Penske Automotive Group (PAG) Risk Analysis

Penske Corporation and Mitsui own approximately 71% of our common stock, and each has two demand registration rights that could result in a substantial number of shares being introduced for sale in the market. We also have a significant amount of authorized but unissued shares. Penske Corporation has pledged a substantial portion of its shares of our common stock as collateral to secure a loan facility. A default by Penske Corporation could result in the foreclosure on those shares by the lenders, after which the lenders could attempt to sell those shares on the open market or to a third party. The introduction of any of these shares into the market could have a material adverse effect on our stock price.

We evaluate goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually and upon the occurrence of an indicator of impairment. Our process and results for impairment testing of these assets is described further under "Impairment Testing" in Part II, Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates. If we determine that the amount of our goodwill or other indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired at any point in time, we would be required to reduce the value of these assets on our balance sheet, which could also result in a material non-cash impairment charge that could also have a material adverse effect on our results of operations for the period in which the impairment occurs.

We have significant investments in a variety of joint ventures, including retail automotive operations in Italy and Spain. We have a 28.9% interest in PTS. We expect to receive annual operating distributions from PTS and the other ventures and in the case of PTS, realize significant cash savings on taxes. These benefits may not be realized if the joint ventures do not perform as expected, or if changes in tax, financial, or regulatory requirements negatively impact the results of the joint venture operations. Our ability to dispose of these investments may be limited. In addition, the relevant joint venture agreement and other contractual restrictions may limit our access to the cash flows of these joint ventures. For example, certain of PTS' debt agreements allow partner distributions only as long as it is not in default under those agreements and the amount it pays does not exceed 50% of its consolidated net income, unless its debt-to-equity ratio is less than 3.0 to 1.0, in which case its distributions may not exceed 80% of its consolidated net income.

We generally compete with other franchised dealerships in our markets, used vehicle dealerships, private market buyers and sellers of used vehicles, an increasing number of internet-based vehicle sellers, electric vehicle manufacturers that sell directly to consumers, national and local service and repair shops and parts retailers with respect to commercial vehicles, distributors of similar products, and manufacturers in certain markets. Purchase decisions by consumers when shopping for a vehicle are extremely price sensitive. The level of competition in the market can lead to lower selling prices and related profits. If there is a prolonged drop in retail prices or if new vehicle sales are allowed to be made over the internet or otherwise without the involvement of franchised dealers, our business could be materially adversely affected.

We are the exclusive distributor of Western Star commercial trucks, MAN commercial trucks and buses, and Dennis Eagle refuse collection vehicles, together with associated parts, across Australia, New Zealand, and portions of the Pacific. We are also the distributor of diesel and gas engines and power systems in these same markets. The profitability of these businesses depends upon the number of vehicles, engines, power systems, and parts we distribute, which in turn is impacted by demand for these products. We believe demand is subject to general economic conditions, exchange rate fluctuations, regulatory changes, competitiveness of the products, and other factors over which we have limited control. In the event sales of these products are fewer than we expect, our related results of operations and cash flows for this aspect of our business may be materially adversely affected. The products we distribute are principally manufactured at a limited number of locations. In the event of a supply disruption, sufficient quantities of vehicles, engines, power systems, and parts are not made available to us, or if we accept these products and are unable to economically distribute them, our cash flows or results of operations may be materially adversely affected.

