| DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS AND SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES | We are one of the largest automotive retailers in the United States. As of December 31, 2018 , we owned and operated 97 new vehicle franchises ( 83 dealership locations), representing 29 brands of automobiles, and 25 collision centers, in 17 metropolitan markets, within nine states. Our stores offer an extensive range of automotive products and services, including new and used vehicles, repair and maintenance services, collision repair services, and finance and insurance products. As of December 31, 2018 , our new vehicle revenue brand mix consisted of 47% imports, 33% luxury, and 20% domestic brands. Our operating results are generally subject to seasonal variations. Demand for new vehicles is generally highest during the second, third, and fourth quarters of each year and, accordingly, we expect our revenues to generally be higher during these periods. In addition, we typically experience higher sales of luxury vehicles in the fourth quarter, which have higher average selling prices and gross profit per vehicle retailed. Revenues and operating results may be impacted significantly from quarter to quarter by changing economic conditions, vehicle manufacturer incentive programs, or adverse weather events. Basis of Presentation The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), and reflect the consolidated accounts of Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. and our wholly owned subsidiaries. All intercompany transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. If necessary, reclassifications of amounts previously reported have been made to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements in order to conform to current presentation. Use of Estimates The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosures of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the periods presented. Actual results could differ materially from these estimates. Estimates and assumptions are reviewed quarterly, and the effects of any revisions are reflected in the consolidated financial statements in the period they are determined to be necessary. Significant estimates made in the accompanying consolidated financial statements include, but are not limited to, those relating to inventory valuation reserves, reserves for chargebacks against revenue recognized from the sale of finance and insurance products, reserves for insurance programs, certain assumptions related to intangible and long-lived assets, and reserves for certain legal or similar proceedings relating to our business operations. Cash and Cash Equivalents Cash and cash equivalents include investments in money market accounts and short-term certificates of deposit, which have maturity dates of less than 90 days when purchased. Contracts-In-Transit Contracts-in-transit represent receivables from third-party finance companies for the portion of new and used vehicle purchase price financed by customers through sources arranged by us. Inventories Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and net realizable value. We use the specific identification method to value vehicle inventories and the "first-in, first-out" method ("FIFO") to account for our parts inventories. Our new vehicle sales histories have indicated that the vast majority of the new vehicles we sell are sold for, or in excess of, our cost to purchase those vehicles. Therefore, we generally do not maintain a reserve for new vehicle inventory. We maintain a reserve for used vehicle inventory where cost basis exceeds net realizable value. In assessing lower of cost and net realizable value for used vehicles, we consider (i) the aging of our used vehicles, (ii) historical sales experience of used vehicles, and (iii) current market conditions and trends in used vehicle sales. We also review and consider the following metrics related to used vehicle sales (both on a recent and longer-term historical basis): (i) days of supply in our used vehicle inventory, (ii) used vehicle units sold at less than original cost as a percentage of total used vehicles sold, and (iii) average vehicle selling price of used vehicle units sold at less than original cost. We then determine the appropriate level of reserve required to reduce our used vehicle inventory to the lower of cost and net realizable value, and record the resulting adjustment in the period in which we determine a loss has occurred. The level of reserve determined to be appropriate for each reporting period is considered to be a permanent inventory write-down, and therefore is only released upon the sale of the related inventory. We receive assistance from certain automobile manufacturers in the form of advertising and floor plan interest credits. Manufacturer advertising credits that are reimbursements of costs associated with specific advertising programs are recognized as a reduction of advertising expense in the period they are earned. All other manufacturer advertising and floor plan interest credits are accounted for as purchase discounts, and are recorded as a reduction of inventory and recognized as a reduction to New Vehicle Cost of Sales in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income in the period the related vehicle is sold. Property and Equipment Property and equipment are recorded at cost and depreciated using the straight-line method over their estimated useful lives. Depreciation is included in Depreciation and Amortization on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income. Leasehold improvements are capitalized and amortized over the lesser of the life of the lease or the useful life of the related asset. The ranges of estimated useful lives are as follows (in years): Buildings and improvements 10-40 Machinery and equipment 5-10 Furniture and fixtures 3-10 Company vehicles 3-5 Expenditures for major additions or improvements, which extend the useful lives of assets, are capitalized. Minor replacements, maintenance and repairs, which do not improve or extend the lives of such assets, are expensed as incurred. We capitalize interest on borrowings during the active construction period of capital projects. Capitalized