ARKO Arko Corp. - 10-K
0001193125-26-071464Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is -0.04pp more bearish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase- adversely+13
- adverse+11
- conflicts+11
- damage+4
- disputes+4
- able+4
- opportunities+2
- effective+2
- successfully+1
- favorable+1
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
13,126 words
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including the audited consolidated financial statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K (the “Consolidated Financial Statements”) and the notes thereto and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” If any of the following risks occur, our business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. Some statements in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including statements in the following risk factors, constitute forward-looking statements.
Risks Related to Our Business and Industry
Changes in economic conditions, tax or trade policy, and consumer confidence in the U.S. could materially adversely affect our business.
Our operations and the scope of services we provide are affected by changes in the macro-economic situation in the U.S., which has a direct impact on consumer confidence and spending patterns. A number of key macro-economic factors, such as interest rates and unemployment, could have a negative effect on consumer habits and spending, and lead to lower demand for fuel and other products sold at our convenience stores. The U.S. economy has continued to experience inflationary pressures, which reduce consumer purchasing power. Significant negative developments in the macro-economic environment in the U.S. could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any major changes in tax or trade policy between the U.S. and countries from which we or our suppliers source merchandise and other products for our sites, such as the imposition of additional tariffs or duties on imported products, could require us to take certain actions, including raising prices on products we sell and seeking alternative sources of supply. Any of these actions could adversely affect our reputation and results of operations.
The U.S. government imposes tariffs on certain foreign goods from time to time. Recently, the U.S. has implemented a range of new tariffs and increases to existing tariffs. While certain of the announced tariffs have been delayed, the U.S. government may in the future pause, reimpose or increase tariffs, and countries subject to such tariffs have and in the future may impose reciprocal tariffs or other restrictive trade measures in response. This, in turn, could require us to increase prices to our customers, which may reduce demand, or, if we are unable to increase prices, result in lowering our margin on products sold. There is currently significant uncertainty about the future relationship between the U.S. and other countries with respect to trade policies, taxes, government regulations and tariffs. and we cannot predict whether, and to what extent, current tariffs will continue or trade policies will change in the future. We cannot predict the extent to which the U.S. or other countries will impose quotas, duties, tariffs, taxes or other similar restrictions upon the import or export of our products in the future, nor can we predict future trade policy or the terms of any renegotiated trade agreements and their impact on our business. The adoption and expansion of trade restrictions, the occurrence of a trade war, or other governmental action related to tariffs or trade agreements or policies has the potential to adversely impact demand for our products, our costs, our customers, our suppliers, and the U.S. economy, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
The Russia-Ukraine War, Israel-Hamas War, events occurring in response thereto and any expansion of hostilities, as well as the political, economic and social instability in Venezuela and Iran, may have an adverse impact on our business, our future results of operations, and our overall financial performance.
The effects on our business, financial condition, and results of operations of the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine beginning in February 2022 and between Israel and Hamas beginning in October 2023, as well as the political, economic and social instability in Venezuela and Iran, are impossible to predict. Any increase in sanctions, escalation of the conflicts, including the regional or global expansion of hostilities, and other future developments could significantly affect the global economy, lead to market volatility and supply chain disruptions, have an adverse impact on energy prices, including prices for crude oil, other feedstocks, and
refined petroleum products, have an adverse impact on the margins from our wholesale distribution and fleet fueling operations, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
If our acquisitions or divestitures are not on economically acceptable terms, or if our acquisitions do not perform as we expect, our future growth may be negatively impacted.
Our growth strategy includes the acquisition of other companies or assets that either complement or expand our existing businesses. The execution of our growth strategy also includes opportunistic divestitures. Any such acquisitions or divestitures will be subject to the negotiation of definitive agreements, applicable governmental approvals and consents, including under applicable antitrust laws, and, in certain instances, satisfactory financing arrangements. We cannot assure you that we will be able to identify suitable transactions and, even if we are able to identify such transactions, that we will be able to consummate any such transactions on economically acceptable terms. Any acquisitions or divestitures that we pursue may involve a number of risks, including some or all of the following:
the diversion of management’s attention from our core business;
the disruption of our ongoing business;
inaccurate assessment of liabilities or assets and lack of adequate protections or potential related indemnities;
the inability to successfully integrate our acquisitions;
the inability to achieve the anticipated synergies and financial improvements;
the loss of key customers or employees;
increasing demands on our operational systems;
the integration of information systems and internal control over financial reporting; and
possible adverse effects on our reported results of operations or financial position.
There is intense competition for acquisition opportunities in our industry, and we may not be able to identify attractive acquisition opportunities. Competition for acquisitions may also increase the cost of, or cause us to refrain from, completing acquisitions. We may complete acquisitions, which, contrary to our expectations, ultimately do not prove to be accretive. If any of these events were to occur, our future growth may be negatively impacted. We also may not recognize the anticipated benefits, including operating advantages and cost savings, of divestitures that we pursue. If we do not realize the expected strategic, economic or other benefits of any divestiture or if we are unable to offset impacts from the loss of revenue associated with such divestiture, it could materially and adversely affect our business, cash flows, financial condition and results of operations.
We may be unable to successfully integrate acquired operations or otherwise realize the expected benefits from our acquisitions, which could adversely affect the expected benefits from our acquisitions and our results of operations and financial condition.
Any acquisition involves the integration of the business of two companies that have previously operated independently. The difficulties of combining the operations of the two businesses include: integrating personnel with diverse business backgrounds; familiarizing employees with new systems; converting customers to new loyalty platforms; and combining different corporate cultures.
The process of integrating operations could cause an interruption of, or loss of momentum in, the activities of the business, and the loss of key personnel or customers. The diversion of management’s attention and any delay or difficulty encountered in connection with the integration of the two companies’ operations could have an adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
The success of our acquisitions depends, in part, on our ability to realize the anticipated benefits from combining the acquired business with ours. If we are unable to successfully integrate an acquired business, the anticipated benefits of such acquisition may not be realized fully or may take longer to realize than expected which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. For example, we may fail to realize the anticipated increase in earnings anticipated to be derived from an acquisition or the synergies expected, or there could be higher expenses related to the acquired business than expected. In addition, as with any acquisition, a significant decline in asset valuations or cash flows may also cause us not to realize expected benefits.
If our conversion of certain retail stores within our retail segment to dealer locations within our wholesale segment does not result in the anticipated benefits of such conversion, then our growth may be negatively impacted and could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
A part of our Transformation Plan includes the conversion of a meaningful number of retail stores within our retail segment to dealer locations within our wholesale segment. The success of these conversions depends, in part, on our ability to realize the
anticipated benefits from the related new dealer fuel supply contracts. If the terms of the new fuel supply contracts are not as favorable as we had anticipated, the anticipated benefits of such conversions may not be realized fully, if at all, or may take longer to realize than expected which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, we may lose certain economies of scale with respect to our purchasing power that are provided by the current scope of our retail operations.
Our future growth depends on our ability to successfully implement our growth strategies, a part of which consists of upgrading and remodeling our convenience stores and constructing NTI stores.
A part of our growth strategy consists of functional and full remodeling of our convenience stores, as well as building new convenience stores. Such upgrades, remodeling and building projects, regardless of scale, entail significant risks, including development, conceptual and timing risks. Specifically, with the execution of remodeling and building strategies, risks include shortages of materials and skilled labor, environmental or geological problems, work stoppages, weather interference, unanticipated cost increases and non-availability of construction equipment. Such risks, in addition to potential difficulties in obtaining any required licenses and permits, could lead to significant cost increases and substantial delays in opening remodeled or new convenience stores. In certain instances, these factors have led to delays and increased costs for our projects, and there can be no assurance that we will be able to achieve our growth targets by successfully implementing this strategy.
Significant changes in current consumption of cigarettes and other tobacco products and related regulations and litigation could materially adversely affect our business.
Cigarettes and other tobacco products accounted for approximately 38% of our total merchandise revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025. Significant increases in wholesale cigarette and other tobacco product prices, current and future tobacco legislation, including restrictions or bans on flavored and menthol tobacco products and related advertising, national, state and local campaigns to discourage smoking, a decrease in the consumption of cigarettes, increases in retail cigarette prices, lawsuits against manufacturers and retailers of cigarettes and other tobacco products, reductions in manufacturer rebates for the purchase of tobacco products and increases in, and new, taxes on cigarettes and other tobacco products could have a material adverse effect on the demand for tobacco products, and on our customer transactions and, in turn, on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our financial condition and results of operations are influenced by changes in the wholesale prices of motor fuel, which may materially adversely impact our sales, operations, customers’ financial condition and the availability of trade credit.
During the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel sales were approximately 79% of our total revenues and approximately 47% of our combined fuel, merchandise and other income margin. Generally, our retail fuel inventory on hand turns quickly in the ordinary course of our business. Our operating results are influenced by prices for motor fuel, variable retail, consignment and cardlock margins and the market for such products. Crude oil and domestic wholesale motor fuel markets are volatile. The margins we earn on our wholesale and fleet fueling segments’ sales, and the gallons of fuel we sell, are dependent on a number of factors outside our control, including the overall supply of refined products, overall market conditions, the demand for these products, competition from third parties, and the price of crude oil and domestic wholesale motor fuel. General political conditions, tariffs, trade wars, acts of war or terrorism and instability in oil producing regions, particularly in the Middle East, Russia, Africa and South America, could significantly affect crude oil supplies and wholesale fuel prices. Significant increases and volatility in wholesale fuel prices could result in substantial increases in the retail price of motor fuel products, lower fuel gross margin per gallon, lower demand for such products and lower sales to customers and dealers. As motor fuel prices decrease, so do our prompt payment incentives, which are generally calculated as a percentage of the total purchase price of the motor fuel we distribute.
Conversely, as motor fuel prices increase, the margins we realize at our retail, consignment and certain of our fleet fueling locations generally decrease as a result of the delay with which retail prices respond to wholesale price changes. This volatility makes it extremely difficult to predict the impact future wholesale cost fluctuations will have on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, because the interchange fees we pay when credit cards are used to make purchases are based on transaction amounts, higher fuel prices at the pump result in higher credit card expenses. These additional fees increase operating expenses. We occasionally lock in fuel prices by committing to purchase fuel in the future at a certain price. If the spot price for fuel at the time we actually take delivery of such product is less than what we paid for it, our margins could be negatively impacted. Fuel futures contracts to hedge price volatility may not perform as intended, which may negatively impact our margins. Extended periods of market conditions that result in us earning margins lower than anticipated or in us selling fewer gallons of product to wholesale and fleet fueling customers, for any of the reasons set forth above or otherwise, could adversely affect our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
Additionally, when diesel fuel prices rise, this results in higher truck shipping costs which causes shippers to consider alternative means for transporting freight, which may reduce trucking business and, in turn, may reduce our fuel sales volume. High diesel fuel prices may also cause our trucking customers to seek cost savings throughout their businesses, including measures which reduce total fuel consumption and may in turn reduce our fuel sales volume. Finally, higher prices for motor fuel may reduce our access to trade credit or worsen the terms under which such credit is available to us, or may affect dealers, who may have insufficient
credit to purchase motor fuel from us at their historical volumes, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Significant changes in demand for fuel-based modes of transportation and for trucking services could materially adversely affect our business.
