Group 1 Automotive announces $1.25B senior notes
Group 1 Automotive is privately issuing $1.25 billion of senior notes to fund its pending Hennessy dealership acquisition and temporarily pay down revolver borrowings.
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI) has entered into a purchase agreement for a private placement of $625.0 million of 6.250% Senior Notes due 2032 and $625.0 million of 6.625% Senior Notes due 2035, for total senior unsecured notes of $1.25 billion to be sold at par to initial purchasers and guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis by its guarantor subsidiaries.
The company expects net proceeds of approximately $1,236.0 million, to be used with cash on hand to fund the purchase price and related fees for the pending Hennessy Acquisition; until that closing, it plans to repay borrowings under its acquisition line and later reborrow to fund the purchase. If the Hennessy Acquisition is not completed by the defined Outside Date or certain other events occur, Group 1 must execute a Special Mandatory Redemption of all 2032 Notes at 100% of initial issue price plus accrued interest. The notes are being offered to qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A and to non-U.S. investors under Regulation S.
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Filing Explained
The filing adds that the offering proceeds will reduce, dollar for dollar, the commitments available under bridge financing for the Hennessy Acquisition; because closing is expected September 22, 2026, this is a planned debt-financing step, not completed issuance.
8-K Event Classification
Key Figures
Key Terms
Special Mandatory Redemption financial
Rule 144A regulatory
Regulation S regulatory
senior unsecured notes financial
Outside Date financial
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
What debt offering did GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE INC (GPI) announce in this 8-K?
How much net cash will GPI receive from its new senior notes offering?
How will GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE INC (GPI) use the proceeds of the $1.25 billion notes?
What is the Special Mandatory Redemption feature on GPI’s 2032 Notes?
When is the senior notes offering by GPI expected to close?
How are GPI’s new senior notes being sold from a regulatory standpoint?
What business scale does GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE INC (GPI) report in this disclosure?
AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM
CURRENT REPORT
PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D)
OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
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Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§ 230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§ 240.12b-2 of this chapter).
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If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
| Item 1.01 | Entry into a Material Definitive Agreement. |
Purchase Agreement
On September 8, 2026, Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (the “Company”) entered into a purchase agreement (the “Purchase Agreement”), by and among the Company, J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representative of the initial purchasers listed in Schedule 1 thereto (the “Initial Purchasers”), and the guarantors listed in Schedule 2 thereto (collectively, the “Guarantors”), which provides for the sale by the Company of $625.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 6.250% Senior Notes due 2032 (the “2032 Notes”) and $625.0 million aggregate principal amount of its 6.625% Senior Notes due 2035 (the “2035 Notes” and, together with the 2032 Notes, the “Notes”) to the Initial Purchasers (the “Offering”). The Notes will be sold to investors at par.
The Notes will be guaranteed on an unsecured senior basis (the “Guarantees”) by each of the Guarantors. The closing of the issuance and sale of the Notes is expected to occur on September 22, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions. The Company expects to receive net proceeds of approximately $1,236.0 million from the Offering after deducting the Initial Purchasers’ discounts and commissions and estimated offering expenses. The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering, together with cash on hand, to fund the purchase price for its previously announced acquisition of certain dealership assets and related real estate from Hennessy Automobile Companies, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (the “Hennessy Acquisition”) and to pay related fees and expenses. Because the closing of the Hennessy Acquisition is expected to occur after the closing of the Offering, the Company intends to use the net proceeds, pending the closing of the Hennessy Acquisition, to repay a portion of the outstanding borrowings under the acquisition line under its revolving credit facility, which the Company expects to reborrow at the closing of the Hennessy Acquisition to fund a portion of the purchase price.
If the Hennessy Acquisition is not consummated on or prior to the later of (x) January 6, 2027 (the “Outside Date”) and (y) such date to which the Outside Date under the purchase agreement relating to the Hennessy Acquisition may be extended in accordance with the terms thereof (such later date, the “Special Mandatory Redemption Outside Date”), or upon the occurrence of certain other events, including the termination of the purchase agreement related to the Hennessy Acquisition prior to the Special Mandatory Outside Date, the Company will be required to redeem all of the 2032 Notes then outstanding at a redemption price equal to 100% of the initial issue price thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, from the issue date to, but excluding, the redemption date (the “Special Mandatory Redemption”). In that case, the Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering that are not used to fund the Special Mandatory Redemption to repay borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility and for general corporate purposes.
