Robert L. Wagman
Analyst · Stifel
Thanks, John. To summarize, we are quite pleased with our results in the second quarter and the first half of the year and we are optimistic of what lies ahead for our company. Looking ahead, in North America, the recent upswing and trend in new vehicle sales bodes well for our collision business because newer vehicles tend to be fully insured with higher premiums and lower deductibles, and if financed, lien holders require the owner of the vehicle to carry mandatory insurance coverage. New cars are more valuable, so they are less likely to total, and from our perspective this means that newer cars are more likely to be repaired than an older vehicle. We also believe that as more new cars are sold, used car prices will eventually fall, which is good for us because it should reduce the cost of salvaged vehicles we procure for our North American recycling business. Simply put, increased new vehicle sales equate to more insured repairs and, therefore, more opportunities for LKQ. The increase in new vehicle sales is also a favorable trend for our new Specialty segment because the most common time for someone to modify their vehicle with specialty products is in the first 2 years of vehicle ownership. The performance of our Specialty segment in the second quarter, I believe, was in part a result of this trend. In Europe, we are in the early innings with capitalizing on the opportunities in that segment. Over the last 3 years, we've gained tremendous knowledge with the success of ECP and their ability to gain share in the U.K. market. Our objective is to replicate ECP's exceptional 2-step distribution and logistics model, in the industry-leading fill rates with Sator and the recent acquisition of the 5 distributors in the Netherlands. And of course, we intend on expanding this model into other European markets and remain committed to our European strategy and the long-term growth prospects for this segment. In closing, our team of over 28,000 employees, working across our geographic and operating segments, collaborate daily to leverage their combined operational expertise with a common goal of maximizing our growth and diversification strategy. This collaboration, coupled with our ability to successfully identify, acquire, integrate and grow these businesses, continues to create a long-term value for our stockholders. Operator, we are now prepared to open the call for Q&A.