The road transportation fuel and convenience business is generally driven by consumer preferences, growth of road traffic, demand for trucking services, and trends in travel and tourism. Automotive, industrial and power generation manufacturers are developing more fuel-efficient engines, hybrid engines, electric vehicles and alternative clean power systems. Developments aimed at reducing greenhouse gas (“GHG”) emissions’ contribution to climate change may decrease the demand or increase the cost for our major product, petroleum-based motor fuel. Attitudes toward this product and its relationship to the environment may significantly affect our effectiveness in marketing our product and sales. Efforts to steer the public toward non-petroleum-based fuel dependent modes of transportation such as electric, hybrid, battery powered, hydrogen or other alternative fuel-powered motor vehicles may foster a negative perception toward motor fuel or increase costs for our product, thus affecting the public’s attitude toward our primary product. In 2025, electric vehicles accounted for approximately 7.8% of all light vehicle sales in the United States. In addition, truck and other vehicle manufacturers and our customers continue to focus on ways to improve motor vehicle fuel efficiency and conserve fuel, including use of truck platooning, or the electronic linking of trucks with a lead vehicle, heat and kinetic energy recovery technologies, substantially lighter “super trucks” and higher efficiency motor fuels. In addition, there are government regulations at various levels of government aimed at reducing emissions and increasing fuel efficiency (e.g., EV mandates, fuel efficiency standards and low emission zones) and other factors to accelerate the transition to electric vehicles, which could reduce demand for our products and services. Demand for trucking services in the U.S. generally reflects the amount of commercial activity in the U.S. economy. When the U.S. economy declines, demand for goods moved by trucks usually declines, and in turn demand for diesel fuel supplied by our fleet fueling segment typically declines, which could significantly harm our results of operations and financial condition. Significant developments in any of the above-listed factors could lead to substantial changes in the demand for petroleum-based fuel and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We operate in a highly competitive, fragmented industry characterized by many similar competing products and services, and our inability to successfully compete could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We compete with other convenience stores, gas stations, large and small food retailers, quick service restaurants and dollar stores, as well as companies that provide delivered fuels. Because all such competitors offer products and services that are very similar to those offered by us, a number of key factors determine our ability to successfully compete in the marketplace. These include the location of stores and our competitors’ locations, competitive pricing, brand name recognition, convenient access routes, the quality, configuration and efficiency of stores and fueling facilities, and a high level of service. In particular, many large convenience store chains have expanded their number of locations and remodeled their existing locations in recent years, enhancing their competitive position. In addition, some of our competitors have greater financial resources and scale than us, which may provide them with competitive advantages in negotiating fuel and other supply arrangements.
Our inability to successfully compete in the marketplace by continuously meeting customer requirements concerning price, quality and service level could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Negative events or developments associated with branded motor fuel suppliers could have a material adverse impact on our revenues.
The success of our operations is dependent, in part, on the continuing favorable reputation, market value and name recognition associated with the motor fuel brands sold at our gas stations and to dealers. An event which adversely affects the value of those brands could have a negative impact on the volumes of motor fuel we distribute, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We depend on several principal suppliers for our fuel purchases, third-party transportation providers for the transportation of most of our motor fuel and one principal supplier for merchandise. A failure by a principal supplier to renew its supply agreement, a disruption in supply, a significant change in supplier relationships or a significant incident related to a supplier could have a material adverse effect on our business and results of operations.
We depend on several principal suppliers for our fuel purchases, and we depend on one major vendor to supply a majority of our in-store merchandise. A significant disruption or operational failure affecting the operations of any of our suppliers, including its ability to have adequate supply at its fuel terminals, could materially impact the availability, quality and price of products and fuel we sell, cause us to incur substantial unanticipated costs and expenses, and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our fuel supply agreements expire on various dates through June 2032. If any of our principal suppliers elects not to renew their contracts with us, we may be unable to replace the volume of motor fuel we currently purchase from such supplier on similar terms or at all. We rely upon our suppliers to timely provide the volumes and types of motor fuels for which they contract. In times of extreme market demand, supply disruption or as a result of futures market and geopolitical conditions, we may be unable to acquire
enough fuel, including diesel fuel in particular, to satisfy the demand of our customers. Most of the motor fuel we distribute is transported from terminals to gas stations and cardlock locations by third-party transportation providers. Such providers may suspend, reduce or terminate their obligations to us if certain events (such as force majeure) occur, or may be subject to a shortage of drivers that results in a disruption in service. A change of key transportation providers, a disruption or cessation in services or supply provided by our providers, a significant change in our relationship with our suppliers or a significant accident or other incident involving a transportation provider could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A significant portion of our revenue is generated under fuel supply agreements with dealers that must be renegotiated or replaced periodically. If we are unable to successfully renegotiate or replace these agreements, then our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
A significant portion of our revenue is generated under fuel supply agreements with dealers. As these supply agreements expire, they must be renegotiated or replaced. Our fuel supply agreements generally have an initial term of 10 years. As of December 31, 2025, the volume-weighted average remaining term for our dealers was approximately 5.4 years. Our dealers have no obligation to renew their fuel supply agreements with us on similar terms or at all. We may be unable to renegotiate or replace our fuel supply agreements when they expire, and the terms of any renegotiated fuel supply agreements may not be as favorable as the terms of the agreements they replace. Whether these fuel supply agreements are successfully renegotiated or replaced is frequently subject to factors beyond our control. Such factors include fluctuations in motor fuel prices, a dealer’s ability to pay for or accept the contracted volumes and a competitive marketplace for the services offered by us. If we cannot successfully renegotiate or replace our fuel supply agreements, or must renegotiate or replace them on less favorable terms, revenues from these agreements could decline and our results of operations and financial condition could be adversely affected.
The retail sale, distribution, transportation and storage of motor fuels is subject to environmental protection and operational safety laws and regulations, business interruptions and inherent hazards and risks that may expose us, our customers or suppliers to significant costs and liabilities, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
Our operations—including the sale, distribution, transportation, and storage of fuel products—and those of our suppliers and customers are subject to various environmental, health, safety, and operational risks that could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We and our facilities, particularly the operation of gas stations, and the storage, transportation and sale of fuel products, as well as the operations of our suppliers and customers, are subject to extensive federal, state and local environmental, health and safety laws, and regulations, in particular, those related to the quality of fuel products, the handling and disposal of hazardous wastes and the prevention and remediation of environmental contaminations. These continue to evolve and have generally become more stringent over time. We invest financial and managerial resources to comply with environmental laws and regulations and believe such investment will be necessary for the foreseeable future. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations may result in the assessment of administrative, civil, and criminal penalties, the imposition of remedial obligations, the issuance of orders enjoining our operations, or other claims and complaints. Additionally, our insurance and compliance costs may increase as a result of changes in environmental laws and regulations or changes in enforcement. These laws and regulations, as well as any new laws and regulations affecting fuel quality standards or the sale, distribution transportation and storage of motor fuels, have tended to become increasingly restrictive over time and could adversely affect our business and operating results by increasing our costs, limiting the demand for our products and services, or restricting our operations in the future. Most compliance costs are embedded in normal business operations. However, it is uncertain how much additional investment in technology, facilities, or increased operating costs will be necessary to address hazardous materials, environmental restoration, or new regulatory requirements.
Accidental leaks, spills, or other releases have occurred at our facilities and may continue to occur during our operations, potentially resulting in corrective actions, which can be costly, or environmental investigations at our facilities, leased locations, or third-party sites we manage. We may also face liability at non-company sites where our products have been handled or disposed of, particularly if prior practices—even if acceptable at the time—require remediation to meet current standards.
Most of our fuel is transported by third-party carriers to our retail, dealer and fleet fueling sites. A portion of fuel is transported in our own trucks, therefore, our operations are also subject to hazards and risks inherent in transporting motor fuel. These hazards and risks include, but are not limited to, fires, explosions, traffic accidents, spills, discharges and other releases, and cross-drops, any of which could result in distribution difficulties and disruptions, environmental pollution, governmentally-imposed fines or clean-up obligations, personal injury or wrongful death claims and other damage to our properties and the properties of others.
The transportation of motor fuels, as well as the associated storage of such fuels at locations including convenience stores, are subject to various federal, state and local environmental laws and regulations, covering storage tanks, material releases, hazardous waste management, and employee safety. These regulations require permits, compliance with pollution standards, and impose liability for pollution or non-compliance. Federal and state authorities, including the DOT and EPA, monitor compliance and may impose fines, penalties, or orders to halt operations.
Where releases of motor fuels, other pollutants, substances or wastes have occurred, federal and state laws and regulations, and our lease agreements, require that contamination caused by such releases be assessed and remediated to meet applicable clean-up standards. Certain environmental laws impose strict, joint and several liability without regard to negligence or fault on current and former site owners and operators for costs required to clean-up and restore sites where motor fuels or other waste products have been disposed of or otherwise released. We may also be exposed to potential liability for personal injury or property damage caused by any release, spill, exposure or other accident involving such pollutants, substances or wastes. Private parties may also have the right to pursue legal actions to enforce compliance, as well as to seek damages for non-compliance, with environmental and safety laws and regulations or for personal injury or property damage. The costs associated with the investigation and remediation of contamination, as well as any associated third-party claims for damages or to impose corrective action obligations, could be substantial and could have a material adverse effect on us or our dealers.
Our business , and the businesses of our suppliers and customers, may also be affected by the adoption of environmental laws and regulations intended to address global climate change by limiting carbon emissions and introducing more stringent requirements for the exploration, drilling, transportation and use of crude oil and petroleum products. A number of state and regional efforts have emerged to address climate change and GHG, including efforts that are aimed at tracking or reducing GHG emissions by means of cap-and-trade or carbon tax programs. Although it is not possible at this time to predict how new legislation or regulations that may be adopted to address GHG emissions would impact us, any future laws and regulations imposing reporting obligations on, or limiting emissions of GHGs from our or our suppliers’ or customers’ equipment and operations, could require us to incur costs to reduce or measure emissions of GHGs associated with operations. Restrictions on emissions of methane or carbon dioxide that may be imposed in various states or international jurisdictions, as well as international, state and local climate change initiatives, such as increased energy or fuel efficiency standards or mandates for renewable energy sources, could adversely affect our business or the business of our suppliers or customers. Widespread implementation of such laws and regulations may lead to a significant increase in the cost of petroleum-based fuels, or otherwise lower demand for road transportation fuel, which may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our financial condition as a whole.
Upon entering office, the current federal U.S. administration issued a series of executive orders that signaled a significant shift in the United States energy, environmental and climate change policy from the prior U.S. presidential administration. Among other directives, such executive orders: (i) direct federal agencies to identify and exercise emergency authorities to facilitate conventional energy production, transportation and refining and call for the use of emergency regulations to expedite energy infrastructure projects; (ii) rescission of pre-existing executive actions meant to address climate change, including initiation of the withdrawal of the U.S. from the Paris Agreement and other climate change- focused international initiatives; (iii) promote energy exploration and production on federal lands and waters; (iv) mandate a review of existing regulations that may burden domestic energy development; and (v) pause disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, including funds intended to support renewable energy and electric vehicle technologies. The administration has since proposed or promulgated a variety of regulatory initiatives, other executive actions and legislative proposals intended to further these and other policy priorities. These efforts include executive actions, regulatory actions, and legislative initiatives rescinding or limiting funding and tax provisions of the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 in support of renewable energy technologies and electric vehicle adoption discussed above, including the One Big Beautiful Bill Act enacted on July 4, 2025 and the retraction of the 2009 “endangerment finding” that greenhouse gases are dangerous to human health. The outcome or effects of such policy changes cannot be predicted at this time. The long-term impact of such actions, and any future actions taken during the current administration, on our and our suppliers’ and customers’ operations or the demand for our products and services, if any, is difficult to predict at this time; however, they may result in increased activity from other policymakers, including at the state and local level, or from the private sector, which may adversely impact our operations or those of our value chain.
For more information on potential risks arising from environmental and occupational safety and health laws and regulations, please see “ Business—Environmental and Other Government Regulations .”
Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could result in liabilities, penalties, costs, or license suspension or revocation that could have a material adverse effect on our business. In addition, future regulations, or more stringent enforcement of existing regulations, could increase those costs and liabilities, which could adversely affect our financial position and results of operations.
