LBO Modelling of Auto Retail

Hi fellow monkeys -

Apologies for the standard question but have been working on a case in which they operate in the auto retail industry. The target in question has a trade and non-trade note payable account for their floor plan (i.e. they put up a deposit and get short-term financing for the vehicles on their floor at the dealerships).

They earn interest income on this (for amount of deposit), but is also considered debt-like given it's a note. My question on hand is as follows:

- The non-trade note payable, I believe this should not be in working capital and considered debt-like so net debt. 

- Trade note payable (floor plan) - this is where I am getting some slight conflictions. Given it's a note, I want to treat as a net debt item and back out of terminal value, gets rolled over at close, etc. However, considering the nature behind this (to effectively secure inventory), I can see it being argued as a working capital item. 

Any thoughts and comments on this would be appreciated.

(side note: if anyone knows how to treat financing and operating leases on the BS - that would be helpful too lol)

6 Comments
 
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Yeah non-trade note is a debt item. 

For the floor plan financing you can argue either way (its being used for inventory as you say). If you are analysing wokring capital efficiency or something else I would put it in WC for this purpose. But for valo, would treat as debt. 

For the point at the end on lease accounting - depends which framework you are under. IFRS 16 moved operating leases on BS as ROU assets / lease liabilities. So you get a depreciation charge and a interest cost.

Remember if there are significant lease liabilities and you are doing a multiples comparison with a comps set, make sure to make the relevant IFRS 16 adjustments so that your comparison is like for like. 

 

Not sure it really makes sense to treat as WC? A note against WC is just debt secured by inventory? Not that different from a RCF secured against inventory?

 

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