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Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2025
Accounting Policies [Abstract]  
Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies
Unless the context otherwise requires, the use of the terms "PAG," "we," "us," and "our" in these Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements refers to Penske Automotive Group, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries.
Business Overview and Concentrations
We are a diversified international transportation services company and one of the world's premier automotive and commercial truck retailers. We operate dealerships in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, Germany, Italy, Japan, and Australia, and we are one of the largest retailers of commercial trucks in North America for Freightliner. We also distribute and retail commercial vehicles, diesel and gas engines, power systems, and related parts and services principally in Australia and New Zealand. Additionally, we own 28.9% of Penske Transportation Solutions, a business that manages one of the largest, most comprehensive and modern trucking fleets in North America with trucks, tractors, and trailers under lease, rental, and/or maintenance contracts, and provides innovative transportation, supply chain, and technology solutions to its customers.
Retail Automotive. As of December 31, 2025, we operated 365 retail automotive franchised dealerships, of which 148 are located in the U.S. and 217 are located outside of the U.S., principally in the U.K. As of December 31, 2025, we also operated 15 used vehicle dealerships, with six dealerships in the U.S. operating under the brand name CarShop, eight dealerships in the U.K. operating under the brand name Sytner Select, and one dealership in Australia operating under the brand name Penske Select.
In addition to selling new and used vehicles, we generate higher-margin revenue at each of our dealerships through maintenance and repair services, the sale and placement of third-party finance and insurance products, third-party extended service and maintenance contracts, replacement and aftermarket automotive products, and at certain of our locations, collision repair services. We operate our franchised dealerships under franchise agreements with a number of automotive manufacturers and distributors that are subject to certain rights and restrictions typical of the industry. Some of our dealerships in the U.K. and Europe operate under an agency model where 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.
During 2025, in the U.S. we sold four retail automotive franchises, closed one retail automotive franchise, and opened one retail automotive franchise. In addition, on November 19, 2025, we acquired all of the membership interests of Penske Motor Group, LLC, representing two Lexus brand locations and one Toyota brand location in California and one Toyota brand location in Texas. This acquisition was accounted for as a transaction between entities under common control. Please refer to "Basis of Presentation" below and Note 12 "Related Party Transactions" for further details. In the U.K., we sold one used vehicle dealership and opened eight retail automotive franchises at existing Sytner Select locations, representing the Geely and Chery brands, and opened two Skoda points at existing VW brand dealerships. We also acquired a Ferrari brand dealership in Modena, Italy, and opened a BYD franchise in Germany. In February 2026, we acquired Lexus of Orlando and Lexus of Winter Park, both located in the Orlando metropolitan area of Central Florida.
Retail Commercial Truck Dealership. We operate Premier Truck Group ("PTG"), a heavy- and medium-duty truck retail dealership group offering primarily Freightliner and Western Star trucks (both Daimler brands), with locations across 10 U.S. states and the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Manitoba. As of December 31, 2025, PTG operated 45 locations selling new and/or used trucks, performing service and parts operations, or offering collision repair services.
Penske Australia. Penske Australia is the exclusive importer and distributor of Western Star heavy-duty trucks (a Daimler brand), MAN heavy- and medium-duty trucks and buses (a VW Group brand), and Dennis Eagle refuse collection vehicles, together with associated parts, across Australia, New Zealand, and portions of the Pacific. In most of these same markets, we are also a leading distributor of diesel and gas engines and power systems, principally representing MTU (a Rolls-Royce solution), Detroit Diesel, Allison Transmission, and Bergen Engines. Penske Australia offers products across the on- and off-highway markets, including in the trucking, mining, power generation, energy solutions, defense, marine,
rail, and construction sectors and supports full parts and aftersales service through a network of branches, field service locations, and dealers across the region. We also own and operate three Porsche dealerships in Melbourne, Australia which results are included within our retail automotive segment described above.
Penske Transportation Solutions. We hold a 28.9% ownership interest in Penske Truck Leasing Co., L.P. ("PTL"). PTL is owned 41.1% by Penske Corporation, 28.9% by us, and 30.0% by Mitsui & Co., Ltd. ("Mitsui"). We account for our investment in PTL under the equity method, and we therefore record our share of PTL's earnings on our statements of income under the caption "Equity in earnings of affiliates," which also includes the results of our other equity method investments. Penske Transportation Solutions ("PTS") is the universal brand name for PTL's various businesses, which articulates the breadth of their services. PTS is capable of meeting customers' needs across the supply chain with a broad product offering that includes full-service truck leasing, truck rental, and contract maintenance along with logistics services, such as dedicated contract carriage, distribution center management, supply chain management, and dry van truckload carrier services.