Our operations are subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations, including regulations related to the sale of alcohol, cigarettes and other tobacco products, lottery products, other age-restricted products, operation of gaming machines, various food safety and product quality requirements, environmental laws and regulations, and various employment laws, including requirements for various licenses and registrations. To the extent we are not able to provide information that is required under such regulations because owners of our stock or our officers and directors do not provide the necessary documentation to comply or fail to comply with such regulations, we may have those licenses suspended or revoked, or new licenses may not be issued.
Our violation of, or inability to comply with, such regulations could expose us to regulatory sanctions ranging from criminal liability or monetary fines to the revocation or suspension of our permits and licenses for the sale of such products. We may also be
subject to litigation including class action litigation which may result in substantial costs, expenses and damages related to legal proceedings. Such regulatory action or litigation could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our failure to comply with applicable labor and employment laws pertaining to, among others, minimum wage, overtime, rest breaks, mandated healthcare benefits or paid time-off benefits could result in increased regulatory scrutiny, monetary fines and substantial costs and expenses related to legal proceedings.
Additionally, we may not be able to comply with new or amended laws and regulations that are adopted, and any new or amended laws and regulations could require us to modify our operations or equipment, shut down our facilities or obtain additional permits or approvals. Additionally, our customers and suppliers may not be able to comply with any new or amended laws and regulations, which could cause our customers or suppliers to curtail or cease operations.
We are subject to extensive tax liabilities imposed by multiple jurisdictions that potentially have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to extensive tax liabilities imposed by multiple jurisdictions, including income taxes, fuel excise taxes, sales and use taxes, payroll taxes, franchise taxes, property taxes and tobacco taxes. Many of these tax liabilities are subject to periodic audits by the respective taxing authorities. Changes in the tax laws could arise as a result of the base erosion and profit shifting project undertaken by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (“OECD”). In December 2022, the European Union (“EU”) member states reached an agreement to implement the minimum tax component (“Pillar Two”) of the OECD’s tax reform initiative. The directive was enacted into the national law of the EU member states in 2023. If similar directives under Pillar Two are adopted by other taxing authorities, such changes could increase the amount of taxes we pay and therefore decrease our results of operations and cash flow. Additionally, substantial changes or reforms in the current tax regime could result in increased tax expenses and potentially have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We lease certain of our sites from third parties; and our dealers control other sites, all of which could result in increased costs and disruptions to our operations.
We lease a portion of our sites from third parties under long-term arrangements with various expiration dates. We are also a party to master leases. We also lease or sublease properties to certain of our dealers, and a default by the dealer under its lease or sublease could result in us losing a supply relationship. Such defaults by a significant number of our dealers could materially adversely affect our business. Additionally, we are subject to the possibility that we are unable to renew such leases or are only able to do so with increased costs or more onerous terms. The occurrence of any of the foregoing could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
We may not be able to lease sites we own or sublease sites we lease on favorable terms and any such failure could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We may lease or sublease certain sites to dealers. If we are unable to obtain tenants or subtenants on favorable terms for sites we own or lease, the resulting rental payments may be insufficient to cover our costs for the site. We cannot provide any assurance that the margins on our distribution of motor fuel to these sites will be sufficient to offset our operating costs or unfavorable lease terms. The occurrence of these events could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We rely on a large number of store employees. If we do not effectively manage our workforce, our labor costs and results of operations could be adversely affected.
With approximately 8,450 store employees, our labor costs represent one of our largest site operating expenses and our business is dependent on our ability to attract, train, and retain the appropriate mix of qualified employees. Most of our store employees are in entry-level or part-time positions, which historically have high turnover rates. Current employment trends and the prevailing wage rates in the markets in which we operate, including voluntary increases in wages because of current labor market conditions, have increased our costs associated with recruiting and retaining qualified personnel, and may continue to do so in the future. Our ability to meet our changing labor needs while controlling our costs is subject to external factors outside of our control such as labor laws and mandatory requirements at the local, state and federal levels (such as minimum wages, overtime, rest breaks, paid leave time, and other social benefits), unemployment levels, prevailing wage rates, benefit costs, changing demographics, and our reputation and relevance within the labor market. If we are unable to attract and retain qualified personnel to work in our stores, do not provide proper training, or provide clear succession planning, our operations, customer service levels, reputation, and competitiveness could suffer and our results of operations could be adversely affected.
The loss of key senior management personnel or the failure to recruit or retain qualified senior management personnel could materially adversely affect our business.
We are dependent on the ability to recruit, train and retain qualified individuals to manage our business. Economic factors, the state of the current labor market and availability of other employment options for our management personnel could impact our ability to recruit and retain qualified personnel that could have a material impact on our results of operations and impact our ability to
execute upon our strategic goals. If we do not provide proper training and clear succession planning or are unable to entice the necessary talent to join our company and retain our employees over time, we may not have appropriate staff to be promoted to management roles as they become available. Additionally, we are dependent on certain key employees to operate our business and the loss of any of our executive officers or other key employees could harm our business.
Unfavorable seasonal weather or other climatic conditions could adversely affect our business.
Weather conditions have a significant effect on our sales, as retail customer transactions in higher profit margin products generally increase when weather conditions are favorable. Consequently, our results are seasonal, and we typically earn more during the warmer second and third quarters of the year. Severe weather phenomena, such as hurricanes, floods, and blizzards, may adversely affect our results of operations due to increased costs associated with such weather conditions, possible significant damage to our retail, dealer and fleet fueling locations, and possible interruption of distributions to our retail, dealer and fleet fueling locations. Temporary or long-term disruptions to our supply chain in connection with unfavorable weather conditions could impact our network of suppliers and distributors, significantly impacting the quality, variety and pricing of merchandise and fuel sold at our sites. Climate change is expected to increase the frequency and intensity of these and other weather phenomena, as well as contribute to various chronic changes (including in meteorological and hydrological patterns) which may result in similar risks or otherwise adversely impact our operations. While we may, from time to time, take actions to mitigate associated risks, we cannot guarantee that such efforts will be successful. For example, an increase in frequency and intensity of natural disasters may adversely impact the availability or cost of insurance
We are subject to risks regarding sustainability matters.
There is ongoing scrutiny from investors, customers, policymakers and other stakeholders regarding companies’ management of climate change, human capital, and various other sustainability matters. We engage in various initiatives (including disclosures) to help manage such matters and address stakeholder expectations; however, such initiatives can be costly and may not have the desired effect. For example, many sustainability initiatives leverage methodologies, standards, and data that are complex and continue to evolve. As with other companies, we expect our approach to evolve as well, and we cannot guarantee that the approach will align with the expectations or preferences of any particular stakeholder. Stakeholders have different, and at times conflicting, expectations. Both advocates and opponents of such matters are increasingly resorting to activism, including litigation, to advance their perspectives. Similarly, policymakers (including certain states) have taken various actions to advance or constrain consideration of certain sustainability matters, and this divergence may increase the cost and complexity of compliance and any associated risks. Addressing stakeholder expectations and regulatory requirements may be costly and any failure to successfully navigate such expectations or requirements may result in reputational harm, loss of customers or contracts, changes in the availability or cost of capital, regulatory or investor engagement, or other adverse impacts to our business.
We are subject to payment-related risks that may result in higher operating costs or the inability to process payments, either of which could harm our brand, reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
We and our dealers accept a variety of credit cards and debit cards and, accordingly, we and our dealers are, and will continue to be, subject to significant and evolving regulations and compliance requirements, including obligations to implement enhanced authentication processes that could result in increased costs and liability and reduce the ease of use of certain payment methods. Additionally, we pay, and in some cases pass-through, interchange and other fees, which may increase over time.
Europay, MasterCard and Visa, or EMV, is a global standard for credit cards that uses computer chips to authenticate and secure chip-card transactions. We may be liable for fraudulent credit card transactions at the fuel dispensers. As of December 31, 2025, the majority of our owned fuel dispensers were EMV-compliant.
We rely on fuel brands and independent service providers for payment processing, including credit and debit cards. If these fuel brands and independent service providers become unwilling or unable to provide these services to us, if the cost of using these providers increases, or if such providers have a data breach or mishandle our data, our business could be harmed. Additionally, there is a trend toward cardless payment methods, which may require additional investment to implement at our locations. As these trends develop, we will need to align our fleet card offering to the new technologies.
We are also subject to payment card association operating rules and agreements, including data security rules and agreements and certification requirements which could change or be reinterpreted to make it difficult or impossible for us to comply. In particular, we must comply with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS, a set of requirements designed to ensure that all companies that process, store or transmit payment card information maintain a secure environment to protect cardholder data. If we, or our third-party service providers, fail to comply with any of these rules or requirements, or if our, or our third-party service providers, data security systems are breached or compromised, we may be liable for losses incurred by card issuing banks or customers, subject to fines and higher transaction fees, lose our ability to accept credit or debit card payments from our customers, or process electronic fund transfers or facilitate other types of payments. Any failure to comply with such rules or requirements could significantly harm our brand, reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.
Significant disruptions of information technology systems, breaches of data security or other cybersecurity incidents, or compromised data could materially adversely affect our business.
We rely on multiple information technology systems and a number of third-party vendor platforms (collectively, “IT Systems”) in order to run and manage our daily operations, including for fuel pricing, loyalty programs, payroll, accounting, budgeting, reporting, and site operations. Such IT Systems allow us to manage various aspects of our business, communicate with customers, and to provide reliable analytical information to our management. The future operation, success and growth of our business depends on streamlined processes made available through our uninhibited access to information systems, global communications, internet activity and other network processes. Like most other companies, despite our current cybersecurity risk management framework (see “Cybersecurity” for additional detail) and process controls, our IT Systems, those of our third-party service providers and our customers, may be vulnerable to information security breaches, ransomware or extortion, mishandled data, acts of vandalism, computer viruses and interruption or loss of valuable business data. Stored data might be improperly accessed due to a variety of events beyond our control, including, but not limited to, damage and interruption from power loss or natural disasters, computer system and network failures, loss of telecommunications services, physical and electronic loss of access to data and information, terrorist attacks, hackers, security breaches or other security incidents, and computer viruses or attacks. We rely on third-parties to provide maintenance and support of our IT Systems, and to store our data (including customer data) and a failure of any of these third-parties to provide adequate and timely support, or compromise of these third-parties’ systems, could adversely affect the operation of our IT Systems. We have technology security initiatives and disaster recovery plans in place to mitigate our risk to these vulnerabilities, but these measures may not be adequately designed or implemented to ensure that our operations are not disrupted or the data security breaches do not occur.
Hackers and data thieves are increasingly sophisticated and operate large-scale and complex attacks which may remain undetected until after they occur. Such attacks also may be further enhanced in frequency or effectiveness through threat actors’ use of artificial intelligence. Any breach of our network or those of our vendors may result in damage to our reputation, the loss of valuable business data, the misappropriation of our valuable intellectual property or trade secret information, misappropriation of our customers’ or employees’ personal information, key personnel being unable to perform duties or communicate throughout the organization, loss of sales, significant costs for data restoration and other adverse impacts on our business. Despite our existing security procedures and controls, if our network or the network of one of our service providers was compromised, it could give rise to unwanted media attention, materially damage our customer relationships, harm our business, reputation, results of operations, cash flows and financial condition, result in fines or litigation, and may increase the costs we incur to protect against such information security breaches, such as increased investment in technology, the costs of compliance with consumer protection laws and costs resulting from consumer fraud. In addition, successful cyberattacks, data breaches, or data security incidents, at one of our vendors, other convenience store operators, large retailers or other market participants, whether or not we are directly impacted, could lead to a general loss of customer confidence or affect our supply chain which could negatively affect us, including harming the market perception of the effectiveness of our security measures or harming the reputation of the industry in general, which could result in reduced use of our products and services.
