Kerrigan Advisors, a sell-side advisory firm to auto dealers in the U.S., has released The Kerrigan Index for December 2020/Year in Review. Comprised of the seven publicly traded auto retailers, the report hit record-breaking stock valuations, profitability and sales increases. In December, The Kerrigan Index increased 5.22 percent, outpacing the S&P’s increase of 3.71 percent for the month. For the year, The Kerrigan Index increased almost 30 percent.
“What’s really notable is that the auto retail stocks, and The Kerrigan Index, have traded at all-time highs throughout the final months of 2020. In spite of a historically crisis-driven and volatile year, the stocks are valued higher than ever before,” said Ryan Kerrigan, managing director of Kerrigan Advisors. “Clearly, Wall Street is bullish on auto retail, and comfortable that it will continue to evolve on pace with technology and consumer behavior.”
The Kerrigan Index increased 29.65 percent, significantly outperforming the S&P 500 Index, which increased only 16.26 percent, and all seven component stocks posted increases for the year, led by Lithia Motors (+127.18 percent), and AutoNation (+41.34 percent).
“This was the ultimate comeback year, and auto dealerships were its comeback kids,” said Erin Kerrigan, founder & managing director of Kerrigan Advisors.