Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Except as set forth below, during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 , there were no changes to the Risk Factors disclosed in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has materially adversely affected, and may further materially adversely affect, our business, results of operations and cash flows.
The global outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic has materially disrupted, and could continue to significantly disrupt, our operations and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations. The measures taken by international, federal, state and local public health and governmental authorities to contain and combat the outbreak and spread of the COVID-19 pandemic included mandates for many individuals to substantially restrict daily activities and for many businesses to curtail or cease normal operations. As a result, we were required to completely shut down or significantly reduce the operating capacity of all of our dealerships in the U.S., the U.K. and Brazil in late March 2020 and early April 2020. These measures significantly reduced our new and used vehicle sales volumes, parts and service revenues and F&I revenues, as well as impacted our vehicle and parts supply chain during March 2020 and April 2020 in particular. On October 31, 2020, the U.K. government announced a national lockdown of non-essential businesses, which includes our dealership vehicle showrooms, beginning November 5, 2020 through December 2, 2020, at which time the government will determine whether the lockdown restrictions are extended. Our dealership service operations will remain open, however this mandate will adversely impact our vehicle sales in the fourth quarter. If the U.K. lockdown is extended for a significant period of time, or if additional lockdowns, other travel and business restrictions or additional restrictions are imposed in our other markets, the adverse impact on our business, results of operations and cash flows could be material. Such business disruptions suffered as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic are not covered by our insurance policies.
In addition, the impacts from the COVID-19 pandemic caused most vehicle manufacturers and parts suppliers to suspend or limit their production or distribution of new vehicles and parts and they have not returned to normal levels yet. This has materially adversely affected, and could continue to materially adversely affect, the financial condition and results of operations of our vehicle manufacturers and impacts their ability to profitably design, market, produce or distribute new vehicles and parts. This in turn has had, and could continue to have, a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
The increased volatility in market conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic could also make it more difficult for us to raise additional capital in order to supplement our cash flow from operations. If we are unable to raise necessary additional funds on acceptable terms or do not have sufficient cash flow from operations, our business and, in particular, our acquisitions and integration strategy could be adversely affected. The substantial cost-cutting measures, stockholder dividend suspension, share repurchase cancellation and other liquidity preserving measures we have taken or may take in the future may not sufficiently reduce the risks associated with our indebtedness, including maintaining available borrowing capacity and compliance with financial covenants and having the ability to refinance or repay indebtedness on favorable terms or at all. Further, any decrease in liquidity or our share price, tightened credit conditions, reduced access to the capital markets or reduced operating performance due to the COVID-19 pandemic may adversely affect our financial performance as well as our ability to purchase or sell certain dealerships.
As the potential impact from the COVID-19 pandemic is difficult to predict, the extent to which it may negatively affect our operating results or the duration of any potential business disruption is uncertain. Any potential impact will depend on future developments and new information that may emerge regarding the severity and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions taken by authorities to contain it or address its impact, all of which are beyond our control. Even with the various restrictions on business activity lifted, there is no guarantee when or if customer demand and workforce availability will return to prior levels, and our operations could be impacted by any restrictions we may have to impose or costs we may have to incur to ensure the ongoing safety of our employees, customers and others. In addition, there is no assurance that our relationship with and the financial and operational capacities of vehicle manufacturers and distributors will remain the same. These potential impacts, while uncertain, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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The impairment of our goodwill and/or indefinite-lived intangibles could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We assess goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangibles for impairment on an annual basis, or more frequently when events or circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred. See Part I, “Item 1. Financial Statements,” Note 8 “Intangibles” within our Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements for further discussion of our impairment model and related assumptions. During the three months ended June 30, 2020, we performed an interim impairment assessment of goodwill and intangible franchise rights to determine if events or changes in circumstances, including the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, indicated that it was more-likely-than-not that the assets were impaired. Based on the results of our assessment, it was concluded that it was more-likely-than-not that our goodwill for the Brazil reporting unit (resulting in an impairment charge of $10.7 million) and some of our intangible franchise rights for the U.K. and Brazil (resulting in impairment charges of $11.1 million and $0.1 million, respectively) were impaired as of June 30, 2020, which was mainly attributed to our assumptions that the potential long-term impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic had worsened during the second quarter of 2020. During the three months ended September 30, 2020, we performed an interim qualitative impairment assessment and as a result determined that it is not more-likely-than not that the capitalized value of goodwill and intangible franchise rights were impaired, primarily reflecting the improving business environments in the U.S. and U.K. regions. We may be required to record additional impairment charges if the COVID-19 pandemic and any lockdowns or restrictions to contain the pandemic continue long-term. Any such impairment charge could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.