The costs of mitigating cybersecurity risks are significant and are likely to increase in the future. These costs include, but are not limited to, retaining the services of cybersecurity providers; compliance costs arising out of existing and future cybersecurity, data protection and privacy laws and regulations; costs related to maintaining redundant networks, data backups and other damage-mitigation measures; and extra administrative costs to mitigate risk and deal with any system breaches. While we maintain cyber liability insurance, our insurance may not be sufficient to protect against all losses we may incur due to policy exclusions or if we suffer significant or multiple attacks.
We are subject to evolving laws, regulations, standards, and contractual obligations related to data privacy and security regulations, and our actual or perceived failure to comply with such obligations could harm our reputation, subject us to significant fines and liability, or otherwise adversely affect our business.
As a retailer of merchandise and retailer and wholesaler of fuel, we collect and store large amounts of data on our network, including personal data from customers and other sensitive information concerning our employees, customers and vendors. As such, we are subject to, or affected by, a number of federal, state, and local laws and regulations, as well as contractual obligations and industry standards, that impose certain obligations and restrictions with respect to data privacy and security, and govern our collection, storage, retention, protection, use, processing, transmission, sharing and disclosure of personal and other information including that of our employees, customers, and others. If we are found to have breached any such laws or regulations, we may be subject to enforcement actions that require us to change our business practices in a manner which may negatively impact our revenue, as well as expose us to litigation, fines, civil and/or criminal penalties and adverse publicity that could cause our customers to lose trust in us, negatively impacting our reputation and business in a manner that harms our financial position.
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission (the “FTC”) and state governments require companies to implement data security and privacy measures appropriate to the sensitivity of customer information, business size, and available tools. Failure to meet these expectations may result in claims of unfair or deceptive practices under the FTC Act or similar state laws, leading to potential legal actions for privacy and data security violations.
Further, we make public statements about our use and disclosure of personal information through our privacy policies that are posted on our websites and in our loyalty applications. The publication of our privacy policies and other statements that provide promises and assurances about data privacy and security can subject us to potential government or legal action if they are found to be deceptive, unfair or misrepresentative of our actual practices.
As described above, we are also subject to PCI DSS, which is a standard designed to protect credit card account data as mandated by payment card industry entities. We rely on vendors to handle PCI DSS matters and to ensure PCI DSS compliance. Despite our compliance efforts, we may become subject to claims that we have violated the PCI DSS based on past, present, and future business practices. Our actual or perceived failure to comply with the PCI DSS can subject us to fines, termination of banking relationships, and increased transaction fees.
In addition, numerous states already have, and are looking to expand, data protection and privacy legislation requiring companies like ours to consider solutions to meet differing needs and expectations of customers. Similar laws have been proposed at the federal level, reflecting a trend toward more stringent privacy legislation in the United States. The enactment of such laws could have potentially conflicting requirements that would make compliance challenging and we may not be able to monitor and react to all developments in a timely manner.
Our failure, and/or the failure by the various third-party service providers and partners with which we do business, to comply with applicable privacy policies or federal or state laws and regulations or any other obligations relating to privacy, data protection or information security, or any compromise of security that results in the unauthorized release of personal data or other user data, or the perception that any such failure or compromise has occurred, could negatively harm our brand and reputation, result in a loss sales and/or result in fines and/or proceedings by governmental agencies and/or customers, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Our business could suffer if we fail to adequately secure, maintain, and enforce our intellectual property rights.
We rely on our trademarks and trade names to distinguish some of our products and services from those of our competitors, and have registered or applied to register many of these trademarks. We cannot assure you that our trademark applications will be approved. Third-parties may also oppose our trademark applications, or otherwise challenge our use of the trademarks. In the event that our trademarks are successfully challenged, we could be forced to rebrand our products or services, which could result in loss of brand recognition, and could require us to devote resources to advertising and marketing new brands. Further, we cannot assure that competitors will not infringe our trademarks, or that we will have adequate resources to enforce our trademarks. Any claims of intellectual property infringement, even those without merit, could be expensive and time consuming to defend and divert management’s attention, cause us to cease making, licensing or using the products or services that incorporate the challenged intellectual property, require us to rebrand our products or services, if feasible, or require us to enter into royalty or licensing agreements in order to obtain the right to use a third-party’s intellectual property.
We also rely on trademarks that we license from third-parties to identify the branded fuels that we supply and trademarks in our quick service food offerings. If we violate the terms of these licenses, we could be liable for damages, and the licenses could be terminated. The termination or non-renewal of any of these licenses could require us to rebrand or to replace the licensed goods and services, and accordingly could have a material adverse effect on our business, reputation, financial condition and results of operations.
We are subject to business interruption from unplanned events and asset age, and our operations present risks which may not be fully covered by insurance.
Our operations are also subject to business interruptions from unplanned maintenance, fires, explosions, severe weather, power outages, labor disputes, acts of terrorism or other natural or man-made disasters. These events can result in serious injury or loss of life, property damage, environmental harm and significant financial losses. Furthermore, our storage tanks are generally long-lived assets, and some have been in service for many years. The age and condition of our assets could result in increased maintenance or repair expenditures in the future. If any of our facilities, or those of our customers or suppliers, suffer significant damage or are forced to shut down for a significant period of time, it may have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and our financial condition as a whole.
While we maintain comprehensive insurance coverage against the hazards and risks underlying our operations, not all events may be fully insured or insurable or, if covered, the financial amount of such liabilities may exceed our policy limits or fall within applicable deductible or retention limits. We believe our insurance policies are customary in the industry; however, some losses and liabilities associated with our operations may not be covered by our insurance policies. In addition, there can be no assurance that we will be able to obtain similar insurance coverage on favorable terms (or at all) in the future. Significant uninsured losses and liabilities could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, our insurance is subject to high deductibles. As a result, certain large claims, even if covered by insurance, may require a substantial cash outlay by us, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our variable rate debt could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Certain of our outstanding term loans and revolving credit facilities bear interest at variable rates, subjecting us to fluctuations in the short-term interest rate. Beginning in early 2022, in response to significant and prolonged increases in inflation, the U.S. Federal Reserve Board raised interest rates eleven times during 2022 and 2023, which increased the borrowing costs on our variable rate debt. The Federal Reserve Board then paused rate increases in the fourth quarter of 2023 following the deceleration of inflationary growth. More recently, the Federal Reserve began an easing cycle in September 2024 and has continued its policy rate, including additional cuts in December 2024 and September, October and December 2025, and it may seek to further reduce interest rates, increase interest rates or maintain current interest rates. The timing, number and amount of any future interest rate changes are uncertain, and there can be no assurance that rates will continue to decrease at a rate currently predicted or at all, which would in turn negatively impact our borrowing costs. Any future federal fund rate increases could in turn make our financing activities, including those related to our acquisition activity, more costly and limit our ability to refinance existing debt when it matures or pay higher interest rates upon refinancing and increase interest expense on refinanced indebtedness. As of December 31, 2025, approximately 50% of our debt bore interest at variable rates, which is based on CME Group’s forward-looking Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”). Consequently, significant increases in market interest rates would create substantially higher debt service requirements, which could have a material adverse effect on our overall financial condition, including our ability to service our indebtedness.
The agreements governing our indebtedness contain various restrictions and financial covenants that may restrict our business and financing activities.
We depend on the earnings and cash flow generated by our operations in order to meet our debt service obligations. The operating and financial restrictions and covenants in our credit facilities and our 5.125% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Senior Notes”), and any future financing agreements, may restrict our ability to finance future operations or expand our business activities. For example, certain of our credit facilities and our Senior Notes restrict our ability to, among other things: incur additional debt or issue guarantees; incur or permit liens to exist on certain property; pay dividends, redeem stock or make other distributions; make certain investments, acquisitions or other restricted payments; enter into certain types of transactions with affiliates; agree to certain restrictions on the ability of restricted subsidiaries to make payments to us; engage in certain asset sales; modify or terminate certain material contracts; and merge or dispose of all or substantially all of certain entities’ assets.
In addition, certain of the credit agreements governing our credit facilities contain covenants requiring us to maintain certain financial ratios. See “ Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Contractual Obligations and Indebtedness ” for additional information about our credit facilities and our Senior Notes.
Our ability to comply with these restrictions and covenants is uncertain and will be affected by the levels of cash flow from operations and other events or circumstances beyond our control. If market or other economic conditions deteriorate, our ability to comply with these covenants may be impaired. If we violate any provisions of our credit facilities or Senior Notes that are not cured or waived within the appropriate time periods provided in the agreements governing such indebtedness, a significant portion of our indebtedness may become immediately due and payable, and our lenders’ commitment to make further loans to us under certain of our credit facilities may terminate. We might not have, or be able to obtain, sufficient funds to make these accelerated payments.
If we were unable to repay the accelerated amounts, the lenders under our secured credit facilities could proceed against the collateral granted to them to secure such debt. If the payment of our debt is accelerated, our assets may be insufficient to repay such debt in full, which could result in our insolvency.
Risks Related to Our Organizational Structure and Securities
We are the controlling shareholder of APC, a public company, and face potential liability and conflicts arising from that relationship.
As the controlling shareholder of APC, a public company, we may face claims from APC’s minority stockholders alleging that we have breached our fiduciary duties, particularly if we enter into transactions with APC that they view as unfavorable to APC or if we pursue opportunities that they believe should have been presented to APC.
We have entered into, and may continue to enter into, agreements and transactions with related parties, including APC. The agreements we have entered into with APC in connection with its IPO, including the Management Services Agreement, the Employee and Intercompany Matters Agreement, the Omnibus Agreement, the Fuel Distribution Agreement and the Tax Matters Agreement, were prepared when APC was our wholly owned subsidiary and, therefore, such agreements were not approved by a separate or disinterested board of directors. As a result, the terms of those agreements may not reflect terms that would have resulted from arm’s-length negotiations between unaffiliated third parties.
These arrangements may create actual or perceived conflicts of interest. Conflicts of interest may arise in determining the allocation of resources, the pricing of services or products, the timing and terms of payments, and the resolution of disputes under these agreements. In addition, individuals serving as directors, officers, or managers of both us and APC may face competing fiduciary duties. Certain of our executive officers are also executive officers of APC, including our Chairman, President and Chief
Executive Officer, who also serves as the Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of APC. This could create, or appear to create, potential conflicts of interest when we and APC encounter opportunities or face decisions that could have implications for both companies or in connection with the allocation of such officers’ time between APC and us. Although APC has established a conflicts committee to review certain related party transactions, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective in identifying or mitigating all conflicts of interest.
Conflicts of interest may arise in determining the allocation of resources, the pricing of services or products, the timing and terms of payments, and the resolution of disputes under these agreements. In addition, individuals serving as directors, officers, or managers of both us and our related parties may face competing fiduciary duties. These conflicts could result in decisions that favor the interests of related parties over our interests or the interests of our stockholders.
Disputes under related party agreements may be more difficult to resolve due to the ongoing relationships among the parties and the potential for reputational, operational, or financial impacts. If any related party were to terminate, amend, or fail to perform under these agreements, we could experience disruptions to our operations, increased costs, loss of key services or assets, or adverse financial consequences.
Although we have adopted policies and procedures designed to review and approve related party transactions, including, in certain cases, review by our board of directors or an appropriate committee thereof, there can be no assurance that these measures will be effective in identifying or mitigating all conflicts of interest. Any of the foregoing could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The IPO of a minority interest in the APC Business is subject to various risks and uncertainties, any of which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
On February 13, 2026, the IPO of a minority interest in APC, which consists of our wholesale, fleet fueling and GPMP segments, was completed. As a result of the IPO and the formation transactions, we own 75.9% of the economic interests and 94.0% of the combined voting power of APC. We may not be able to achieve the anticipated strategic and financial benefits expected as a result of the APC IPO. In addition, as a result of the APC IPO and the formation transactions, we will only benefit from a portion of any profits and growth of the APC Business in the future, and our historical financial information may not be indicative of future results. Further, the APC Business will be subject to additional costs as a result of being a standalone public company.
