Press Releases

AUTO1 Group successfully prices debut public market German consumer car loan ABS

Berlin, 18 July 2024

• The portfolio includes EUR 223 million of German consumer car loans originated by Autohero, the Group’s Retail segment
• The transaction comprises 4 classes of notes successfully placed in the public market with a blended spread of 87bps
• This milestone transaction gives AUTO1 Group access to the deepest and most cost effective refinancing market as it grows its captive finance business

Berlin, July 18, 2024 – AUTO1 Group SE, Europe’s leading digital automotive platform for buying and selling used cars, announces the successful pricing of its first-ever securitisation of German consumer car loans to the public market. AUTO1 Group securitised a portfolio of EUR 223 million of German consumer car loans which were originated between December 2020 and April 2024. The transaction known as FinanceHero 2024-1 has all the key features investors expect of German consumer car loan ABS transactions: “AAA” rated senior notes, “Simple, transparent and standardised” (STS) verification and eligibility for the European Central Bank (ECB).

The tranching and pricing is as follows:

With a blended spread of 87bps on the A-D Notes, AUTO1 Group will benefit from the spread differential between the underlying loans and the refinancing costs over the lifetime of the loans, leading to sustained additional profits. The company expects to see a release of cash back to its balance sheet on closing as the effective refinancing advance rate has gone from 83% to 95%, while the cost of capital has been lowered significantly*.

Markus Boser, CFO of AUTO1 Group, commented: “With our successful debut issuance of rated ABS Notes in the public market, we’ve completed an important strategic milestone in the development of our captive finance business. We are pleased with the strong investor demand and oversubscription, which allowed us to significantly tighten the pricing during marketing. With access to this deep and efficient market we can confidently grow our origination volumes, supporting the growth of our Autohero segment as a frequent ABS issuer as well as future profitability.”

Citigroup acted as underwriter and mandated lead arranger on the transaction. Linklaters advised AUTO1 Group and Hogan Lovells acted as advisor to the underwriter.

About AUTO1 Group
Founded in 2012, AUTO1 Group is a multi-brand technology company that is building the best way to buy and sell cars. Its local European consumer brands like wirkaufendeinauto.de offer consumers the fastest and easiest way to sell their car. Its merchant brand, AUTO1.com, is Europe's largest wholesale platform for car trading professionals. With its retail brand Autohero, AUTO1 Group is using its technology, scale and operational excellence to develop the best consumer experience to buy a used car. AUTO1 Group is operating in over 30 countries and generated a revenue of EUR 5.5 billion in 2023. Following its successful IPO in February 2021, the group's shares are trading on the regulated market (Prime Standard) of the Frankfurt Stock Exchange under the trading symbol AG1 and the ISIN DE000A2LQ884.

*Auto1 Car Funding Compartment 2, the issuer of FinanceHero 2024-1, will continue to be consolidated by AUTO1 Group SE. The company therefore does not expect a significant impact on its financial presentation as a consequence of this transaction.

For more information please visit www.auto1-group.com

Investor Relations Contact
Philip Reicherstorfer
Group Treasurer
Phone: +49 (0)30 - 2016 38 213
Email: ir@auto1-group.com

Media Contact
Christine Preyer
Director PR & Communications
Phone: +49 175 64 59 192
Email: press@auto1-group.com