Basis of Presentation
The consolidated financial statements include all majority-owned subsidiaries. Investments in affiliated companies, representing an ownership interest in the voting stock of the affiliate of between 20% and 50% or an investment in a limited partnership or a limited liability corporation for which our investment is more than minor, are stated at the cost of acquisition plus our equity in undistributed net earnings since acquisition. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
On November 19, 2025, we acquired Penske Motor Group, LLC ("PMG") from a commonly controlled affiliate, which was accounted for as a transaction between entities under common control. Accordingly, our consolidated financial statements and related notes have been retrospectively recast for all historical comparative periods presented to include the operations of PMG as if the entities had been combined since the beginning of the earliest period presented. As a result, we recorded an adjustment to the beginning balance of retained earnings on January 1, 2023, of $176.9 million. Furthermore, the assets and liabilities of PMG were recognized at the historical carrying amounts, and the difference between the consideration transferred and the carrying value of the net assets received was recorded within equity. Retained earnings includes a $117.7 million increase related to the tax impact of purchase accounting for PMG, with a corresponding decrease to net deferred tax liabilities attributable to future goodwill tax deductions. Please refer to Note 12 "Related Party Transactions" for further details.
Historically, PMG was treated as a pass-through partnership for income tax purposes and therefore did not record income tax expense in its stand-alone financial statements. Because we have retrospectively recast prior periods to include PMG as if it had always been part of our consolidated reporting, those historical periods do not reflect federal and state income taxes that would have been incurred had PMG been included in our taxable consolidated group. Beginning on the acquisition date, the results of PMG are included in our consolidated federal and state income tax filings and therefore are subject to income tax.
Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from those estimates. The accounts requiring the use of estimates include accounts receivable, inventories, income taxes, intangible assets, leases, and certain reserves.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
Cash and cash equivalents include all highly liquid investments that have an original maturity of three months or less at the date of purchase.
Contracts in Transit
Contracts in transit represent receivables from unaffiliated finance companies relating to the sale of customers' installment sales and lease contracts arising in connection with the sale of a vehicle by us. Contracts in transit, included in accounts receivable, net in our consolidated balance sheets, amounted to $272.2 million and $292.2 million as of December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
Inventory Valuation
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or net realizable value. Cost for new and used vehicle inventories includes acquisition, reconditioning, dealer installed accessories, and transportation expenses and is determined using the specific identification method. Inventories of dealership parts and accessories are accounted for using the “first-in, first-out” (“FIFO”) method of inventory accounting, and the cost is based on factory list prices.
Property and Equipment
Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated over estimated useful lives using the straight-line method. Useful lives for purposes of computing depreciation for assets, other than leasehold improvements, range between 2 and 15 years. Leasehold improvements and equipment under capital leases are depreciated over the shorter of the term of the lease or the estimated useful life of the asset, not to exceed 40 years.
Expenditures relating to recurring repair and maintenance are expensed as incurred. Expenditures that increase the useful life or substantially increase the serviceability of an existing asset are capitalized. When equipment is sold or otherwise disposed of, the cost and related accumulated depreciation are removed from the balance sheet, with any resulting gain or loss being reflected in income.
Leases
Refer to Note 3 "Leases" for detail on our leases and related accounting policies.
Income Taxes
Tax regulations may require items to be included in our tax return at different times than when those items are reflected in our financial statements. Some of the differences are permanent, such as expenses that are not deductible on our tax return, and some are temporary differences, such as the timing of depreciation expense. Temporary differences create deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets generally represent items that will be used as a tax deduction or credit in our tax return in future years which we have already recorded in our financial statements. Deferred tax liabilities generally represent deductions taken on our tax return that have not yet been recognized as an expense in our financial statements. We establish valuation allowances for our deferred tax assets if the amount of expected future taxable income is not more likely than not to allow for the use of the deduction or credit.
Refer to Note 16 "Income Taxes" for additional detail on our accounting for income taxes.