Our corporate structure includes Israeli entities that may expose us to additional tax liabilities.
Our corporate structure includes Israeli entities that file tax returns in Israel. Israeli tax authorities may challenge positions taken by such entities with respect to their tax returns. To the extent such a challenge is sustained, this could increase our worldwide effective tax rate and adversely impact our financial position and results of operations. In addition, tax law or regulations in Israel may be amended, and Israeli tax authorities may change their interpretations of existing tax law and regulations such that we may be subject to increased tax liabilities, including upon transfer, termination or liquidation of our entities. We may face additional tax liabilities in transferring cash through our Israeli entities by means of dividends or otherwise to support us, primarily due to withholding tax requirements imposed pursuant to the provisions of the Israeli tax law (which may be reduced under the provisions of the convention between the Government of the United States of America and the Government of Israel with respect to Taxes on Income), which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our charter designates specific courts as the exclusive forum for certain litigation that may be initiated by our stockholders, which could limit our stockholders’ abilities to obtain a favorable judicial forum for disputes with us or our directors, officers or employees.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, as amended (our “charter”), provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum the sole and exclusive forum to the fullest extent permitted by law for (1) any derivative action or proceeding brought on our behalf, (2) any action asserting a claim of breach of a fiduciary duty owed by any of our directors, officers or other employees to us or our stockholders, (3) any action asserting a claim against us or any of our directors or officers or other employees arising pursuant to any provision of the Delaware General Corporation Law (“DGCL”) or, our charter or amended and restated bylaws, (4) any action asserting a claim that is governed by the internal affairs doctrine shall be the Court of Chancery of the State of Delaware (or, if that court lacks subject matter jurisdiction, another federal or state court situated in the State of Delaware) (the “Delaware Forum Provision”). Our charter further provides that unless we consent in writing to the selection of an alternative forum, the federal district court for the District of Delaware shall, to the fullest extent permitted by law, be the sole and exclusive forum for resolving any complaint asserting a cause of action arising under the Securities Act and the Exchange Act (the “Federal Forum Provision”). Any person or entity purchasing or otherwise acquiring any interest in shares of our capital stock shall be deemed to have notice of and consented to this provision.
The Delaware Forum Provision and the Federal Forum Provision may limit a stockholder’s ability to bring a claim in a judicial forum that finds favorable for disputes with us or our directors, officers or other employees, which may discourage lawsuits against us and our directors, officers and other employees. Alternatively, if a court were to find the Delaware Forum Provision or the Federal Forum Provision to be inapplicable or unenforceable in an action, we may incur additional costs associated with resolving
such action in other jurisdictions, which could harm our business, financial condition or results of operations. Notwithstanding the foregoing, stockholders will not be deemed to have waived our compliance with the federal securities laws and the rules and regulations thereunder.
The majority of our common stock is held by a limited number of stockholders and their interests may conflict with yours in the future.
A limited number of stockholders beneficially owned approximately 59% of our outstanding voting stock as of December 31, 2025. Each share of common stock entitles its holders to one vote on all matters presented to stockholders. Accordingly, this limited number of stockholders can have a material impact in the election and removal of our directors and thereby determine corporate and management policies, including potential mergers or acquisitions, payment of dividends, asset sales, amendment of the certificate of incorporation and bylaws and other significant corporate transactions for so long as they retain significant ownership. This concentration of ownership may delay or deter possible changes in control, and reduces the liquidity of our shares, which may reduce the value of an investment in the common stock. So long as they continue to own a significant amount of the combined voting power, even if such amount is less than 50%, they will continue to be able to strongly influence or effectively control our decisions.
The market price and trading volume of our common stock has been and may be volatile and could decline significantly.
The market price of our common stock has been and may continue to be volatile and could decline significantly. Between January 1, 2024 and February 20, 2026, our common stock has ranged from a high of $8.36 per share to a low of $3.65 per share. In addition, the trading volume in our common stock may fluctuate and cause significant price variations to occur. If the market price of our common stock declines significantly, you may be unable to resell your shares at a price above your purchase price We cannot assure you that the market price of our common stock will not fluctuate widely or decline significantly in the future in response to a number of factors, including, among others: the realization of any of the risk factors presented in this Annual Report on Form 10-K; actual or anticipated differences in our estimates, or in the estimates of securities analysts, or the expectations of stockholders, or changes by securities analysts in their estimates of our future earnings; failure of our operating results to meet our published guidance; the performance and market valuations of other similar companies; and broad disruptions in the financial markets, including sudden disruptions in the credit markets.
We own a significant majority of the equity interests in APC. As a result, our valuation and the market price of our common stock may be significantly influenced by the market price of APC’s Class A common stock. The market price of APC’s Class A common stock may be volatile and could fluctuate significantly in response to various factors, many of which are beyond our control, including APC’s operating results, changes in earnings estimates by analysts, and general market conditions. If the market price of APC’s Class A common stock declines, the value of our investment in APC would decline, which could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
In the past, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies following periods of volatility in the market price of their shares. This type of litigation could result in substantial costs and divert our management’s attention and resources, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market could cause the price of our common stock to decline.
As of December 31, 2025, we had 110,860,618 shares of common stock outstanding. We have registered shares of common stock that we may issue under our equity compensation plan. These shares may be sold freely in the public market upon issuance, subject to relevant vesting schedules, and applicable securities laws. Additionally, in the past we have issued, and may issue in the future, equity as part of the purchase price for an acquisition.
Sales of a substantial number of shares of our common stock in the public market or the perception that these sales might occur could depress the market price of our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through the sale of additional equity securities. We are unable to predict the effect that sales may have on the prevailing market price of our common stock.
We may not continue to declare cash dividends or may reduce the amount of cash dividends in the future.
In February 2022, we announced that our board of directors (the “Board”) authorized a regular dividend program under which we commenced payment of quarterly dividends on our common stock, subject to quarterly declarations in the sole discretion of our Board. Any future declarations of dividends, as well as the amount and timing of such dividends, are subject to capital availability and the discretion of our Board, which must evaluate, among other things, whether cash dividends are in the best interest of our stockholders and are in compliance with all applicable laws and any agreements containing provisions that limit our ability to declare and pay cash dividends.
Our ability to pay dividends in the future and their amount will depend upon, among other factors, our cash balances and potential future capital requirements, debt service requirements, earnings, financial condition, the general economic and regulatory
climate, and other factors beyond our control that our Board may deem relevant. Our dividend payments may change from time to time, and we may not continue to declare dividends in the future. A reduction in or elimination of our dividend payments could have a negative effect on our stock price.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVE D STAFF COMMENTS.
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECU RITY.
Cybersecurity risk management is a component of our overall risk management systems and processes and we recognize the importance of evaluating, detecting, and mitigating significant risks related to cybersecurity threats, including operational risks, theft of intellectual property, fraud, injury to employees or customers, and breach of applicable laws.
Our information security program aims to manage these cybersecurity risks and threats that we can reasonably anticipate using different methods, such as third-party assessments, internal IT audits, governance oversight, and risk and compliance reviews. We use various security tools designed to help protect our information systems from cyberattacks and to address any vulnerabilities or incidents in a timely manner, and we rely in part on third-party services to identify, prioritize, assess, reduce, and remediate cybersecurity threats and incidents.
Our information security program also evaluates potential risks associated with certain third-parties with whom we do business, especially our service providers that deal with sensitive employee, business, or customer data. This includes risk evaluation before choosing such vendors, periodic assessment thereafter and if a third-party has a reported cybersecurity incident, we perform an assessment to find and reduce risks related to such third-party incident that may affect us.
Our systems regularly face attacks that aim to interrupt and delay our operations or obtain information from our systems. Any major disruption or nefarious access, to our systems or a third-party’s systems, could lead to disclosure or destruction of data, including employee, customer and corporate information, which may expose us to business, regulatory, litigation and reputation risk and could negatively affect our business and results of operations. As of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, we have not encountered incidents from cybersecurity threats that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our business strategy, results of operations or financial position. Refer to “Item 1A. Risk factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including “Significant disruptions of information technology systems, breaches of data security, or compromised data could materially adversely affect our business” for additional discussion about cybersecurity-related risks.
We perform various tasks designed to protect the Company from cybersecurity incidents, such as: conducting proactive cybersecurity reviews of systems and applications; performing penetration testing using external third-party tools and techniques; conducting employee training; and monitoring emerging laws and regulations related to data protection and information security. We evaluate risks from cyberattacks and technology threats and check our information systems for possible weaknesses. We use a risk quantification model created by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to find, assess and rank cybersecurity and technology risks and create related security controls and protections. Using third-party organizations and ongoing internal assessments, we regularly review and test our information security program to enhance our security measures and planning. We also engage an external auditor to perform an annual payment card industry data security standard review of our security controls protecting payment information, as well as quarterly third-party penetration testing of our cardholder environment and related systems.
We follow incident response and breach management processes that principally consist of four interrelated steps to identify and assess material risks from cybersecurity threats: (1) preparing for a cybersecurity incident; (2) detecting and analyzing a cybersecurity incident; (3) containing, eliminating and recovering from the cybersecurity incident; and (4) analyzing the cybersecurity incident after it is resolved. We assess, rank and prioritize cybersecurity incidents based on their severity and impact on our operations and business. Our information security team, with assistance from our legal team, oversees cybersecurity incident response and breach management processes.
GPM’s Chief Information Officer (“CIO”), who has more than 30 years of technology experience, leads our information security team. We also use additional employees with relevant educational and industry experience to support our information security program.
The Cybersecurity Special Committee, a subcommittee of the Audit Committee (the “Cybersecurity Subcommittee”), consists of four independent directors. The Board’s oversight, including through the Cybersecurity Subcommittee, includes receiving periodic reports from the CIO and other information technology team members on various cybersecurity matters, including risk assessments, mitigation strategies, areas of emerging risks, incidents and industry trends, and other areas of importance. In addition, the Cybersecurity Subcommittee is tasked with oversight of our annual cybersecurity assessment of key cybersecurity risks.
The Board has adopted cybersecurity processes to formalize company-wide procedures related to identifying, managing and assessing cybersecurity threats. In the event of a cybersecurity incident which is potentially material, the CIO must report such incident to the Company’s CEO, CFO, General Counsel and the chair of the Cybersecurity Subcommittee, and these executives and Board member determine whether, based on materiality or potential materiality, to report the cybersecurity incident to the Cybersecurity Subcommittee, which committee makes a determination if such cybersecurity incident requires a public filing.
ITEM 2. PR OPERTIES.
As of December 31, 2025, we owned 409 properties, including 212 retail stores, 52 consignment agent locations, 113 lessee-dealer locations and 32 fleet fueling locations. Additionally, we have long-term control over a leased property portfolio composed of 1,585 locations as of December 31, 2025. Of the leased properties, 906 were retail stores, 136 were consignment agent locations, 387 were lessee-dealer locations and 156 were fleet fueling locations.
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MD&A (Item 7)
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ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FIN ANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (“PSLRA”), Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “Exchange Act”), about our expectations, beliefs, plans and intentions regarding our product development efforts, business, financial condition, results of operations, strategies and prospects. You can identify forward-looking statements by the fact that these statements do not relate to historical or current matters. Rather, forward-looking statements relate to anticipated or expected events, activities, trends or results. Because forward-looking statements relate to matters that have not yet occurred, these statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from any future results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Many factors could cause our actual activities or results to differ materially from the activities and results anticipated in forward-looking statements. These factors include those contained in “Item 1A — Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Forward-looking statements reflect our views only as of the date they are made. We do not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements except as required by applicable law. We intend that all forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbor provisions of PSLRA.
