Valuation of a business can be a complex process requiring certified business valuation and/or forensic accounting professionals. Valuations of automobile dealerships are unique even from valuation of manufacturing, service, and retail companies. Automobile dealership valuations involve the understanding of industry terminology, factory financial statements, and hybrid valuation approaches. For these reasons, it’s important to hire a business valuation expert that specializes in automobile dealership valuation and not just a generalist business valuation appraiser.
Unlike most valuations used in the corporate or M&A world, cash flow metrics such as Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, and Depreciation (“EBITDA”) are virtually meaningless in automobile dealership valuations. Instead, this industry communicates value in terms of Blue Sky value and Blue Sky multiples. What is Blue Sky value? Any intangible/goodwill value of the automobile dealership over/above the tangible book value of the hard assets is referred to as Blue Sky value. Typically, Blue Sky value is measured as a multiple of pre-tax earnings, referred to as a Blue Sky multiple. Blue Sky multiples vary by franchise/brand and fluctuate year-to-year.
Another unique aspect of automobile dealership valuations is the reported financial statements. Unlike valuations in other industries where the preferred form of financial statements might be audited/compiled or reviewed financial statements, most reputable valuations of automobile dealerships rely upon the financial statements that each dealer reports to the franchise/factory, referred to as Dealer Financial Statements. Why are Dealer Financial statements preferred? Dealer Financial statements provide much more detailed information pertaining directly to the operations of the dealership than any audited financial statement. Valuable information includes the specific operations and profitability of the various departments including, new vehicle, used vehicle, parts and service, and finance and insurance. Each department is unique and has a different impact on the overall success and profitability of the entire dealership. Automobile dealerships are required to report these financial statements to the factory on a monthly basis. However, an experienced business valuation expert knows to request the 13th month dealer financial statements. If a year only has twelve months, then what are the 13th month dealer financial statements? The 13th month dealer financials typically include the year-end tax adjustments such as adjusting the value of new/used vehicles to fair market value by reflecting current depreciation and other adjustments.
The asset-based approach is a general way of determining a value indication of a business or a business ownership interest using one or more methods based on the value of the assets net of liabilities. Asset-based valuation methods include those methods that seek to adjust the various tangible and intangible assets of an enterprise to fair market value. In automobile dealership valuations, the asset method is utilized to establish the fair market value of the tangible assets. This value is then combined with a Blue Sky “market” approach to conclude the total fair market value of the automobile dealership.
The income approach is a general way of determining a value indication of a business or business ownership interest using one or more methods that convert anticipated economic benefits into a single present amount.
The income approach can be applied in several different ways. Valuation methods under the income approach include those methods that provide for the direct capitalization of earnings estimates, as well as valuation methods calling for the forecasting of future benefits (earnings or cash flows) and then discounting those benefits to the present at an appropriate discount rate. The income approach allows for the consideration of characteristics specific to the subject business, such as its level of risk and its growth prospects relative to the market.
How is the income approach unique to the automobile dealership industry? First, projections are rarely produced or tracked by automobile dealers, so historical capitalization methods are mostly used. Second, most automobile dealerships are dependent on the national economy, and sometimes to a larger degree, their local economies. This is important because business appraisers need to analyze and understand the dependence of each dealership to the national and local economy which usually affects the seasonality/cyclicality of operations and profitability. Once again the automobile dealership is unique in that it can experience seasonal/cyclical fluctuation in a given year, or more importantly, it fluctuates over a longer period of more like five-to-seven years.
The market approach is a general way of determining the value indication of a business or business ownership interest by using one or more methods that compare the subject to similar businesses, business ownership interests, securities, or intangible assets that have been sold.
Market methods include a variety of methods that compare the subject with transactions involving similar investments, including publicly traded guideline companies and sales involving controlling interests in public or private guideline companies. Consideration of prior transactions in interests of a valuation subject is also a method under the market approach.
In the automobile dealership industry, traditional market approaches are basically meaningless. While there are a few publicly traded companies in the industry, they are large consolidators and own numerous dealership locations of many franchises in many geographic areas. Private transactions exist, but generally not in a large enough sample size of the particular franchise to provide meaningful comparisons.
So, how does a business valuation expert utilize the market approach in the valuation of automobile dealerships? The answer is a hybrid method utilizing published Blue Sky multiples from transactions of various franchise dealership locations. Two primary national sources, Haig Partners and Kerrigan Advisors, publish Blue Sky multiples quarterly by franchise. As discussed earlier, these multiples are applied to pre-tax earnings and indicate the Blue Sky or intangible value of the dealership. When combined with the tangible value of the hard assets determined under the Asset Approach, an experienced business valuation expert is able to conclude a total value for the dealership using this hybrid approach and communicate that result as a multiple of Blue Sky that will be understood and accepted in the industry.
Normalizing adjustments adjust the balance sheet and income statement of a private company to show the financial results from normal operations of the business and reveal a “public equivalent” income stream. Some typical areas of potential normalization adjustments in the automobile dealership industry include, but are not limited, to the following.
Most dealerships report the value of their new and used vehicle inventories on a Last-In, First-Out (“LIFO”) basis. LIFO accounting allows the dealership to reduce the value of their inventories and pay fewer taxes. General valuation theory calls for inventories to be restated at First-In, First-Out (“FIFO”) basis. The FIFO adjustments affect both the balance sheet and the income statement. The inventory adjustment on the balance sheet generally raises the value of the inventory. On the income statement, the inventory adjustment affects the cost of goods sold, and ultimately, the gross profit margin.
Like all valuations, the compensation of the officer/dealer is important. Typically, a business valuation expert will review actual compensation paid and determine a replacement or market equivalent compensation level.
Most automobile dealership entities contain the operations of the dealership only and not the underlying real estate. Typically, the underlying real estate is owned by the dealer in a related entity. As such, the dealership pays rent to the related party entity. It’s important for the business valuation expert to determine if the rental rate paid is equivalent with a market rental rate. Often, this rental rate is set to create additional profitability at either the dealership entity or the real estate entity.
Most factory dealer financial statements list the dealership’s actual working capital, along with the requirements from the factory. It’s important for the business valuation expert to assess whether the dealership has adequate working capital, or perhaps an excess or deficiency.
As discussed earlier, most dealerships do not own the underlying real estate. In those cases, most dealerships still report some cost value of land or leasehold improvements on their factory dealer financial statements.
It’s important for the business valuation expert to determine who owns the real estate, and if not owned by the dealership, the value of the land and leasehold improvements needs to be adjusted, reflecting the true value of the tangible assets of the dealership.
Failure to properly assess and make this adjustment will skew the implied Blue Sky multiple on the concluded value for the dealership.
Most factory dealer financial statements have a line item on the income statement for other income items/additions. This category can be a sizeable number for a dealership depending on its sales volume and level of profitability. The business valuation expert should determine the items that comprise this category and how likely they are to continue at historical levels.
Some common items that appear in this category include factory dealer incentives on sales volume levels for vehicles, factory dealer incentives for service performance, document/preparation fees on the sale of new and used vehicles, and additional costs for financing and other services sold as a part of the vehicle transaction referred to as PACKs.
The valuation of automobile dealerships can be more complex than other valuations due to their unique financial statements, varying cost structures and profitability of departments, different terminology, and hybrid valuation methods.
Hiring a business valuation expert that specializes in this industry rather than a generalist business valuation appraiser can make all the difference in providing a reasonable valuation conclusion.
Originally published in the Value Focus: Auto Dealer Industry Newsletter, Year-End 2017.