The Notes and Guarantees will be offered and sold to the Initial Purchasers pursuant to an exemption from the registration requirements under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”). The Initial Purchasers intend to resell the Notes to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers under Rule 144A of the Securities Act and to persons outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S of the Securities Act.
The Purchase Agreement contains customary representations, warranties and covenants and includes the terms and conditions for the sale of the Notes, indemnification (including indemnification for liabilities under the Securities Act) and contribution obligations and other terms and conditions customary in agreements of this type.
The foregoing summary of the Purchase Agreement set forth in this Item 1.01 does not purport to be complete and is qualified in its entirety by reference to the full text of such agreement, a copy of which is filed as Exhibit 10.1 hereto and is incorporated herein by reference.
The information contained in this Current Report on Form 8-K, including the exhibits, shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the Notes nor shall there be any sale of the Notes in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state.
Relationships
Certain of the Initial Purchasers and their affiliates have engaged, and may in the future engage, in investment banking, commercial banking and other financial advisory and commercial dealings with the Company and its
affiliates. In particular, U.S. Bank National Association, an affiliate of U.S. Bancorp Investments, Inc., is the administrative agent under the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility and affiliates of certain of the Initial Purchasers are lenders under the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility. Accordingly, such affiliates will receive a portion of the net proceeds of the Offering. In addition, affiliates of the Initial Purchasers agreed to provide us with interim financing for the Hennessy Acquisition pursuant to a bridge credit agreement. The net proceeds of the Offering will reduce the commitments available to be drawn under such credit agreement on a dollar-for-dollar basis. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is also acting as financial advisor to the Company in connection with the Hennessy Acquisition.
| Item 8.01 | Other Events. |
On September 8, 2026, the Company issued a press release announcing the pricing of the Offering described in Item 1.01 of this Current Report on Form 8-K. A copy of the press release is filed as Exhibit 99.1 to this report, which is incorporated by reference into this Item 8.01.
| Item 9.01 | Financial Statements and Exhibits |
(d) Exhibits.
| Exhibit No. |
Description | |
| 10.1 | Purchase Agreement, dated September 8, 2026, by and among Group 1 Automotive, Inc., J.P. Morgan Securities LLC, as representative of the initial purchasers listed in Schedule 1 thereto, and the guarantors listed in Schedule 2 thereto. | |
| 99.1 | Press Release of Group 1 Automotive, Inc. dated as of September 8, 2026. | |
| 104 | Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document). | |
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.
| Group 1 Automotive, Inc. | ||||||
| Date: September 9, 2026 | By: | /s/ Gillian A. Hobson | ||||
| Name: | Gillian A. Hobson | |||||
| Title: | Senior Vice President | |||||
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Exhibit 99.1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Group 1 Automotive Announces Pricing of $1,250.0 Million Offering of Senior Notes
HOUSTON, TX, September 8, 2026 — Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (NYSE: GPI) (“Group 1” or the “Company”), a Fortune 250 automotive retailer with 249 dealerships located in the U.S. and U.K, today announced the pricing of its private placement of $625.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 6.250% senior unsecured notes due 2032 (the “2032 Notes”) and $625.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 6.625% senior unsecured notes due 2035 (the “2035 Notes” and, together with the 2032 Notes, the “Notes”). The offering is expected to close on September 22, 2026, subject to customary closing conditions.
The Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering, together with cash on hand, to fund the purchase price for its previously announced acquisition of certain dealership assets and related real estate from Hennessy Automobile Companies, Inc. and certain of its affiliates (the “Hennessy Acquisition”) and to pay related fees and expenses. Because the closing of the Hennessy Acquisition is expected to occur after the closing of the offering, the Company intends to use the net proceeds, pending the closing of the Hennessy Acquisition, to repay a portion of the outstanding borrowings under the acquisition line under its revolving credit facility, which the Company expects to reborrow at the closing of the Hennessy Acquisition to fund a portion of the purchase price.