Overview
Based in Richmond, Virginia, ARKO Corp. is one of the largest operators of convenience stores in the United States (“U.S.”), ranked by store count, operating 1,118 retail convenience stores as of December 31, 2025. We are also one of the largest wholesalers of fuel by gallons in the U.S. As of December 31, 2025, we supplied fuel to 2,099 dealer locations and operated 295 proprietary and third-party cardlock locations (unstaffed fueling locations). We are well diversified geographically and as of December 31, 2025, operated in the District of Columbia and more than 30 states in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwestern, Northeastern, Southeastern and Southwestern U.S. We own 100% of GPM Investments, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“GPM”), which was our primary operating entity through the closing of the initial public offering of the Class A common stock of our subsidiary ARKO Petroleum Corp., a Delaware corporation (“APC”), on February 13, 2026 (the “APC IPO”), after which GPM became our primary operating entity for our retail segment and APC became the primary operating entity for our wholesale, fleet fueling and GPMP segments. We own 75.9% of the economic interests and 94.0% of the combined voting power of APC. APC’s Class A common stock began trading on the Nasdaq under the symbol “APC” on February 12, 2026.
Description of Segments
Our reportable segments are described below.
Retail Segment
Our retail segment includes the operation of a chain of retail stores, which includes convenience stores selling fuel products and merchandise to retail customers, from which we generate a significant portion of our revenue and a large proportion of our profitability. At our convenience stores, we own the merchandise and fuel inventory and employ personnel to manage the store.
As of December 31, 2025, we operated the stores under more than 25 regional store brands including 1-Stop, Admiral, Apple Market®, BreadBox, Corner Mart, Dixie Mart, ExpressStop, E-Z Mart®, fas mart®, fastmarket®, Flash Market, Handy Mart, Jetz, Jiffi Stop®, Jiffy Stop, Li’l Cricket, Market Express, Next Door Store®, Pride, Roadrunner Markets, Rose Mart, Rstore, Scotchman®, shore stop®, Speedy’s, SpeedyQ, Town Star, Uncle’s, Village Pantry® and Young’s.
We operate our retail stores centrally with consistent marketing, merchandising and assortment strategies across our brands, but we occasionally offer regional items based on consumer demand in select brands. We believe this approach increases operational efficiencies while preserving flexibility. Our marketing initiatives and merchandising and assortment strategies are centered around offering our customers an assortment of products with an attractive value proposition. Our retail offering includes a wide array of grab-n-go hot and cold prepared foods and dispensed beverages, take home packaged beverages and beer, candy, salty snacks, bakery and packaged sweet snacks, general and seasonal merchandise, cigarettes, and other tobacco products such as moist tobacco, vape, nicotine pouches, and cigars. We have various foodservice offerings at approximately 965 stores, with options including hot and cold grab-n-go foods, such as bakery, Nathan’s® hot dogs and Tornado® roller grill items. We have 140 stores with delis offering a more robust foodservice menu that includes fried chicken, pizza, breakfast sandwiches, chicken tenders, potato wedges and more. We supplement our foodservice offering with approximately 90 quick service major national brand restaurants such as Dunkin’ and Subway. Additionally, we offer a number of traditional convenience store services, including lottery, prepaid products, gift cards, money orders, ATMs, skill gaming, Bitcoin® ATMs and other ancillary product and service offerings. We sell fuel at 1,095 of our retail sites, and we had 211 electric vehicle (“EV”) chargers at 72 of our locations across 16 states as of December 31, 2025. We also generate revenue from car washes at approximately 65 of our locations.
Wholesale Segment
Our wholesale segment supplies fuel to gas stations operated by third-party dealers, sub-wholesalers, and bulk and spot purchasers, on either a cost plus or consignment basis. For cost plus arrangements, the dealers, sub-wholesalers and bulk and spot purchasers, purchase fuel from us, and we earn a fixed mark-up above our cost. The sales price to the dealer is determined according to the terms of the relevant agreement, which typically reflects our total fuel costs plus the cost of transportation, taxes and our fixed margin. Furthermore, we generally retain any prompt pay discounts and rebates from our fuel suppliers. For consignment arrangements, we retain ownership of the fuel inventory at the site until the time of sale to the ultimate customer by the dealer, we are responsible for the pricing of the fuel to the end consumer and we share the gross profit generated from the sale of fuel by the dealer based on the terms of the relevant contract. In certain cases, gross profit is split based on a percentage and in others, we pay a fixed fee per gallon to the dealer and retain the remainder of the profit.
Fleet Fueling Segment
Our fleet fueling segment includes the operation of proprietary and third-party cardlock locations (unstaffed fueling locations), and commissions from the sales of fuel using proprietary fuel cards that provide customers access to a nationwide network of fueling sites.
GPMP Segment
Our GPMP segment primarily engages in inter-segment transactions of wholesale distribution of fuel to substantially all of our sites that sell fuel in the retail and wholesale segments. Our GPMP segment sells and supplies fuel at its cost of fuel (including taxes and transportation) plus a fixed margin to such supplied sites and charges an inter-segment fixed fee primarily to sites in the fleet fueling segment which are not supplied by the GPMP segment. The effect of these inter-segment transactions was eliminated in the Consolidated Financial Statements.
2025 Transformation Plan Updates and Initiatives
Remodels and New-to-Industry (“NTI”) Stores
A part of our multi-year Transformation Plan includes additional targeted capital allocation toward strategic sub-segments of our retail stores, with the goal of increasing traffic and improving profitability. In June of 2025, we launched our new format fas craves flagship location showcasing our key strategic priority to offer food that is relevant, delicious, and affordable and do so within stores that are completely remodeled with modernized interior and exterior designs, with layouts intended to provide a strong focus on our food offerings. fas craves food elevates our assortment of hot and cold grab-and-go food and dispensed beverages. The new fas craves format stores are designed to elevate the customer experience and better reflect our commitment to foodservice, convenience, efficiency, and value. Since the launch of our flagship location, we have completed several additional remodels and are planning approximately 25 remodels, all which will feature the fas craves food and beverage elements. We also plan to expand components of fas craves food and beverage to certain non-remodel stores where space permits while awaiting their remodel.
Complementing our remodeling initiative, in 2025, we opened a Dunkin’ store and two NTI (new to industry) retail stores. Two additional NTI retail stores opened thus far in 2026, and we plan to open one more NTI retail store and three Dunkin’ stores in 2026.
We are targeting 20 NTI fleet fueling locations with target openings during 2026, 10 of which we are currently advancing, which we anticipate will have a positive impact on our results of operations given the attractive, durable cash flow profile of our fleet fueling business.
fas REWARDS Loyalty Program
At the end of 2025, we had approximately 2.4 million enrolled members in our fas REWARDS loyalty program, representing a year over year increase of approximately 6% from 2024. Our fas REWARDS loyalty program is available in all of our retail stores and offers enrolled loyalty members the most value in our stores, in-app member only deals not available without the app, and the ability to earn points that can be redeemed for either fuel or merchandise savings. Other in-app features include the ability to convert earned points to fas BUCKS, which can be spent like cash on most merchandise categories in our stores, or stackable fuel cents off up to $2.00 off per gallon, up to 20 gallons at the pump as part of our Fueling America’s Future promotion. To celebrate America’s 250th anniversary in 2026, members can now save up to $2.50 per gallon in fuel savings.
In the first quarter of 2026, we plan to relaunch our fas REWARDS loyalty program app, which will include personalized features such as easy enrollment, an employee hub, store locators with individual member fuel pricing, Fueling America’s Future deals, value meals, age verified offers for tobacco and alcohol, and gaming.
Site Conversion Strategy (Dealerization)
Starting in the middle of 2024, as part of our Transformation Plan, we are leveraging our unique, multi-segment operating model to expand our wholesale fuel distribution network by converting a meaningful number of retail stores within our retail segment to dealer locations within our wholesale segment. Conversions of certain retail stores benefit both our retail and wholesale segments, as these sites have yielded, and we expect will continue to yield, greater profitability once converted. In such cases, we realize higher profit from ongoing fuel supply agreements and rental income than from continued operation of these stores in our retail segment. These conversions also allow us to focus on and better prioritize future investments in our remaining retail stores. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we converted 256 retail stores to dealer locations, and we have converted a total of 409 stores since the beginning of this initiative in the middle of 2024. We expect to convert a meaningful number of additional stores throughout 2026. These conversions have resulted in approximately $11.8 million in incremental operating income before general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2025.
As we proceed with our Transformation Plan, we may incur associated non-recurring expenses, including personnel costs, divestiture costs, professional services fees, and losses on disposal of assets and impairment charges.
Pricing and Procurement Strategies
We continue to increase our focus on both our pricing and procurement strategies across our retail stores to support ongoing merchandise margin rate growth, including using customer centric data-driven decisions to expand our six core destination merchandise categories, which are packaged beverages, candy, salty snacks, packaged sweet snacks, alternative snacks and beer. These categories represented approximately 54% of our same store merchandise contribution for the year ended December 31, 2025. Because our core destination merchandise categories represent a high concentration of our merchandise contribution, we focus on marketing and merchandising initiatives within these categories because we believe that they will have the greatest impact on our performance.
Trends Impacting Our Business
We achieved strong store growth over the last decade, driven primarily by a highly successful acquisition strategy, inclusive of 26 completed acquisitions from 2013 through 2025. In April 2024, we completed our acquisition of 21 SpeedyQ Markets convenience stores located in Michigan (the “SpeedyQ Acquisition”). In March 2023, we acquired 135 convenience stores, 181 dealer locations, a commercial, government, and industrial business, and certain distribution and transportation assets from Transit Energy Group, LLC (the “TEG Acquisition”). In June 2023, we completed our acquisition of 24 Uncle’s convenience stores located across Western Texas, 68 proprietary GASCARD-branded cardlock sites and 43 private cardlock sites for fleet fueling operations located in Western Texas and Southeastern New Mexico from WTG Fuels Holdings, LLC (the “WTG Acquisition”). In August 2023, we acquired seven Speedy’s convenience stores located in Arkansas and Oklahoma, which were previously locations operated by a dealer to which we supplied fuel (the “Speedy’s Acquisition” and, together with the TEG Acquisition and the WTG Acquisition, the “2023 Acquisitions”). Our strategic acquisitions, as well as the conversion of a meaningful number of retail stores to dealer locations, have had, and may continue to have, a significant impact on our reported results, which can make period to period comparisons difficult. For additional information regarding our acquisitions, see Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Our store count has grown from 320 sites in 2011 to 3,512 sites as of December 31, 2025, of which 1,118 were operated as retail convenience stores, 2,099 were dealer locations to which we supplied fuel, and 295 were cardlock locations. The following tables provide a history of our acquisitions, site conversions and site closings, including as part of our Transformation Plan, for each of the last three years, for the retail, wholesale and fleet fueling segments:
For the Year Ended December 31,
Retail Segment
Number of sites at beginning of period
Acquired sites
Newly opened or reopened sites
Company-controlled sites converted to consignment or
fuel supply locations, net
Sites closed, divested or converted to rentals
Number of sites at end of period
For the Year Ended December 31,
Wholesale Segment 1
Number of sites at beginning of period
Acquired sites
Newly opened or reopened sites 2
Consignment or fuel supply locations converted
from Company-controlled or fleet fueling sites, net
Closed or divested sites
Number of sites at end of period
1 Excludes bulk and spot purchasers.
2 Includes all signed fuel supply agreements irrespective of fuel distribution commencement date.
For the Year Ended December 31,
Fleet Fueling Segment
Number of sites at beginning of period
Acquired sites
Newly opened or reopened sites
Fleet fueling locations converted from fuel supply
locations, net
Closed or divested sites
Number of sites at end of period
The number of fuel gallons we sell and the related fuel margin that we earn per gallon significantly impact our results of operations. Fuel gallons sold to dealers at fuel supply locations and consignment agent locations are dependent on the volume at these locations, which is impacted by the macroeconomic environment, weather and other factors. Fuel gallons sold at proprietary and third-party cardlock locations and at retail stores are impacted by changes in the number of locations, macroeconomic environment, weather, crude oil pricing and other factors.
