Consumer Discretionary
Auto Parts
$9.56B
49K
LKQ Corporation engages in the distribution of replacement parts, components, and systems used in the repair and maintenance of vehicles and specialty vehicle aftermarket products and accessories. It operates through four segments: Wholesale-North America, Europe, Specialty, and Self Service. The company distributes bumper covers, automotive body panels, and lights, as well as mechanical automotive parts and accessories; salvage products, including mechanical and collision parts comprising engines; transmissions; door assemblies; sheet metal products, such as trunk lids, fenders, and hoods; lights and bumper assemblies; scrap metal and other materials to metals recyclers; and brake pads, discs and sensors, clutches, steering and suspension products, filters, and oil and automotive fluids, as well as electrical products, including spark plugs and batteries. In addition, the company distributes recreational vehicle appliances and air conditioners, towing hitches, truck bed covers, vehicle protection products, marine electronics, cargo management products, wheels, tires, and suspension products. It serves collision and mechanical repair shops, and new and used car dealerships, as well as retail customers. The company operates in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Luxembourg, Italy, the Czech Republic, Austria, Poland, Slovakia, Taiwan, and other European countries. LKQ Corporation was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois.
Key insights and themes extracted from this filing
The 10-K filing states that total revenue increased to $13.866 billion compared to $12.794 billion in the prior year. This increase is attributed to both organic growth and acquisitions.
Gross margin decreased from 40.8% to 40.2%. This decrease is attributed to increases in the cost of goods sold.
Net income decreased from $1,150 million to $938 million. This decrease is attributed to increases in the cost of goods sold and selling, general, and administrative expenses.
The 10-K filing mentions the acquisition of Uni-Select, a leading distributor in the automotive industry, was completed in August 2023 for approximately $2.1 billion. This acquisition complements LKQ's existing North American paint distribution operations and provides a scaled position in the Canadian mechanical parts space.
The 10-K filing states that the company is executing on various projects associated with the 1 LKQ Europe plan and expects to complete them by the end of 2027. The extended implementation schedule and incremental process reengineering work will help to minimize potential business disruptions but increased the overall cost estimate by $85 million.
The company has shifted its focus to acquisitions that target high synergies and/or add critical capabilities, including the acquisition of Uni-Select.
The 10-K filing mentions a restructuring initiative covering all reportable segments, designed to reduce costs, streamline operations, consolidate facilities, and implement other strategic changes to the overall organization. This plan is scheduled to be substantially complete by the end of 2024.
The document mentions the integration of Uni-Select and the need to manage the integration process effectively. The company expects additional expenses to complete the integration plan related to the Uni-Select acquisition.
The 10-K filing notes that the current President and Chief Executive Officer will retire effective June 30, 2024, and transition to an Executive Advisor role until December 31, 2024. A new President and Chief Executive Officer will be appointed effective July 1, 2024.
The 10-K filing mentions that operating results and financial condition have been and could continue to be adversely affected by the economic, political and social conditions in North America, Europe, Taiwan and other countries, as well as the economic health of vehicle owners and numbers and types of vehicles sold.
The vehicle replacement products industry and vehicle accessory parts industry are highly competitive and are served by numerous suppliers of OEM, recycled, aftermarket, refurbished and remanufactured products. Some of our current and potential competitors may have more operational expertise; greater financial, technical, manufacturing, distribution, and other resources; longer operating histories; lower cost structures; and better relationships in the insurance and vehicle repair industries or with consumers, than we do.
The U.S. has imposed tariffs on certain materials imported into the U.S. from China and announced additional tariffs on other goods from China and other countries. The tariffs cover products and materials that we import, and the counter-measures may affect products we export.
The vehicle replacement products industry and vehicle accessory parts industry are highly competitive and are served by numerous suppliers of OEM, recycled, aftermarket, refurbished and remanufactured products.
OEMs are able to exert pricing pressure in the marketplace. We compete with the OEMs primarily on price and, to a lesser extent, on service and quality.
We rely on business relationships with insurance companies and our customers and our success depends, in part, on the acceptance and promotion of alternative parts usage by automotive insurance companies and vehicle repair facilities.
An adverse change in our relationships with our suppliers, disruption to our supply of inventory, or the misconduct, performance failures or negligence of our third party vendors or service providers could increase our expenses, impede our ability to serve our customers, or expose us to liability.
We incur substantial freight costs to import parts from our suppliers, many of which are located in Asia. If the cost of freight and shipping containers rise again in the future, we might not be able to pass the cost increases on to our customers.
Our recycling operations generate scrap metal and precious metals (such as platinum, palladium, and rhodium) as well as other metals that we sell. The prices of scrap and other metals have historically fluctuated, sometimes significantly, due to market factors.
We focus on technology development to expand our competitive advantage. We have built data analytics capabilities and data assets and believe that we can more cost effectively leverage our data to make better business decisions than most of our competitors.
We are committed to monitoring and adapting our business to the technological changes in the vehicle industry. We have a forward-looking strategy and innovation team that helps us monitor megatrends and assess the potential opportunities and risks associated with several areas including, but not limited to, electric vehicles, advanced driver assistance systems, vehicle connectivity, autonomous vehicles, e-commerce and ride-sharing trends.
The Board is actively involved in oversight of the Company's risk management program, and cybersecurity represents an important component of the Company's overall approach to risk management.
Our Board has authorized a stock repurchase program under which we are able to purchase up to $3,500 million of our common stock from time to time through the scheduled duration of the program on October 25, 2025.
On February 20, 2024, our Board declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.30 per share of common stock, payable on March 28, 2024, to stockholders of record at the close of business on March 14, 2024.
We intend to continue to evaluate markets for potential growth through the internal development of distribution centers, processing and sales facilities, and warehouses, through further integration of our facilities, and through selected business acquisitions.
Our recycling expertise and efforts are a key pillar of our mission statement of being a responsible steward of the environment and a true partner with the communities in which we operate.
We focus on employees and communities through continuous improvement in our social initiatives. Our top priority is the health and safety of our employees, customers and communities in which we operate.
At our Company, acting with integrity is not just expected, but required. Our Code of Ethics guides our employees to make ethical decisions in all aspects of their work.
Our operating results and financial condition have been and could continue to be adversely affected by the economic, political and social conditions in North America, Europe, Taiwan and other countries, as well as the economic health of vehicle owners and numbers and types of vehicles sold.
We also have a presence in the Ukraine and are monitoring the situation there carefully. In addition, a number of our suppliers are based in China and Taiwan and so increasing strains and any political repercussions may have implications upon our supply chain.
We may be adversely affected by legal, regulatory or market responses to global climate change. Growing concern over climate change has led policy makers to enact or consider the enactment of legislative and regulatory proposals that would impose mandatory requirements on greenhouse gas emissions.