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): | February 18, 2014 |
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
__________________________________________
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
Delaware | 1-13461 | 76-0506313 |
_____________________ (State or other jurisdiction |
_____________ (Commission |
______________ (I.R.S. Employer |
of incorporation) | File Number) | Identification No.) |
800 Gessner, Suite 500, Houston, Texas | 77024 | |
_________________________________ (Address of principal executive offices) |
___________ (Zip Code) |
Registrants telephone number, including area code: | 713-647-5700 |
Not Applicable
______________________________________________
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 240.14d-2(b))
[ ] Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))
Item 8.01 Other Events.
On February 18, 2014, Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (the "Company") issued a press release announcing, among other things, the impact of severe winter weather on the Company's U.S. Operations and updated guidance for certain financial results for the quarter ending March 31, 2014. 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.
99.1 Press release of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. dated February 18, 2014.
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 hereunto duly authorized.
Group 1 Automotive, Inc. | ||||
February 19, 2014 | By: |
/s/ John C. Rickel
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Name: John C. Rickel | ||||
Title: Senior Vice President |
Exhibit Index
Exhibit No. | Description | |
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99.1
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Press release of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. dated February 18, 2014. |
Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Group 1 Automotive Reports on Impact from Severe Winter Weather on U.S. Operations
HOUSTON, February 18, 2014 Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI), an international, Fortune 500 automotive retailer, today provided an update on the impact from inclement weather on its U.S. stores.
The severe weather that has impacted large portions of the U.S. this winter has caused significant business interruptions that span 1-3 days per weather event for a majority of Group 1s U.S. dealerships. In total, 105 of Group 1s 118 U.S. stores have been impacted by hazardous driving conditions and road closures that have resulted in either store closures or a significant decrease in store traffic during the events. For the Quarter, these storm events equate to 391 lost store selling days or the equivalent of about a 9% loss in total available selling days through February 16 of this year.
While we lose selling days every winter, the severity and extremely widespread nature of the storms this year is far beyond our normal experience. We have lost days in areas of the country that stretch from Houston to New Orleans to Atlanta that are normally safe from winter weather and our stores in areas like Boston, New Jersey, New York, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, and Kansas have seen significant closures that far exceed normal winter conditions, said Earl J. Hesterberg, Group 1s president and chief executive officer. We would ultimately expect new and used sales not to be lost, only deferred, but it is unlikely that all of the sales will be recovered in the first quarter. More importantly, lost service days are difficult to recover as our service capacity is somewhat finite. In addition, many of our stores are spending above normal amounts on snow removal and lot cleaning services as multiple storms sweep through our markets, with our concentration of stores in the Northeast being particularly hard hit. The combination of these factors is likely to negatively impact our First Quarter results by 15 to 20 cents per share.
About Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
Group 1 owns and operates 150 automotive dealerships, 190 franchises, and 37 collision
centers in the United States, the United Kingdom and Brazil that offer 34 brands of
automobiles. Through its dealerships, 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 Automotive can be reached on the Internet at www.group1auto.com.
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 goals, plans, projections and guidance regarding our financial position, results of
operations, market position, pending and potential future acquisitions and business strategy, and
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 and the risks associated therewith, (h) foreign exchange controls and currency
fluctuations, and (i) our ability to retain key personnel. 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 SEC, 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:
Sheila Roth
Manager, Investor Relations
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
713-647-5741 | sroth@group1auto.com
Media contacts:
Pete DeLongchamps
V.P. Manufacturer Relations and Public Affairs
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
713-647-5770 | pdelongchamps@group1auto.com
or
Clint Woods
Pierpont Communications, Inc.
713-627-2223 | cwoods@piercom.com