Competition from online retailers. The automotive retail industry is experiencing competition in the used vehicle market from companies with a primarily online business model, including companies such as Carvana and others. We may face increased competition for market share with these non-traditional delivery models and digital retailers over time, which could materially and adversely affect our results of operations. We cannot be sure that our initiatives will be successful or that the amount we invest in these initiatives will result in our maintaining or enhancing our market share and continued or improved financial performance. Sales outside the franchise system. In recent years, new electric vehicle manufacturers have been able to conduct new vehicle sales outside of the franchised automotive system as new entrants. While the sales levels of these new entrants were approximately 4.2% of new vehicles in the U.S. and approximately 2.6% of new vehicles in the U.K. for the year ended December 31, 2024, continued market share gains by manufacturers operating outside the franchise system may materially and adversely affect us. Moreover, while we expect continued good relations with our manufacturer partners, should U.S. franchise laws be repealed or amended to allow our existing manufacturer partners to effectively operate outside the franchised system, our results of operations may be materially and adversely impacted. Our franchised automotive dealers in the U.K., European Union, Australia, and Japan operate effectively without U.S. franchise law protections. Agency. Some of our key automotive manufacturer partners have either implemented or announced plans to explore the agency model of selling new vehicles in the U.K. and other countries. We receive a fee for facilitating the sale by the manufacturer of a new vehicle but do not hold the vehicle in inventory. Vehicles sold under this agency model are counted as new agency units sold instead of new retail units sold by us, and only the fee we receive from the manufacturer, not the price of the vehicle, is reported as new revenue with no corresponding cost of sale. The long-term impact of the agency model at these dealerships as well as other agency models proposed by our manufacturer partners remains uncertain. We believe transition to an agency model in the U.S. would be difficult for the manufacturers in light of U.S. franchise laws. See Item 1. Business, "Regulations" and Item 1A. Risk Factors, "Sales outside the franchise system" and "Other Regulatory Issues." New mobility models and vehicle electrification will continue to result in rapid changes to the automotive and trucking industries. Shared vehicle services such as Uber and Lyft provide consumers with increased choice in their personal mobility options. The effect of these and similar mobility options on the retail automotive industry is uncertain and may include lower levels of new vehicles sales but with increasing miles driven, which could require additional demand for vehicle maintenance. Most major vehicle manufacturers have announced plans to electrify some or all of their new vehicle fleets in response to concerns about the environment and due to regulatory requirements to limit vehicle emissions. We expect to continue to sell electric and hybrid gas/EVs through our franchised dealerships; however, our service revenues may decline over time as these vehicles may require less physical maintenance than gas and hybrid vehicles due to the absence of certain parts systems. Conversely, increasing consumer adoption of EVs may present new service opportunities, including with respect to range maintenance and optimization, cooling protection, torque protection, tire replacement, battery replacement, and warranty on newly released models. The effects of the eventual adoption of driverless vehicles are uncertain. Technological advances are facilitating the evolution of driverless vehicles. While many manufacturers offer varying degrees of driver assistance technology, the timing of adoption of true driverless vehicles remains uncertain due to regulatory requirements, additional technological requirements, and uncertain consumer acceptance of these vehicles. The effect of driverless vehicles on the automotive retail and trucking industries is uncertain and could include changes in the level of new and used vehicles sales, the price of new and used vehicles, the levels of service required by driverless vehicles and the role of franchised dealers, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business.

Our businesses and our commercial vehicle operations, in particular, as those are more concentrated with a particular manufacturer, are impacted by consumer demand and brand preference, including consumers' perception of the quality of those brands. A decline in the quality and brand reputation of the vehicles or other products we sell or distribute, as a result of events such as manufacturer recalls or legal proceedings, may adversely affect our business. If such events were to occur, the profitability of our business related to those manufacturers could be adversely affected.

We are subject to a wide variety of regulatory activities and oversight, including: Governmental regulations, claims, and legal proceedings. Governmental regulations affect almost every aspect of our business, including the fair treatment of our employees, wage and hour issues, and our financing activities with customers. We could be susceptible to claims or related actions if we fail to operate our business in accordance with applicable laws or it is determined that our long-standing compensation methods or other practices did not comply with local laws. Many laws and regulations applicable to our business were adopted prior to the introduction of online vehicle sales, the Internet and certain digital technology, generally. As a result, we are tasked with maintaining compliance in an uncertain regulatory environment. Claims arising out of actual or alleged violations of law which may be asserted against us or any of our dealers by individuals, through class actions, or by governmental entities in civil or criminal investigations and proceedings, may expose us to substantial monetary damages which may adversely affect us. Our financing activities with customers are subject to truth-in-lending, consumer leasing, equal credit opportunity, and similar regulations as well as motor vehicle finance laws, installment finance laws, insurance laws, usury laws, and other installment sales laws. In the U.K., the Financial Conduct Authority (the "FCA") regulates financial services firms and financial markets, including our activities in acting as broker of vehicle financing. The FCA is currently consulting on an industry-wide compensation scheme. This follows the FCA's review of the vehicle finance industry concerning certain practices which, in the FCA's determination, may have been unfair to customers, including with respect to vehicle financing commission disclosures. The FCA's proposed redress scheme provides that lenders must compensate customers whose financing arrangements are deemed unfair because they involved a discretionary commission arrangement, the commissions paid to dealers were too high, or there was an undisclosed exclusivity or similar arrangement between the lender and broker. This new proposed redress scheme remains subject to comment by industry participants and is expected to be implemented in 2026. The proposed redress scheme requires that lenders, not dealers, reimburse customers. However, we will be subject to significant administrative obligations in connection with the redress scheme, and it is possible that lenders could seek to directly or indirectly offset their redress obligations under the scheme from dealers. While the terms of the final redress scheme and its repercussions are presently unknown, it could materially and adversely affect our business and results of operations.

