Form 8-K - Current report

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF

THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): November 15, 2023

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

(Exact name of Registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware

1-13461

76-0506313

(State or other jurisdiction of
incorporation or organization)

(Commission
File Number)

(I.R.S. Employer
Identification No.)

800 Gessner, Suite 500

Houston, Texas 77024

(Address of principal executive offices, including zip code)

Registrant's telephone number, including area code (713) 647-5700

N/A

(Former name or former address, if changed since last report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:


☐			Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)


☐			Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)


☐			Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 40.14d-2(b))


☐			Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class

Ticker symbol(s)

Name of exchange on which registered

Common stock, par value $0.01 per share

GPI

New York Stock Exchange

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter).

Emerging growth company ☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if that registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ¨

Item 8.01 Other Events.

On November 15, 2023, Group 1 Automotive, Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), announced that its Board of Directors approved a cash dividend of $0.45 per share for the third quarter of 2023, payable on December 15, 2023, to stockholders of record as of December 1, 2023.

In addition, the Company also provided an update on its year-to-date share repurchase activity.

A copy of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits.

Exhibit No.

Description

99.1

Press release of Group 1 Automotive, Inc., dated as of November 15, 2023.

104

Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized.

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

Date:

November 15, 2023

By:

/s/ Gillian A. Hobson

Name: Gillian A. Hobson

Title: Senior Vice President

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Group 1 Automotive Board Declares Quarterly Dividend and the Company Provides Share Repurchase Update

HOUSTON, TX, November 15, 2023 - Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI) (“Group 1” or the “Company”), an international, Fortune 300 automotive retailer with 201 dealerships located in the U.S. and U.K., today announced its board of directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.45 per share that will be payable on December 15, 2023, to stockholders of record as of December 1, 2023. The dividend is consistent with the Company's previously announced increase of 20% in its annualized dividend rate from $1.50 per share in 2022 to $1.80 per share in 2023.

The Company also updated its year-to-date share repurchase activity of 678,743 shares of common stock at an average price of $233.31 for a total of $158.4 million, which represents approximately 4.7 percent of Group 1's outstanding common shares at January 1, 2023. As of November 15, 2023, the Company had $157.7 million available under its current share repurchase authorization. Purchases may be made from time to time, based on market conditions, legal requirements, and other corporate considerations, in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. The Company expects that any repurchase of shares will be funded by cash from operations. Repurchased shares will be held in treasury.

ABOUT GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE, INC.

Group 1 owns and operates 201 automotive dealerships, 269 franchises, and 41 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 35 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships and omni-channel platform, the Company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related vehicle financing; sells service and insurance contracts; provides automotive maintenance and repair services; and sells vehicle parts.

Group 1 discloses additional information about the Company, its business, and its results of operations at www.group1corp.com, www.group1auto.com, www.group1collision.com, www.acceleride.com, www.facebook.com/group1auto, and www.twitter.com/group1auto.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are statements related to future, not past, events and are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. In this context, the forward-looking statements often include statements regarding our strategic investments, goals, plans, projections and guidance regarding our financial position, results of operations and business strategy, including the annualized revenues of recently completed acquisitions or dispositions and other benefits of such currently anticipated or recently completed acquisitions or dispositions. These forward-looking statements often contain words such as "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "should," "foresee," "may" or "will" and similar expressions. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we anticipate. Any such forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, (a) general economic and business conditions, (b) the level of manufacturer incentives, (c) the future regulatory environment, (d) our ability to obtain an inventory of desirable new and used vehicles, (e) our relationship with our automobile manufacturers and the willingness of manufacturers to approve future acquisitions, (f) our cost of financing and the availability of credit for consumers, (g) our ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions, on a timely basis, if at all and the risks associated therewith, (h) foreign exchange controls and currency fluctuations, (i) the armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and the supply chains upon which our business is dependent, (j) the impacts of continued inflation and any potential global recession, (k) our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity to operate, and (l) our ability to successfully integrate recent and future acquisitions. For additional information regarding known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our projected results, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE: Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

Investor contacts:

Terry Bratton

Manager, Investor Relations

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

ir@group1auto.com

Media contacts:

Pete DeLongchamps

Senior Vice President, Manufacturer Relations, Financial Services and Public Affairs

Group 1 Automotive, Inc.

pdelongchamps@group1auto.com

Clint Woods

Pierpont Communications, Inc.

713-627-2223

cwoods@piercom.com

Cover	Nov. 15, 2023
Cover [Abstract]
Document Type	8-K
Document Period End Date	Nov. 15, 2023
Entity Registrant Name	Group 1 Automotive, Inc
Entity Central Index Key	0001031203
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Incorporation, State or Country Code	DE
Entity File Number	1-13461
Entity Tax Identification Number	76-0506313
Entity Address, Address Line One	800 Gessner
Entity Address, Address Line Two	Suite 500
Entity Address, City or Town	Houston
Entity Address, State or Province	TX
Entity Address, Postal Zip Code	77024
City Area Code	713
Local Phone Number	647-5700
Written Communications	false
Soliciting Material	false
Pre-commencement Tender Offer	false
Pre-commencement Issuer Tender Offer	false
Title of 12(b) Security	Common stock, par value $0.01 per share
Trading Symbol	GPI
Security Exchange Name	NYSE
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false