interest is added to the cost of the assets and is depreciated over the estimated useful lives of the assets. We review property and equipment for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. When we test our long-lived assets for impairment, we first compare the carrying amount of the underlying assets to their net recoverable value by reviewing the undiscounted cash flows expected from the use and eventual disposition of the underlying assets. If the carrying amount of the underlying assets is less than their net recoverable value, then we calculate an impairment equal to the excess of the carrying amount over the fair market value, and the impairment loss would be charged to operations in the period identified. We did not record an impairment of our property and equipment in 2018 , 2017 , and 2016 . Acquisitions Acquisitions are accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting, and the assets acquired and liabilities assumed are recorded at their fair value, at the acquisition date. The results of operations of acquired dealerships are included in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income, commencing on the date of acquisition. Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill represents the excess cost of an acquired business over the fair market value of its identifiable net assets. We have determined that, based on how we integrate acquisitions into our business, how the components of our business share resources and interact with one another, and how we review the results of our operations, that we have several geographic market-based operating segments. We have determined that the dealerships in each of our operating segments are components that are aggregated into several geographic market-based reporting units for the purpose of testing goodwill for impairment, as they (i) have similar economic characteristics, (ii) offer similar products and services (all of our dealerships offer new and used vehicles, service, parts and third-party finance and insurance products), (iii) have similar customers, (iv) have similar distribution and marketing practices (all of our dealerships distribute products and services through dealership facilities that market to customers in similar ways), and (v) operate under similar regulatory environments. Our only significant identifiable intangible assets, other than goodwill, are our rights under franchise agreements with manufacturers, which are recorded at an individual franchise level. The fair value of our manufacturer franchise rights are determined at the acquisition date, by discounting the projected cash flows specific to each franchise. We have determined that manufacturer franchise rights have an indefinite life, as there are no economic, contractual or other factors that limit their useful lives, and they are expected to generate cash flows indefinitely due to the historically long lives of the manufacturers' brand names. Furthermore, to the extent that any agreements evidencing our manufacturer franchise rights would expire, we expect that we would be able to renew those agreements in the ordinary course of business. Goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights are deemed to have indefinite lives and therefore are not subject to amortization. We review goodwill and manufacturer franchise rights for impairment annually as of October 1 st , or more often if events or circumstances indicate that impairment may have occurred. We are subject to financial statement risk to the extent that goodwill becomes impaired due to decreases in the fair value of our automotive retail business or manufacturer franchise rights become impaired due to decreases in the fair value of our individual franchises. Debt Issuance Costs Debt issuance costs are presented as a contra-liability within Current Maturities of Long-Term Debt or Long-Term Debt on our Consolidated Balance Sheets, except for debt issuance costs associated with our line-of-credit arrangements, which are presented as an asset within Other Current Assets or Other Long-Term Assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Debt issuance costs are amortized to Floor Plan Interest Expense and Other Interest Expense, net in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income through maturity using the effective interest method. Derivative Instruments and Hedging Activities From time to time, we utilize derivative financial instruments to manage our interest rate risk. The types of risks hedged are those relating to the variability of cash flows caused by fluctuations in interest rates. We document our risk management strategy and assess hedge effectiveness at each interest rate swaps inception and during the term of each hedge. Derivatives are reported at fair value on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. The effective portion of the gain or loss on our hedges is reported as a component of Accumulated Other Comprehensive Loss on the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets, and reclassified to Swap Interest Expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income in the period during which the hedged transaction affects earnings. Measurements of hedge effectiveness are based on comparisons between the gains or losses of the actual interest rate swaps and the gains or losses of hypothetical interest rate swaps, which have the same critical terms of the defined hedged items. Ineffective portions of these interest rate swaps are reported as a component of Swap Interest Expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income, in the period during which any ineffectiveness is identified. Insurance We are self-insured for employee medical claims and maintain stop-loss insurance for large-dollar individual claims. We have high deductible insurance programs for workers compensation, property and general liability claims. We maintain and review our claim and loss history to assist in assessing our expected future liability for these claims. We also use professional service providers, such as account administrators and actuaries, to help us accumulate and assess this information. Provisions for retained losses and deductibles are made by charges to expense based