The cost of our main products, gasoline and diesel fuel, is greatly impacted by the wholesale cost of fuel in the United States. We pass wholesale fuel cost changes to our fuel supply dealers and attempt to pass wholesale fuel cost changes to our retail, fleet fueling and consignment customers through price changes; however, we are not always able to do so. Competitive conditions primarily drive the timing of any increases or decreases in retail prices. Fuel margins for our retail stores, our fleet fueling sites and consignment locations can change rapidly because they are influenced by many factors, including: the wholesale cost of fuel; interruptions in supply caused by severe weather; supply chain disruptions; refinery mechanical failures; and competition in the local markets in which we operate. We tend to realize lower fuel margins when the cost of fuel is increasing gradually over a longer period and higher fuel margins when the cost of fuel is declining or more volatile over a shorter period of time. Because market and geopolitical conditions constrain, from time to time, the supply of fuel, including diesel fuel in particular, we maintain terminal storage of diesel fuel for short-term supply needs for our fleet fueling sites.
Additionally, the significant increase in the rate of inflation in the U.S. in recent years and the effect of higher prevailing interest rates have increased merchandise cost and reduced consumer purchasing power. We have mitigated the impact of a portion of these higher costs on operating results with retail price increases. The persistence of, or increase in, inflation could negatively impact the demand for our products and services, including due to consumers reducing travel, which could reduce sales volumes. Because of recent and current labor market conditions and the prevailing wage rates in the markets in which we operate, we have increased wages, which has increased, and may continue to increase, our costs associated with recruiting and retaining qualified personnel. Additionally, any major changes in tax or trade policy between the U.S. and countries from which we or our suppliers source merchandise and other products for our sites, such as the imposition of additional tariffs or duties on imported products, could require that we take certain actions, including raising prices on products we sell and seeking alternative sources of supply. Further, any major changes could lead to significant cost increases and delays in opening remodeled or new convenience stores or other improvements to our sites.
We also operate in a highly competitive retail convenience market that includes businesses with operations and services that are similar to those that we provide. We believe that convenience stores managed by individual operators that offer branded or non-branded fuel are also significant competitors in the local markets in which we operate. Often, operators of both chains and individual stores compete by selling unbranded fuel at lower retail prices relative to the market. The convenience store industry is also experiencing competition from other retail sectors including grocery stores, large warehouse retail stores, dollar stores and pharmacies.
Legislative Update
On July 4, 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBB”) was signed into law. The OBBB reinstated several key income tax provisions that were initially part of the U.S. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, but which had been phased out in recent years or were set to expire in 2025, and made other changes to income tax provisions, many of which are not effective until 2026. The OBBB, among other things, repealed the mandatory capitalization of domestic research and development expenditures under Internal Revenue Code Section 174, extended the ability to take 100% bonus depreciation, reinstituted the EBITDA based Section 163(j) calculation, revised international tax regimes, and accelerated the phase out of clean energy credits.
We have evaluated the impact of the OBBB and reflected the effects in the Consolidated Financial Statements. Specifically, we recorded a favorable impact on the timing of cash paid for taxes of $26.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. The OBBB did not have a material impact on our effective tax rate for 2025. We will continue to monitor future guidance and developments related to the OBBB and will update our income tax disclosures as appropriate.
Seasonality
Our business is seasonal, and our operating income in the second and third quarters has historically been significantly greater than in the first and fourth quarters as a result of the generally favorable climate and seasonal buying patterns of our customers.
Results of Operations for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
The period-to-period comparisons of our results of operations contained in this Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation have been prepared using the Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto, and the following discussion should be read in conjunction with such Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes contained elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. All figures for fuel costs, fuel contribution and fuel margin per gallon exclude the estimated fixed margin or fixed fee paid to the GPMP segment for the cost of fuel (intercompany charges by the GPMP segment).
Consolidated Results
The table below shows our consolidated results for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, together with certain key metrics.
For the Year Ended December 31,
Revenues:
(in thousands)
Fuel revenue
Merchandise revenue
Other revenues, net
Total revenues
Operating expenses:
Fuel costs
Merchandise costs
Site operating expenses
General and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Total operating expenses
Other (income) expenses, net
Operating income
Interest and other financial expenses, net
Income before income taxes
Income tax expense
Income (loss) from equity investment
Net income
Less: Net income attributable to non-controlling interests
Net income attributable to ARKO Corp.
Series A redeemable preferred stock dividends
Net income attributable to common shareholders
Fuel gallons sold
Fuel margin, cents per gallon 1
Merchandise contribution 2
Merchandise margin 3
Adjusted EBITDA 4
Non-cash rent expense 5
1 Calculated as fuel revenue less fuel costs divided by fuel gallons sold.
2 Calculated as merchandise revenue less merchandise costs.
3 Calculated as merchandise contribution divided by merchandise revenue.
4 Refer to “ Use of Non-GAAP Measures” below for discussion of this non-GAAP performance measure and related reconciliation to net income.
5 Non-cash rent expense reflects the extent to which our GAAP rent expense recognized exceeded (or was less than) our cash rent payments. GAAP rent expense varies depending on the terms of our lease portfolio. For newer leases, our rent expense recognized typically exceeds our cash rent payments, whereas, for more mature leases, rent expense recognized is typically less than our cash rent payments.
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024
For the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel revenue decreased by $820.0 million, or 12.0%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in fuel revenue was attributable primarily to a decrease in the average price of fuel compared to 2024 and fewer gallons sold in 2025 compared to 2024, due to a challenging macroeconomic environment, as well as severe weather conditions in January and February 2025 in certain of the markets in which we operate.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, merchandise revenue decreased by $284.9 million, or 16.1%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to reduced merchandise revenue from retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024 as well as a decrease in same store merchandise revenues.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, other revenues, net increased by $16.4 million, or 15.5%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to the net impact of additional income from retail stores that we converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, total operating expenses decreased by $1,081.9 million, or 12.5%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. Fuel costs decreased by $791.8 million, or 12.6%, compared to 2024, and merchandise costs decreased by $205.1 million, or 17.3%, compared to 2024, consistent with the reduction in fuel and merchandise revenues. For the year ended December 31, 2025, site operating expenses decreased by $89.9 million, or 10.3%, compared to 2024 due to lower expenses from retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations, slightly offset by incremental expenses as a result of the SpeedyQ Acquisition.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, general and administrative expenses increased by $2.8 million, or 1.7%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, partially due to an increase of $2.8 million in share-based compensation expense.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, depreciation and amortization expenses increased by $2.0 million, or 1.5%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024 primarily due to assets acquired in the past year.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, other (income) expense, net increased by $14.8 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to a gain of approximately $20.8 million related to the expiration of a real estate purchase option acquired in 2021 in connection with our acquisition of certain ExpressStop convenience stores that was accounted for as a sale-leaseback, partially offset by higher acquisition and divestiture costs, costs associated with the APC IPO and loss on disposal of assets and impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024.
Operating income was $102.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $94.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The increase was primarily due to higher same store fuel contribution, the gain on the aforementioned sale-leaseback and the benefit from retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations, partially offset by lower same store merchandise contribution, lower fuel contribution from comparable wholesale sites and higher general, administrative, depreciation and amortization expenses.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, interest and other financial expenses, net increased by $6.2 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily related to a decrease of $3.3 million in income recorded in 2025 compared to 2024 for fair value adjustments related to the Public Warrants, Private Warrants and Additional Deferred Shares (each as defined in the notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements) and approximately $9.2 million recorded as financial income in the year ended December 31,
2024 related to the issuance of the First Installment Shares (as defined in Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements) as payment of deferred consideration and the settlement of deferred consideration related to the TEG Acquisition, partially offset by higher interest income generated and lower average interest rates in the year ended December 31, 2025.
For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, income tax expense was $6.3 million and $6.1 million, respectively, and our effective tax rate for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 was 21.8% and 22.8%, respectively.
For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, net income attributable to the Company was $22.7 million and $20.8 million, respectively.
For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, Adjusted EBITDA was $248.7 million and $248.9 million, respectively. Refer to “Use of Non-GAAP Measures” below for discussion of this non-GAAP performance measure and related reconciliation to net income.
For the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023
For a discussion of the comparative results of operations for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2025.
Segment Results
Disclosure of Incremental Contributions From Acquisitions
In the discussion of our segment results, we disclose certain information with respect to our acquisitions on an “incremental” basis. For example, incremental fuel gallons sold with respect to recent acquisitions. Incremental amounts or gallons related to such acquisitions reflect only the change (i.e. increase) in the contribution of the acquisitions between the referenced periods as they are not yet reflected in same store figures.
Retail Segment
The table below shows the results of the retail segment for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, together with certain key metrics for the segment.
For the Year Ended December 31,
Revenues:
(in thousands)
Fuel revenue
Merchandise revenue
Other revenues, net
Total revenues
Operating expenses:
Fuel costs 1
Merchandise costs
Site operating expenses
Total operating expenses
Operating income
Fuel gallons sold
Same store fuel gallons sold decrease (%) 2
Fuel contribution 3
Fuel margin, cents per gallon 4
Same store fuel contribution 2, 3
Same store merchandise sales (decrease) increase (%) 2
Same store merchandise sales excluding cigarettes (decrease) increase (%) 2
Merchandise contribution 5
Merchandise margin 6
1 Excludes the estimated fixed margin or fixed fee paid to the GPMP segment for the cost of fuel.
2 Same store is a common metric used in the convenience store industry. We consider a store a same store beginning in the first quarter in which the store had a full quarter of activity in the prior year. Refer to “ Use of Non-GAAP Measures” below for discussion of this measure.
3 Calculated as fuel revenue less fuel costs. 2023 same store fuel contribution is presented compared to 2024 store basis.
4 Calculated as fuel contribution divided by fuel gallons sold.
5 Calculated as merchandise revenue less merchandise costs.
6 Calculated as merchandise contribution divided by merchandise revenue.
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024
Retail Revenues
For the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel revenue decreased by $674.3 million, or 19.2%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in fuel revenue was attributable to a decrease in same store gallons sold of approximately 5.4%, or 51.2 million gallons, reflecting the challenging macroeconomic environment as well as severe weather conditions in January and February 2025 in certain of the markets in which we operate, and a $0.18 per gallon decrease in the average retail price of fuel in 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to market factors. Retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024 also negatively impacted gallons sold by 111.3 million gallons. Partially offsetting these decreases were an incremental 2.6 million gallons sold, or $6.2 million in fuel revenue, contributed by the SpeedyQ Acquisition.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, merchandise revenue decreased by $284.9 million, or 16.1%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily caused by a decline in customer transactions reflecting the challenging macroeconomic environment as well as severe weather conditions in January and February 2025 in certain of the markets in which we operate, and a decrease in merchandise revenue of $230.5 million from retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024. Same store merchandise sales decreased by $61.1 million, or 4.1%, for 2025 compared to 2024. More than half the decline in same store merchandise revenues was caused by lower revenues from cigarettes. The SpeedyQ Acquisition contributed approximately $5.6 million of incremental merchandise revenue.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, other revenues, net decreased by $6.2 million, or 9.6%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to a decrease in other revenues of $6.0 million from retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024 and a decrease of $0.8 million in same store other revenues principally due to reduced lottery commissions, partially offset by additional income from the SpeedyQ Acquisition.