If the Hennessy Acquisition is not consummated on or prior to the later of (x) January 6, 2027 (the “Outside Date”) and (y) such date to which the Outside Date under the purchase agreement relating to the Hennessy Acquisition may be extended in accordance with the terms thereof (such later date, the “Special Mandatory Redemption Outside Date”), or upon the occurrence of certain other events, including the termination of the purchase agreement related to the Hennessy Acquisition prior to the Special Mandatory Redemption Outside Date, the Company will be required to redeem all of the 2032 Notes then outstanding at a redemption price equal to 100% of the initial issue price thereof, plus accrued and unpaid interest, if any, from the issue date to, but excluding, the redemption date (the “Special Mandatory Redemption”). In that case, the Company intends to use the net proceeds of the offering that are not used to fund the Special Mandatory Redemption to repay borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility and for general corporate purposes.
The Notes have not been, and will not be, registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or any state securities laws, and thus, the Notes may not be offered or sold in the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. The Notes have been offered to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in an offering exempt from registration pursuant to Rule 144A under the Securities Act and to non-U.S. persons outside of the United States in compliance with Regulation S under the Securities Act. This announcement shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of these Notes or any security, and shall not constitute an offer, solicitation or sale in any jurisdiction in which such offering, solicitation or sale would be unlawful.
ABOUT GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE, INC.
Group 1 owns and operates 249 automotive dealerships, 310 franchises, and 32 collision centers in the United States and the United Kingdom that offer 37 brands of automobiles. Through its dealerships and omni-channel platform, the Company sells new and used cars and light trucks; arranges related vehicle financing; sells service contracts; provides automotive maintenance and repair services; and sells vehicle parts.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which are statements related to future, not past, events and are based on our current expectations and assumptions regarding our business, the economy and other future conditions. In this context, the forward-looking statements include statements regarding the proposed offering, the intended use of proceeds and the pending Hennessy Acquisition. These forward-looking statements often contain words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,”
“believes,” “seeks,” “should,” “foresee,” “may” or “will” and similar expressions. While management believes that these forward-looking statements are reasonable as and when made, there can be no assurance that future developments affecting us will be those that we anticipate. Any such forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the statements. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, (a) general economic and business conditions, (b) the impacts of sustained levels of inflation, including reduced affordability of automobiles for consumers, (c) developments in U.S. and global trade policy, including the imposition by the U.S. of significant tariffs on the import of automobiles and certain materials used in our parts and services business and the resulting consequences (including, but not limited to, retaliatory tariffs by non-U.S. nations, supply chain disruptions, vehicle and part cost increases and demand decreases, and potential recessions in the U.S. and U.K.) and the passage of the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” including the associated impact on tax deductions in the domestic car industry and the elimination of certain clean energy tax credits, which could impact incentives for electric vehicle production and sales, (d) the level of manufacturer incentives, (e) our ability to comply with extensive laws, regulations and policies applicable to our operations, including BEV mandates in the U.K., and their impact on new vehicle demand, (f) our ability to obtain an inventory of desirable new and used vehicles (including as a result of changes in the international trade environment), (g) our relationship with our automobile manufacturers and the willingness of manufacturers to approve future acquisitions, (h) our cost of financing and the availability of credit for consumers, (i) our ability to complete acquisitions and dispositions, including the pending Hennessy Acquisition, on a timely basis, if at all and the risks associated therewith, (j) our ability to successfully integrate recent and future acquisitions, including the Hennessy Acquisition, and realize the expected benefits from consummated acquisitions, (k) foreign exchange controls and currency fluctuations, (l) the armed conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, including that between the U.S. and Iran, (m) broader macroeconomic challenges in the U.K., including inflationary pressures, fluctuations in interest and foreign exchange rates and overall economic volatility, which could further impact vehicle affordability, demand and our financial performance in that market, (n) our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity to operate, and (o) a material failure in or breach of our vendors’ information technology systems and other cybersecurity incidents. For additional information regarding known material factors that could cause our actual results to differ from our projected results, please see our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements after the date they are made, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
SOURCE: Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
Investor contacts:
David Helderman
Senior Manager, Investor Relations
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
ir@group1auto.com
Media contacts:
Pete DeLongchamps
Senior Vice President, Manufacturer Relations, Financial Services and Corporate Development
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
pdelongchamps@group1auto.com
Kimberly Barta
Head of Advertising, Brand and Communications
Group 1 Automotive, Inc.
kbarta@group1auto.com
or
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Jude Gorman / Clayton Erwin
Collected Strategies
Group1-CS@collectedstrategies.com
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