Intangible Assets
Our principal intangible assets relate to our agreements with vehicle manufacturers and distributors, which represent the estimated value of franchises acquired in business combinations; trade names, which represents the estimated value of trade names acquired in business combinations; our distribution agreements with commercial vehicle manufacturers, which represent the estimated value of distribution rights acquired in business combinations; and goodwill, which represents the excess of cost over the fair value of tangible and identified intangible assets acquired in business combinations. We believe the franchise values of our automotive dealerships and the distribution agreements of our commercial vehicle distribution operations have an indefinite useful life based on the following:
Automotive retailing and commercial vehicle distribution are mature industries and are based on franchise, agency, and distribution agreements with the vehicle manufacturers and distributors;
Certain franchise agreement terms are indefinite;
Franchise and distribution agreements that have limited terms have historically been renewed by us without substantial cost; and
Manufacturers and distributors have not historically terminated our agreements.
Impairment Testing
Other indefinite-lived intangible assets are assessed for impairment annually on October 1 and upon the occurrence of an indicator of impairment through a comparison of its fair value to its carrying value. These indefinite-lived intangible assets relate to franchise agreements with manufacturers and distributors, which represent the estimated value of franchises acquired in business combinations; trade names, which represents the estimated value of trade names acquired in business combinations; and distribution agreements with commercial vehicle manufacturers and other manufacturers, which represent the estimated value for distribution rights acquired in business combinations. An indicator of impairment exists if the carrying value exceeds its fair value, and an impairment loss may be recognized up to that excess. We also evaluate in connection with the annual impairment testing whether events and circumstances continue to support our assessment that the other indefinite-lived intangible assets continue to have an indefinite life.
Goodwill impairment is assessed at the reporting unit level annually on October 1 and upon the occurrence of an indicator of impairment. Our operations are organized by management into operating segments by line of business and geography. We have determined that we have four reportable segments as defined in generally accepted accounting principles for segment reporting: (i) Retail Automotive, consisting of our retail automotive dealership operations; (ii) Retail Commercial Truck, consisting of our retail commercial truck dealership operations in the U.S. and Canada; (iii) Other, consisting of our commercial vehicle and power systems distribution operations; and (iv) Non-Automotive Investments, consisting of our equity method investments in non-automotive operations which includes our investment in PTS and other investments. We have determined that the dealerships in each of our operating segments within the Retail Automotive reportable segment are components that were aggregated into two reporting units for the purpose of goodwill impairment testing as of October 1, 2025, as they (A) have similar economic characteristics (all are automotive dealerships having similar margins), (B) offer similar products and services (all sell new and/or used vehicles, service, parts, and third-party finance and insurance products), (C) have similar target markets and customers (generally individuals), and (D) have similar distribution and marketing practices (all distribute products and services through dealership facilities that market to customers in similar fashions). The reporting units are United States Retail Automotive and International Retail Automotive. Our Retail Commercial Truck reportable segment has been determined to represent one operating segment and reporting unit. The goodwill included in our Other reportable segment relates primarily to our commercial vehicle distribution operating segment. There is no goodwill recorded in our Non-Automotive Investments reportable segment.
Refer to Note 8 "Intangible Assets" for detail on our impairment testing.
Investments
We account for each of our investments under the equity method, pursuant to which we record our proportionate share of the investee's income each period. The net book value of our investments was $1,923.7 million and $1,827.0 million as of December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively, including $1,920.6 million and $1,803.9 million relating to PTS as of December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. We currently hold a 28.9% ownership interest in PTS.
Foreign Currency Translation
For all of our non-U.S. operations, the functional currency is the local currency. The revenue and expense accounts of our non-U.S. operations are translated into U.S. dollars using the average exchange rates that prevailed during the period. Assets and liabilities of non-U.S. operations are translated into U.S. dollars using period end exchange rates. Cumulative translation adjustments relating to foreign functional currency assets and liabilities are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss, a separate component of equity.
Foreign currency translation gains and losses related to intercompany loans with foreign subsidiaries determined to be repayable are included in selling, general, and administrative expenses on the consolidated statements of income. For long-
term intercompany loans with foreign subsidiaries, for which repayment has not been scheduled or planned, foreign currency gains and losses are included in accumulated other comprehensive loss on the consolidated balance sheets.
