LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ): En Route to Simplified Business, Better Valuations

We came across a bullish thesis on LKQ Corporation (NASDAQ:LKQ) on ValueInvestorsClub by dman976. In this article, we will summarize the bulls’ thesis on LKQ. The company’s shares were trading at $39.40 when this thesis was published, vs. the closing price of $42.03 on Apr 17.

LKQ engages in the distribution of replacement parts, components, and systems used in the repair and maintenance of vehicles and specialty vehicle aftermarket products and accessories.

The Wholesale North America (WNA) business accounts for 40% of revenue with 16.5% EBITDA margins. This segment is 15 times larger than its closest rival, giving LKQ a dominant position and enabling it to operate as a defensive company. LKQ is also the largest operator in Europe, which was achieved by acquiring companies like Euro Car Parts, Sator, Rhiag and Stahlgruber. This division accounts for 44% of the revenue with a 9.5% EBITDA margin. A $400 billion global market combined with macro headwinds like higher miles driven, average vehicle age, complexity of vehicles and cost of repair offers potential for secular growth in the future.

The financials of LKQ also look strong with $353 million in cash holdings and a business generating generous free cash flows. The net leverage is below 2.5x and with a muted stock price, LKQ can look to repurchase stock in the near future. The management has hinted at operational improvements that could boost margins and provide better returns to shareholders. The focus on simplifying the Self Service and Speciality businesses should also improve sales by removing the cyclicity factor from these segments.

The stock price has fallen after the acquisition of Uni-Select and the repeated earnings miss in the last 18 quarters. A soft macro environment, rising insuring costs and low sales in the winter of 2023 and 2024 have destabilized the otherwise consistent performer. These factors are expected to be short-lived, with normal business operations expected to resume soon.

The negative factors have kept valuations low, with the stock price trading at 8.4x 2025 EBITDA, 11.3x 2025 EPS and 8.6% FCF yield. LKQ should consistently grow at low single digits with EBITDA margins expected to improve by 100 basis points. With a 10x EBITDA multiple and 2026 EBITDA estimates, the fair value of LKQ’s share price comes to $58.11, providing a 38% upside.

While we acknowledge the potential of LKQ as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than LKQ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published at Insider Monkey.