPUs with returning supply and higher floor plan interest expense |
| Driveway Finance Corporation, or DFC, posted another strong quarter with a smaller-than-expected loss of $2.1 million while receivables grew to $3.2 billion |
| The DFC team has demonstrated success navigating through the fluid interest rate environment while maturing its capital structure and liquidity position |
| We are excited to see this adjacency continue to mature as it looks to achieve breakeven later this year while improving liquidity as we manage the pace and quality of originations |
| Our focus on maturing our adjacencies resulted in improved profitability at Driveway and DFC |
| Although early, we are well positioned to see positive contributions this year |
| Over time, the leveraging of this network with our omnichannel solutions will generate more attractive and diverse impressions, more memorable experiences, better returns on capital and a unique ecosystem that provides differentiated and deep value for our customers |
| We managed to generate another year of strong cash flows and balanced with consistent capital allocation, we can preserve the quality of our balance sheet while supporting our growth initiatives and navigating various cross currents in today's environment |
| 2024 has also started off strong with our successful completion of the Pendragon transaction at the beginning of this month |
| Lastly, I would say that our growth in the United Kingdom is pretty well accomplished, okay? So, we're nicely positioned in the United Kingdom with pretty close to 8% market share, or something with most of it being a luxury, which is quite nice |
| As we look to the future and work to find ways to gain additional leverage and benefits from our 460-plus locations across the globe, we are confident on our ability to create a high-performance omnichannel network that is truly best-in-class in operating leverage |
| And that's where we really believe, we can continue to maintain, an outlook of getting to 55% SG&A to gross, somewhere near term, midterm, but that's an execution opportunity for us |
| 2023 was a record year for us as we reached just over $31 billion in total full year revenues |
| Our robust acquisition strategy has opened up new markets in mobility verticals, creating considerably more opportunities for us in the future |
| Our top-of-funnel OEM new car status gives us significantly more access to inventory than used-only dealers, which coupled with Driveway and our omnichannel selling arm, will continue to be a significant advantage for years to come |
| Our near-term target of $50 billion in revenue remains within our sights, and our team is confident in our ability to achieve this while doing so in the most prudent fashion possible |
| Our team is experienced in executing and integrating acquisitions, and we remain committed to achieving strong returns as we build out our network |
| Same-store volumes are positively highlighted by large improvements in import and domestic brands, which were up 12%, while domestic volumes improved just over 4% |
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| market? Peer results have come in softer than our previous expectations |
| DFC's penetration rate during the quarter was 9%, primarily due to the negative impact on LAD's growth in retail units overseas |
| Revenue was down 11% and units were down 6% |
| As a reminder, around 10 million vehicles were lost in production in 2020 to 2023 due to COVID-impacted factory shutdowns and supply chain issues |
| I mean, used car gross is right now significantly below historic levels |
| Used vehicle GPUs, including F&I, were $3,789, down 7% from last year and well below our historic average |
| And I think fourth quarter was difficult, I think, for used cars just, because you're chasing a number that's coming down |
| ASPs continued to decline, down 5% to $28,000 versus $29,400 in the prior year |
| As we prioritize increasing yields and managing risk through our underwriting, we saw a sequential decline in origination volume to $429 million |
| New vehicle GPUs, including F&I, were $6,215 per unit, down $1,510 or 20% year-over-year as we expected this and discussed throughout 2023 |
| Value autos, which are higher-mileage vehicles and generally over nine years old, were down 3% |
| But we still have to fill our pipeline in used car operators with vehicles that are outside of our customer channel, which creates pressure on gross, and we compensate our teams selling a lot of vehicle right now that just are lower on gross profit contribution |
| We anticipate the downward trend in GPUs to continue through 2024, eventually resulting in total GPUs including F&I at $4,500, which is near our historic levels |
| Our burn rate year-over-year is down about 30%, 35%, with another 30% to 35% expected, by the end of the year |
| Sales of certified vehicles were up nearly 2%, while our core vehicle segment, which accounts for more than half of our used vehicle sales, was down 10% as the impact of COVID production constraints is working through the supply chain |
| The financing operations segment continued to move towards profitability, narrowing our quarterly operating loss to $2.1 million, down from $4.4 million last quarter while our portfolio ended the year at just over $3.2 billion |
| This was offset by lower new vehicle GPUs continuing to normalize, declining approximately $150 sequentially per month, in line with our expectations for new vehicles |
| Now the other thing, to keep in mind is that Q4 and Q1 are typically seasonally a little bit tougher quarters, okay? In fact, Q4 is usually the weakest in terms of GPU |
| But I think everyone is chasing inventory, which is driving the ultimate price cost up more, which is affecting margins |
| From a used vehicle perspective, as we've mentioned in the last couple of quarters, that's been a tougher market |
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