Fair Value of Financial Instruments
Accounting standards define fair value as the price that would be received from selling an asset, or paid to transfer a liability in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability, in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Accounting standards establish a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value and also establishes the following three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:
Level 1Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities
Level 2Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted market prices in markets that are not active, or model-derived valuations or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities
Level 3Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities
Our financial instruments consist of cash and cash equivalents, debt, floor plan notes payable, and forward exchange contracts used to hedge future cash flows. Other than our fixed rate debt, the carrying amount of all significant financial instruments approximates fair value due either to length of maturity, the existence of variable interest rates that approximate prevailing market rates, or as a result of mark to market accounting.
Our fixed rate debt consists of amounts outstanding under our senior subordinated notes and mortgage facilities. We estimate the fair value of our senior unsecured notes using quoted prices for the identical liability (Level 2), and we estimate the fair value of our mortgage facilities using a present value technique based on our current market interest rates for similar types of financial instruments (Level 2). A summary of our fixed rate debt is as follows:
December 31, 2025December 31, 2024
Carrying ValueFair ValueCarrying ValueFair Value
3.50% senior subordinated notes due 2025 (1)
$— $— $549.1 $543.0 
3.75% senior subordinated notes due 2029
497.3 481.9 496.6 451.8 
Mortgage facilities (2)
792.5 777.1 474.8 450.6 
_____________________
(1)During 2025, we repaid in full at scheduled maturity our $550 million of 3.50% senior subordinated notes due September 1, 2025.
(2)In addition to fixed rate debt, our mortgage facilities also include a revolving mortgage facility with Toyota Motor Credit Corporation in the U.S. and other revolving mortgage facilities that bear interest at variable rates. The fair value equals the carrying value.
Revenue Recognition
Dealership Vehicle, Parts, and Service Sales
We record revenue for vehicle sales at a point in time when vehicles are delivered, which is when the transfer of title, risks and rewards of ownership, and control are considered passed to the customer. For dealerships operating under a franchise model, the amount of consideration we receive for vehicle sales is stated within the executed contract with our customer and is reduced by any non-cash consideration representing the fair value of trade-in vehicles, if applicable. For dealerships operating under an agency model, we receive a commission for each vehicle sale that we facilitate under the terms of the agency agreement with the manufacturer, which is recorded as new vehicle revenue. We record revenue for vehicle service and collision work over time as work is completed and when parts are delivered to our customers. Sales promotions that we offer to customers are accounted for as a reduction of revenues at the time of sale. Rebates and other
incentives offered directly to us by manufacturers are recognized as a reduction in the cost of sales. Reimbursements of qualified advertising expenses are treated as a reduction of selling, general, and administrative expenses. The amounts received under certain manufacturer rebate and incentive programs are based on the attainment of program objectives, and such earnings are recognized either upon the sale of the vehicle for which the award was received or upon attainment of the particular program goals if not associated with individual vehicles.
Dealership Finance and Insurance Sales
Subsequent to the sale of a vehicle to a customer, we sell installment sale contracts to various financial institutions on a non-recourse basis (with specified exceptions). We receive a commission from the lender equal to either the difference between the interest rate charged to the customer and the interest rate set by the financing institution or a flat fee. We also receive commissions for facilitating the sale of various products to customers, including vehicle protection products, vehicle theft protection, and extended service contracts. These commissions are recorded as revenue at a point in time when the customer enters into the contract. Payment is typically due and collected within 30 days subsequent to the execution of the contract with the customer. In the case of finance contracts, a customer may prepay or fail to pay their contract, thereby terminating the contract. Customers may also terminate extended service contracts and other insurance products, which are fully paid at purchase, and become eligible for refunds of unused premiums. In these circumstances, a portion of the commissions we received may be charged back based on the terms of the contracts. The revenue we record relating to these transactions is net of an estimate of the amount of chargebacks we will be required to pay. Our estimate is based upon our historical experience with similar contracts, including the impact of refinance and default rates on retail finance contracts and cancellation rates on extended service contracts and other insurance products. Aggregate reserves relating to chargeback activity were $55.3 million and $51.6 million as of December 31, 2025, and December 31, 2024, respectively.
Commercial Vehicle Distribution and Other
We record revenue from the distribution of vehicles, engines, and other products at a point in time when delivered, which is when the transfer of title, risks and rewards of ownership, and control are considered passed to the customer. We record revenue for service or repair work as work is completed and when parts are delivered to our customers. For our long-term power generation contracts, we record revenue as services are provided in accordance with contract milestones.