upon periodic evaluations of the estimated ultimate liabilities on reported and unreported claims. Revenue Recognition The Company adopted ASU 2014-09, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606) and all subsequent amendments issued thereafter (collectively "ASC 606"), on January 1, 2018. Refer to Note 2 "Revenue Recognition" for additional information related to the impact of the Company’s adoption of ASC 606. Internal Profit Revenues and expenses associated with internal work performed by our parts and service departments on new and used vehicle inventory are eliminated in consolidation. The gross profit earned by our parts and service departments for internal work performed is included as a reduction of Parts and Service Cost of Sales on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income upon the sale of the vehicle. The costs incurred by our new and used vehicle departments for work performed by our parts and service departments is included in either New Vehicle Cost of Sales or Used Vehicle Cost of Sales on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income, depending on the classification of the vehicle serviced. We maintain a reserve to eliminate the internal profit on vehicles that have not been sold. Share-Based Compensation We record share-based compensation expense under the fair value method on a straight-line basis over the vesting period, unless the awards are subject to performance conditions, in which case we recognize the expense over the requisite service period of each separate vesting tranche. In addition, we account for the forfeiture of share-based awards as they occur. Share Repurchases Share repurchases may be made from time-to-time in open market transactions or through privately negotiated transactions under the authorization approved by the Board of Directors. Periodically, the Company may retire repurchased shares of common stock previously held by the Company as Treasury Shares. In accordance with our accounting policy, we allocate any excess share repurchase price over par value between additional paid-in capital, which is limited to amounts initially recorded for the same issue, and retained earnings. During the year ended December 31, 2018, the Company retired 89,967 shares of its common stock repurchased pursuant to the Repurchase Program ("Retired Shares") and previously held by the Company as Treasury Shares in the amount of $5.9 million . Earnings per Common Share Basic earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares outstanding during the period. Diluted earnings per common share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average common shares and common share equivalents outstanding during the period. For all periods presented, there were no adjustments to the numerator necessary to compute diluted earnings per share. Advertising We expense costs of advertising as incurred and production costs when the advertising initially takes place, net of certain advertising credits and other discounts received from certain automobile manufacturers. Advertising expense from continuing operations totaled $30.6 million , $30.3 million and $34.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2018 , 2017 and 2016 , which was net of earned advertising credits of $21.0 million , $18.0 million , and $16.8 million , respectively, and is included in Selling, General, and Administrative expense in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income. Income Taxes We use the liability method to account for income taxes. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the expected future tax consequences of differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities and their respective tax basis using currently enacted tax rates. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in income in the period when the change is enacted. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when it is more likely than not that some portion or all the deferred tax assets will not be realized. On December 22, 2017, the U.S. government enacted comprehensive tax legislation commonly referred to as the Tax Act. The Tax Act makes broad and complex changes to the U.S. tax code, including, but not limited to, a reduction in the U.S. federal corporate income tax rate from 35% to 21%. In 2017, we remeasured certain deferred tax assets and liabilities based on the rates at which they are expected to reverse in the future, which is generally 21%. The provisional amount recorded related to the remeasurement of our deferred tax balance resulted in a $7.9 million reduction to our net deferred tax liability as of December 31, 2017. The staff of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission issued Staff Accounting Bulletin No. 118 ("SAB 118") on December 22, 2017, which provided guidance on accounting for the income tax effects of the Tax Act. SAB 118 provides a measurement period that should not extend beyond one year from December 22, 2017, the Tax Act enactment date, for companies to complete the accounting under ASC 740, Income Taxes ("ASC 740"). In accordance with SAB 118, a company must reflect the income tax effects of those aspects of the Tax Act for which the accounting under ASC 740 is complete. During the third quarter of 2018, the IRS released Notice 2018-68, which clarified a number of changes made to Section 162(m) of the Code by the Tax Act. As a result of this new guidance, we recorded $0.6 million of additional income tax expense related to an adjustment to the deferred tax asset for certain components of share-based compensation. After considering the additional guidance issued by the U.S. Treasury Department, state tax authorities and other standard-setting bodies we have completed our accounting for the Tax Act. Assets Held for Sale and Liabilities Associated with Assets Held for Sale Certain amounts have been classified as Assets Held for Sale as of December 31, 2018 and 2017 in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Assets and liabilities classified as held for sale include assets and liabilities associated with pending dealership disposals, real estate not currently used in our operations that we are actively marketing to sell, and any related mortgage