LKQ Corp (NASDAQ:LKQ)
During the quarter, LKQ continued to execute on its mid-single digit organic growth plus M&A strategy. In addition, the Company provided a convincing case for its continued execution at their first-ever Investor Day. The Company also announced the acquisition of Pittsburgh Glass Works for $635 million in enterprise value and finalized the acquisition of the RHIAG group of Italy.
LKQ is both the largest distributor of aftermarket collision parts in North America and the largest distributor of mechanical aftermarket parts in Europe. We think scale is critically important to most distribution businesses, and LKQ is no exception. In North America, LKQ’s primary customers are collision repair shops that often participate in volume programs organized by casualty insurers looking for low-cost but high-quality repair parts. These collision repair shops must turn their repair jobs over relatively quickly or risk losing out on volume business. As such, LKQ’s unmatched product availability and fulfillment rates are differentiators in the eyes of the Company’s customers, while cost -conscious insurers provide another impetus for low -cost, aftermarket collision parts demand, so we expect LKQ’s profitability to reflect the return on the inventory and distribution capital expenditure risks that LKQ takes on behalf of its customers.
LKQ’s organic revenue growth consists of increasing the penetration of after-market parts to collision and mechanical repair shops, as well as increasing route density. Increasing this “base” off which LKQ can organically grow, is their long-held approach of acquiring several under-scale competitors per year. As we have seen over the past few years, LKQ has very little in the way of rival competition, and the industry is mature, so aside from integration risks, LKQ’s accretive growth from acquisition appears to be repeatable. While LKQ contributed to our outperform ance during the quarter, we continue to think that LKQ’s growth prospects are under-appreciated by investors.
From David Rolfe (Trades, Portfolio)'s Wedgewood Partners 1st Quarter 2016 Client Letter.