Refer to Note 2 “Revenues” for additional disclosures on revenue recognition.
Defined Contribution Plans
We sponsor a number of defined contribution plans covering a significant majority of our employees. Our contributions to such plans are discretionary and are based on the level of compensation and contributions by plan participants. We incurred expenses of $44.6 million, $42.4 million, and $41.3 million relating to such plans during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Advertising
Advertising costs are expensed as incurred or when such advertising takes place. We incurred net advertising costs of $132.9 million, $138.3 million, and $140.0 million during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Qualified advertising expenditures reimbursed by manufacturers, which are treated as a reduction of advertising expense, were $22.6 million, $19.3 million, and $17.8 million during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Insurance
We retain risk relating to certain of our general liability insurance, workers' compensation insurance, vehicle physical damage insurance, property insurance, information security risk insurance, directors' and officers' insurance, and employee medical benefits in the U.S. As a result, we are likely to be responsible for a significant portion of the claims and losses incurred under these programs. The amount of risk we retain varies by program, and for certain exposures, we either have no insurance or we have pre-determined maximum loss limits for certain individual claims and/or insurance periods. Losses, if any, above the pre-determined loss limits are paid by third-party insurance carriers. Certain insurers have limited
available property coverage in response to the natural catastrophes experienced in recent years. Our estimate of future losses is prepared by management using our historical loss experience and industry-based development factors. Aggregate reserves relating to retained risk were $35.0 million and $33.7 million as of December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively.
Earnings Per Share
Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the number of weighted average shares of voting common stock outstanding, including unvested restricted stock awards which contain rights to non-forfeitable dividends. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income attributable to common stockholders by the number of weighted average shares of voting common stock outstanding, adjusted for the dilutive impact of unissued shares paid to directors during the year as compensation.
A reconciliation of the number of shares used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per share for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023 follows:
Year Ended December 31,
202520242023
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding66,199,042 66,882,731 67,963,956 
Effect of non-participatory equity compensation— — — 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding, including effect of dilutive securities66,199,042 66,882,731 67,963,956 
Hedging
Generally accepted accounting principles relating to derivative instruments and hedging activities require all derivatives, whether designated in hedging relationships or not, to be recorded on the balance sheet at fair value. These accounting principles also define requirements for designation and documentation of hedging relationships as well as ongoing effectiveness assessments, which must be met in order to qualify for hedge accounting. For a derivative that does not qualify as a hedge, changes in fair value are recorded in earnings immediately. If the derivative is designated as a fair-value hedge, the changes in the fair value of the derivative and the hedged item are recorded in earnings. If the derivative is designated as a cash-flow hedge, effective changes in the fair value of the derivative are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss, a separate component of equity, and recorded in the income statement only when the hedged item affects earnings. Changes in the fair value of the derivative attributable to hedge ineffectiveness are recorded in earnings immediately.
Stock-Based Compensation
Generally accepted accounting principles relating to share-based payments require us to record compensation expense for all awards based on their grant-date fair value. Our share-based payments have generally been in the form of “non-vested shares,” the fair value of which are measured as if they were vested and issued on the grant date.
Refer to Note 12 “Stock-Based Compensation” for additional disclosures on share-based payments.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
Income Taxes
In December 2023, the FASB issued ASU 2023-09, "Income Taxes (Topic 740): Improvements to Income Tax Disclosures." This ASU expands public entities’ annual income tax disclosures by requiring disclosure of specific categories in the rate reconciliation and disclosure of additional information for reconciling items that meet a quantitative threshold. This ASU is effective for financial statements issued for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024, with early adoption permitted. The amendments should be applied on a prospective basis with retrospective application
permitted. Other than the revised presentation of our “Income Taxes” footnote, the adoption of this accounting standard update has not had a material impact on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.
Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses
In November 2024, the FASB issued ASU 2024-03, "Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income—Expense Disaggregation Disclosures (Subtopic 220-40): Disaggregation of Income Statement Expenses." This ASU requires public business entities to disclose in the notes to financial statements specific categories within relevant expense captions presented on the face of the income statement. The ASU is effective for annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2026, and interim reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2027. Early adoption is permitted. The amendments should be applied on a prospective basis with retrospective application permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact of adopting this ASU on our consolidated financial statements and disclosures.