PTS' business has additional risks to those in the retail business, including: Customers. PTS has a more concentrated customer base than we do and is subject to changes in the financial health of its customers, changes in their asset utilization rates, and increased competition for those customers. Workforce. PTS requires a significant number of qualified drivers and technicians, which may be difficult to hire, and is subject to increased compliance costs or work stoppages relating to those employees, particularly in regard to changes in labor laws and time of work rules regarding those employees. PTS contributes to several U.S. multi-employer pension plans that provide defined benefits to approximately 2,430 associates covered by collective bargaining agreements. If they withdraw or are deemed to withdraw from participation in any of these plans, then applicable law could require them to make withdrawal liability payments to the plan. If any of those plans were deemed to be underfunded, PTS could be subject to additional assessments, which could be substantial. Fleet risk. As one of the largest purchasers of commercial trucks in North America, PTS requires continued availability from truck manufacturers and suppliers of vehicles and parts for its fleet, which may be uncertain, in particular if a significant recall were to occur. PTS is affected by the same supply issues noted above and any failure of the supply chain resulting in limited availability of new trucks or parts may have a material adverse impact on PTS. In addition, because PTS sells a large number of trucks each year and is subject to residual risk for the vehicles it leases to customers, changes in values of used trucks affect PTS' profitability. PTS also bears the residual risk on the value of its vehicles when a customer's lease for those vehicles expires or when its holding period for rental vehicles ends. If demand for used vehicles declines, PTS may obtain lower sales proceeds upon their sale. A reduction in proceeds from sales of used vehicles in PTS' fleet could cause them to sustain a substantial loss or require them to depreciate those vehicles at a more accelerated rate. Any reduction in the resale values of the vehicles in its fleet could adversely affect its profitability. Capital markets risk. PTS relies on banks and capital markets to fund its operations and capital commitments. PTS has a significant amount of total indebtedness, which it uses in part to purchase its vehicle fleet and therefore, is subject to changes in, and continued access to, capital markets. Regulatory Requirements and Vehicle Mandates. Increasing efforts to control greenhouse gas emissions are likely to have an effect on PTS' (and PTG's) business and results of operations as further discussed below under "Vehicles Emissions Regulation". Any of the factors noted could increase operating costs in the transportation industry, which would directly affect PTS' and PTG's customers and could reduce demand for vehicles. The new technology and legal requirements may also affect resale values of these vehicles when PTS or PTG attempts to sell them in the future. Centralized Information Systems. PTS relies heavily on centralized information systems to process lease and rental transactions, manage its fleet of vehicles, account for its activities, and otherwise conduct its business. A failure of a major system, or a major disruption of communications between the system and the locations it serves, could cause a loss of reservations, interfere with PTS' ability to manage its fleet, impede real-time diagnostics of vehicles, slow leasing, rental, and sales processes, and otherwise adversely affect PTS' ability to manage its business.