notes payable, if applicable. Classification as held for sale begins on the date that we have met all of the criteria for classification as held for sale. At the time of classifying assets as held for sale, we compare the carrying value of these assets to estimates of fair value to assess for impairment. We compare the carrying value to estimates of fair value utilizing the assistance of third-party broker opinions of value and third-party desktop appraisals to assist in our fair value estimates related to real estate properties. Statements of Cash Flows Borrowings and repayments of floor plan notes payable to a lender unaffiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchase a particular new vehicle ("Non-Trade") and all floor plan notes payable relating to pre-owned vehicles (together referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Non-Trade"), are classified as financing activities on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, with borrowings reflected separately from repayments. The net change in floor plan notes payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchase a particular new vehicle (collectively referred to as "Floor Plan Notes Payable—Trade") is classified as an operating activity on the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Borrowings of floor plan notes payable associated with inventory acquired in connection with all acquisitions and repayments made in connection with all divestitures are classified as a financing activity in the accompanying Consolidated Statement of Cash Flows. Cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in operating activities differ from cash flows related to floor plan notes payable included in financing activities only to the extent that the former are payable to a lender affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchased the related inventory, while the latter are payable to a lender not affiliated with the manufacturer from which we purchased the related inventory. Loaner vehicles account for a significant portion of Other Current Assets. We acquire loaner vehicles either with available cash or through borrowings from either our manufacturer affiliated lenders or through our senior secured credit agreement with Bank of America, as administrative agent, and the other agents and lenders party thereto (the "2016 Senior Credit Facility"). Loaner vehicles are initially used by our service department for only a short period of time (typically 6 to 12 months) before we seek to sell them. Therefore, we classify the acquisition of loaner vehicles in Other Current Assets and the borrowings and repayments of loaner vehicle notes payable in Accounts Payable and Accrued Liabilities in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Loaner vehicles are depreciated over the service period to their estimated value. At the end of the loaner service period, loaner vehicles are transferred from Other Current Assets to used vehicle inventory. These transfers are reflected as non-cash transfers between Other Current Assets and Inventory in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows. Business and Credit Concentration Risk Financial instruments, which potentially subject us to a concentration of credit risk, consist principally of cash deposits. We maintain cash balances at financial institutions with strong credit ratings. Generally, amounts maintained with these financial institutions are in excess of FDIC insurance limits. We have substantial debt service obligations. As of December 31, 2018 , we had total debt of $910.1 million , excluding floor plan notes payable, the debt premium on the 6.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024 ("6.0% Notes"), and debt issuance costs. In addition, we and our subsidiaries have the ability to obtain additional debt from time to time to finance acquisitions, real property purchases, capital expenditures, share repurchases or for other purposes, although such borrowings are subject to the restrictions contained in the second amended and restated senior secured credit agreement with Bank of America, N.A. ("Bank of America"), as administrative agent, and the other lenders party thereto (the "2016 Senior Credit Facility"), the indenture governing our 6.0% Senior Subordinated Notes due 2024 (the "Indenture"), and our other debt instruments. We will have substantial debt service obligations, consisting of required cash payments of principal and interest, for the foreseeable future. We are subject to operating and financial restrictions and covenants in certain of our leases and in our debt instruments, including the 2016 Senior Credit Facility, the Indenture, and the credit agreements covering our mortgage obligations. These agreements contain restrictions on, among other things, our ability to incur additional indebtedness, to create liens or other encumbrances, and to make certain payments (including dividends and repurchases of our shares and investments). These agreements may also require us to maintain compliance with certain financial and other ratios. Our failure to comply with any of these covenants in the future would constitute a default under the relevant agreement, which would, depending on the relevant agreement, (i) entitle the creditors under such agreement to terminate our ability to borrow under the relevant agreement and accelerate our obligations to repay outstanding borrowings; (ii) require us to apply our available cash to repay these borrowings; (iii) entitle the creditors under such agreement to foreclose on the property securing the relevant indebtedness; and/or (iv) prevent us from making debt service payments on certain of our other indebtedness, any of which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations. In many cases, a default under one of our debt or mortgage, agreements could trigger cross-default provisions in one or more of our other debt or mortgages. A number of our dealerships are located on properties that we lease. Each of the leases governing such properties has certain covenants with which we must comply. If we fail to comply with the covenants under our leases, the respective landlords could terminate the leases and seek damages from us. Concentrations of