Federal and state governments and regulators in our markets have increasingly placed restrictions and limitations on new vehicles in an effort to combat perceived negative environmental effects. In response to concerns that emissions of carbon dioxide and certain other gases, referred to as "greenhouse gases" or "GHGs," may be contributing to warming of the Earth's atmosphere, climate change-related legislation and policy changes to restrict GHGs have been implemented, at state and federal levels in a manner that impacts our business. The most significant of these regulations and other requirements are described above under Item 1. Business, "Regulation" and "Vehicle Emissions Regulation". Significant increases in fuel economy requirements, new battery warranty standards, and new restrictions on emissions on vehicles and fuels could adversely affect prices, availability, and demand for the vehicles that we sell, which could materially adversely affect us. Such vehicles may also not be able to be produced in the quantities required, or, if produced, may not be able to be sold to consumers in light of customer reluctance to transition to EVs. Adoption of EVs will increasingly require the generation of additional electricity and nationwide electric charging infrastructures which may be unavailable in our markets. While increasing consumer adoption of EVs may present new service opportunities, including with respect to range maintenance and optimization, cooling protection, torque protection, tire replacement, battery replacement, and warranty on newly released models, our service revenue per vehicle may decline over time as these EVs may require less physical maintenance than gas and hybrid vehicles due to the absence of certain parts systems. PTG sells new and used heavy- and medium-duty commercial trucks, parts and service, and offers collision repair services. PTS, with its broad product offering including full-service truck leasing, contract maintenance, and truck rental, along with logistics services, is one of the largest purchasers of commercial trucks in North America. Should future regulations or consumer sentiment hinder our or PTS' ability to maintain, acquire, sell, service, or operate trucks, we may be adversely affected. Should additional states adopt CARB regulations, PTG and PTS could experience increased compliance costs, additional operating restrictions, or changes in demand for their products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. New regulations could be adopted that require moving to zero emission formats and/or the implementation of more stringent emissions controls. For example, original equipment manufacturers may be required to install additional engine components, additional aerodynamic features or low-rolling resistance tires to comply with fuel economy regulations, which may result in higher costs associated with more complex components and a shorter useful tread life for tires, increasing operating costs for customers, suppliers, and our businesses. Foreign, federal, state, provincial and local lawmakers also are considering a variety of other climate change proposals, including prohibiting the use of certain substances with high "global warming potential." On January 20, 2025, President Trump signed Executive Order "Unleashing American Energy", which may have direct implications on the policies and regulations that impact the automotive and transportation industries. The Executive Order seeks to rescind waivers granted by the EPA for California's zero emission vehicle regulations with a focus on eliminating any "electric vehicle mandates" and terminating "state emission waivers that function to limit sales of gasoline-powered vehicles" and modify and/or eliminate certain GHG standards for trucks. As a result, the status of the emission regulations discussed above and the impact of the new presidential administration on these or other U.S. federal policies in this area remains uncertain.

In the ordinary course of our business, we receive confidential information about our customers, employees, associates, and vendors. We collect, process, retain, and in some cases share this information in the normal course of our business, and such information is collected and stored primarily in our core information systems, including our DMS and CRM platforms. Our internal and third-party systems, including our DMS and CRM systems, are under a heightened level of risk from state actors, cyber criminals or other individuals with malicious intent to gain unauthorized access to our systems and exploit the information, including the confidential information of our customers and employees, that we gather. Cyber-attacks, such as the CDK Cybersecurity Incident described above, and threats to information systems and network and data security are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated, with attacks increasing in frequency, scope, and potential harm. In addition, some of our software applications are utilized by third parties who, in turn, subcontract or otherwise outsource various processes and administrative functions to additional third parties. Such third parties may have access to confidential information that is critical to our business operations and services. While our information security program includes enhanced controls to monitor third party providers' security programs, these third parties are subject to their own risks of data breaches, cyber-attacks, and other events or actions that could damage, disrupt, or close down their networks or systems, which in turn may adversely impact our business operations. For an overview of certain of our efforts related to cybersecurity risk management, strategy, and governance and our written Information Security Program, see Item 1C. Cybersecurity. Despite the security measures we have in place or may implement in the future, we may be unable to fully detect, mitigate, or protect against cyber-attacks, ransomware attacks, computer viruses, security breaches, social engineering, malicious software, lost or misplaced data, programming errors, human errors, burglary, acts of vandalism, misdirected wire transfers or other events impacting us or our third-party service providers. Any security breach or event, whether by us directly or our third-party service providers, may result in an authorized party obtaining trade secrets, personally identifiable information or confidential information and may result in loss of revenue, increase the costs of doing business, harm our competitiveness, reputation or customer, vendor or manufacturer relationships, and have other negative operational impacts. In addition, such security breaches or events resulting in the loss or exposure of this information could result in liabilities and other significant financial exposures, including those derived from investigations, regulatory fines, penalties for violations of applicable laws and regulations, costs related to the remediation of ransomware events, litigation including consumer class actions, the imposition of penalties, or other means, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. In addition, our failure to respond quickly and appropriately to such a security breach, or our failure to adequately test and verify the remediation of security incidents involving third parties prior to reintegration into our information systems, could exacerbate the consequences of the breach.