credit risk with respect to contracts-in-transit and accounts receivable are limited primarily to automotive manufacturers and financial institutions. Credit risk arising from receivables from commercial customers is minimal due to the large number of customers comprising our customer base. A significant portion of our new vehicle sales are derived from a limited number of automotive manufacturers. For the year ended December 31, 2018 , manufacturers representing 5% or more of our revenues from new vehicle sales were as follows: Manufacturer (Vehicle Brands): % of Total New Vehicle Revenues American Honda Motor Co., Inc. (Honda and Acura) 23.7 % Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A., Inc. (Toyota and Lexus) 18.4 % Nissan North America, Inc. (Nissan and Infiniti) 14.4 % Ford Motor Company (Ford and Lincoln) 11.1 % Mercedes-Benz USA, LLC ( Mercedes-Benz, Smart and Sprinter ) 6.5 % BMW of North America, LLC (BMW and Mini) 5.6 % No other manufacturers individually accounted for more than 5% of our total new vehicle revenue for the year ended December 31, 2018 . Segment Reporting Our operations are organized by management into geographic market-based dealership groups. Our Chief Operating Decision Maker is our Chief Executive Officer who manages the business, regularly reviews financial information and allocates resources at the geographic market level. The geographic operating segments have been aggregated into one reportable segment as their operations (i) have similar economic characteristics (our markets all have similar long-term average gross margins), (ii) offer similar products and services (all of our markets offer new and used vehicles, parts and service, and third-party finance and insurance products), (iii) have similar customers, (iv) have similar distribution and marketing practices (all of our markets distribute products and services through dealership facilities that market to customers in similar ways), and (v) operate under similar regulatory environments. Recent Accounting Pronouncements In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230): Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments . The amendments in this update address several specific cash flow issues with the objective of reducing the diversity in practice in how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. The amendments in this update were effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017 and include retrospective application. The Company adopted this update on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017, and 2016. In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. The amendments in this update clarify the definition of a business in order to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. The amendments in this update were to be applied prospectively and were effective for interim and annual periods beginning after December 15, 2017. The Company adopted this update on January 1, 2018. The adoption of this update did not have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2018 . In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard, and its related amendments, establishes a right-of-use model ("ROU") that requires a lessee to recognize a ROU asset and lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with a term longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as finance or operating, with the classification affecting the pattern and classification of expense recognition reflected in the income statement. A modified retrospective transition approach is required, applying the new standard to all leases existing either as of the effective date or as of the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements at the date of adoption. The new standard is effective for us on January 1, 2019 and the Company plans to adopt the new standard using the effective date method as the date of initial application. As a result, financial information and disclosures will not be updated under the new standard for periods ending prior to January 1, 2019. Moreover, the Company expects to elect the package of practical expedients to use in transition, which permits us not to reassess under the new standard our prior conclusions about lease identification and lease classification. In addition, we expect to elect the short-term lease exemption for all leases that qualify as well as the practical expedient to not separate lease and non-lease components for all leases. The adoption of the new standard will have a material impact to our consolidated financial statements due to the recognition of ROU assets and liabilities for real estate and equipment leases on our consolidated balance sheet. In preparation for adoption of the new standard, the Company established an implementation team to assist with the implementation of key controls for transition as well as controls related to on-going accounting considerations. The Company is currently in the process of finalizing the transition amounts of ROU assets and liabilities that will be recorded on the balance sheet as a result of the adoption of the new standard. In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815): Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. This update is intended to simplify hedge accounting by better aligning how an entity’s risk management activities and hedging relationships are presented in its financial statements and simplifies the application of hedge accounting guidance in certain situations and is effective for the Company on January 1, 2019. This update expands and refines hedge accounting for both non-financial and financial risk components and aligns the recognition and presentation of the effects of the hedging instrument and the hedged item in the financial statements. For cash flow hedges existing at the adoption date, this update requires adoption on a modified retrospective basis with a cumulative-effect adjustment to retained earnings as of the effective date. The amendments to presentation guidance and disclosure requirements are required to be adopted prospectively. We are currently evaluating this update and the significance of any impact this update may have to our consolidated financial statements. |