Retail Operating Income
For the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel contribution decreased by $33.5 million, or 7.8%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in fuel contribution was due to a decrease of $37.1 million related to retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024. This decrease was offset by a same store fuel contribution increase of $1.5 million and incremental fuel contribution from the SpeedyQ Acquisition of approximately $1.2 million. Same store fuel margin per gallon for 2025 increased to 42.9 cents per gallon from 40.4 cents per gallon for 2024.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, merchandise contribution decreased by $79.8 million, or 13.8%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, while merchandise margin increased to 33.7% in 2025 from 32.8% in 2024. The decrease in merchandise contribution was due to a $71.7 million decrease related to retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024 and a decrease in same store merchandise contribution of $11.3 million, partially offset by $2.1 million in incremental merchandise contribution from the SpeedyQ Acquisition. Same store merchandise margin for 2025 increased to 33.8% from 33.2% in 2024.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, site operating expenses decreased by $105.5 million, or 13.3%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to $111.7 million of reduced expenses related to retail stores that we closed or converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024, partially offset by $3.7 million of incremental expenses related to the SpeedyQ Acquisition.
Wholesale Segment
The table below shows the results of the wholesale segment for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, together with certain key metrics for the segment.
For the Year Ended December 31,
Revenues:
(in thousands)
Fuel revenue
Other revenues, net
Total revenues
Operating expenses:
Fuel costs 1
Site operating expenses
Total operating expenses
Operating income
Fuel gallons sold – fuel supply locations
Fuel gallons sold – consignment agent locations
Fuel margin, cents per gallon 2 – fuel supply locations
Fuel margin, cents per gallon 2 – consignment agent locations
1 Excludes the estimated fixed margin or fixed fee paid to the GPMP segment for the cost of fuel.
2 Calculated as fuel revenue less fuel costs divided by fuel gallons sold.
Note: Information disclosed on a “comparable wholesale sites” basis excludes wholesale sites added through acquisitions and retail stores converted to dealer locations, until the first quarter in which these sites had a full quarter of wholesale activity in the prior year. Refer to “ Use of Non-GAAP Measures ” below for discussion of this non-GAAP performance measure.
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024
Wholesale Revenues
For the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel revenue decreased by $99.0 million, or 3.5%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to a decrease in the average price of fuel in 2025 as compared to 2024, partially offset by a 39.7 million, or 4.2%, increase in gallons sold. Of total gallons sold, the retail stores that we converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024 contributed 79.7 million gallons, which were partially offset by lower volumes at comparable wholesale sites, reflecting the challenging macroeconomic environment.
Wholesale Operating Income
For the year ended December 31, 2025, wholesale operating income increased by $9.6 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. Additional operating income from retail stores converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024 more than offset reduced operating income at comparable wholesale sites. An increase of $23.1 million in other revenues, net, combined with an increase in fuel contribution of $4.2 million in 2025 compared to 2024, was partially offset by an increase in site operating expenses of $17.7 million in 2025 compared to 2024. These increases were primarily due to the retail stores we converted to dealer locations since the middle of 2024.
At fuel supply locations, fuel contribution increased by $4.6 million, and fuel margin per gallon also increased for 2025 compared to 2024, due to $6.9 million of incremental contribution from the retail stores converted to dealer locations, which was partially offset by decreased prompt pay discounts related to lower fuel costs and lower volumes at comparable fuel supply wholesale sites primarily due to the macroeconomic environment and severe weather conditions in January and February 2025 in certain of the markets in which we operate.
At consignment agent locations, fuel contribution decreased by $0.4 million due to decreased prompt pay discounts related to lower fuel costs and lower volumes at comparable wholesale sites, primarily due to the macroeconomic environment and severe weather conditions in January and February 2025 in certain of the markets in which we operate, which was partially offset by the incremental contribution of $2.0 million from the retail stores converted to dealer locations. Fuel margin per gallon increased for 2025 compared to 2024 due to a larger mix of higher performing consignment dealers as compared to the prior year.
Fleet Fueling Segment
The table below shows the results of the fleet fueling segment for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, together with certain key metrics for the segment.
For the Year Ended December 31,
Revenues:
(in thousands)
Fuel revenue
Other revenues, net
Total revenues
Operating expenses:
Fuel costs 1
Site operating expenses
Total operating expenses
Operating income
Fuel gallons sold – proprietary cardlock locations
Fuel gallons sold – third-party cardlock locations
Fuel margin, cents per gallon 2 – proprietary cardlock locations
Fuel margin, cents per gallon 2 – third-party cardlock locations
1 Excludes the estimated fixed fee paid to the GPMP segment for the cost of fuel.
2 Calculated as fuel revenue less fuel costs divided by fuel gallons sold.
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024
Fleet Fueling Revenues
For the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel revenue decreased by $40.7 million, or 7.9%, and other revenues, net decreased by $0.2 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. Fuel revenue was negatively impacted by a 6.1 million decrease in gallons sold, or 4.1%, due primarily to movements in crude oil pricing and severe weather conditions in January and February 2025 that impacted certain of the markets in which we operate, and a decrease in the average price of fuel in 2025 compared to 2024.
Fleet Fueling Operating Income
For the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel contribution increased by $1.4 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. At proprietary cardlocks, fuel contribution increased by $0.8 million, and fuel margin per gallon also increased for 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to favorable diesel margins. At third-party cardlock locations, fuel contribution increased by $0.6 million, and fuel margin per gallon also increased for 2025 compared to 2024, primarily due to the closure of underperforming third-party locations.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, site operating expenses increased by $1.2 million compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to higher rent and insurance.
GPMP Segment
The table below shows the results of the GPMP segment for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, together with certain key metrics for the segment.
For the Year Ended December 31,
Revenues:
(in thousands)
Fuel revenue – inter-segment 1
Fuel revenue – external customers
Other revenues, net
Other revenues, net – inter-segment 1
Total revenues
Operating expenses:
Fuel costs
General and administrative expenses
Depreciation and amortization
Total operating expenses
Other income, net
Operating income
Fuel gallons sold – inter-segment
Fuel gallons sold – external customers
Fuel margin, cents per gallon 2
1 Includes the estimated fixed margin or fixed fee paid to the GPMP segment for the cost of fuel.
2 Calculated as fuel revenue less fuel costs divided by fuel gallons sold.
For the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024
GPMP Revenues
For the year ended December 31, 2025, fuel revenue decreased by $774.6 million, or 13.8%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in fuel revenue was attributable to a decrease in both gallons sold and the average price of fuel for 2025 compared to 2024.
For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, other revenues, net and inter-segment other revenues, net related to the fixed fee primarily charged to sites in the fleet fueling segment (5.0 cents per gallon sold for the three years ended December 31, 2025) were similar.
GPMP Operating Income
Fuel margin decreased by $6.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the year ended December 31, 2024, primarily due to fewer gallons sold to the retail segment at a fixed margin.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, total general and administrative expenses decreased $0.3 million from those in the year ended December 31, 2024, and depreciation and amortization expenses for 2025 remained consistent with 2024.
Use of Non-GAAP Measures
We disclose certain measures on a “same store basis,” which is a non-GAAP measure. Information disclosed on a “same store basis” excludes the results of any store that is not a “same store” for the applicable period. A store is considered a same store beginning in the first quarter in which the store had a full quarter of activity in the prior year. We believe that this information is useful for our investors, securities analysts, and other interested parties by providing greater comparability regarding our ongoing operating performance. Neither this measure nor those described below should be considered an alternative to measurements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”).
We disclose certain measures on a “comparable wholesale sites” basis, which is a non-GAAP measure. Information disclosed on a “comparable wholesale sites” basis excludes wholesale sites added through retail stores converted to dealer locations until the first quarter in which these sites had a full quarter of wholesale activity in the prior year. We believe that this information is useful for our investors, securities analysts, and other interested parties by providing greater comparability regarding our ongoing operating performance.
We define EBITDA as net income including net income attributable to non-controlling interests before net interest expense, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA further adjusts EBITDA by excluding the gain or loss on disposal of assets, impairment charges, acquisition and divestiture costs, share-based compensation expense, other non-cash items, certain litigation expenses and other unusual or non-recurring charges. Both EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP financial measures.
We use EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for operational and financial decision-making and believe these measures are useful in evaluating our performance because they eliminate certain items that we do not consider indicators of our operating performance. EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA are also used by many of our investors, securities analysts, and other interested parties in evaluating our operational and financial performance across reporting periods. We believe that the presentation of EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA provides useful information to investors by allowing an understanding of key measures that we use internally for operational decision-making, budgeting, evaluating acquisition targets, and assessing our operating performance.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA should not be considered as alternatives to any financial measure presented in accordance with GAAP, including net income. These non-GAAP measures have limitations as analytical tools and should not be considered in isolation, or as substitutes for the analysis of our results as reported under GAAP. We strongly encourage investors to review our financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.
Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, same store measures, comparable wholesale sites, EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA, as defined by us, may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies. It therefore may not be possible to compare our use of these non-GAAP financial measures with those used by other companies.
The following table contains a reconciliation of net income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023.
For the Year Ended December 31,
(in thousands)
Net income, including net income attributable to non-controlling
interests
Interest and other financing expenses, net
Income tax expense
Depreciation and amortization
EBITDA
Acquisition and divestiture costs (a)
APC IPO costs (b)
(Gain) loss on disposal of assets and impairment charges (c)
Share-based compensation expense (d)
(Income) loss from equity investment (e)
Taxes paid (received) in arrears (f)
Adjustment to contingent consideration (g)
Expenses related to wage and hour claim settlement (h)
Other (i)
Adjusted EBITDA
Additional information
Non-cash rent expense (j)
Eliminates costs incurred that are directly attributable to business acquisitions and divestitures (including conversion of retail stores to dealer locations) and salaries of employees whose primary job function is to execute our acquisition and divestiture strategy and facilitate integration of acquired operations.
Eliminates one-time costs incurred related to the APC IPO, which closed on February 13, 2026.
Eliminates the non-cash loss from the sale or disposal of property and equipment, the loss recognized upon the sale of related leased assets and impairment charges on property and equipment and right-of-use assets related to closed and non-performing sites, and a $20.8 million gain related to the expiration in the second quarter of 2025 of a real estate purchase option acquired in 2021 that was accounted for as a sale-leaseback (see Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements).
Eliminates non-cash share-based compensation expense related to the equity incentive program in place to incentivize, retain, and motivate our employees and members of our Board.
Eliminates our share of (income) loss attributable to our unconsolidated equity investment.
Eliminates the payment (receipt) of historical fuel, franchise and other tax amounts for multiple prior periods.
Eliminates fair value adjustments primarily related to the contingent consideration owed to the seller for the 2020 Empire acquisition.
Eliminates non-recurring expenses accrued in net income related to a wage and hour collective action settlement described in Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Eliminates other unusual or non-recurring items that we do not consider to be meaningful in assessing operating performance.
Non-cash rent expense reflects the extent to which our GAAP rent expense recognized exceeded (or was less than) our cash rent payments. GAAP rent expense varies depending on the terms of our lease portfolio. For newer leases, our rent expense recognized typically exceeds our cash rent payments, whereas, for more mature leases, rent expense recognized is typically less than our cash rent payments.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Our primary sources of liquidity are cash flows from operations, availability under our credit facilities and our cash balances. Our principal liquidity requirements are the financing of current operations, funding capital expenditures (including acquisitions), and servicing debt. We finance our inventory purchases primarily from customary trade credit aided by relatively rapid inventory turnover, as well as cash generated from operations. Rapid inventory turnover allows us to conduct operations without the need for large
amounts of cash and working capital. We largely rely on internally generated cash flows and borrowings for operations, which we believe are sufficient to meet our liquidity needs for the foreseeable future.
Our ability to meet our debt service obligations and other capital requirements, including capital expenditures, as well as the cost of acquisitions, will depend on our future operating performance which, in turn, will be subject to general economic, financial, business, competitive, legislative, regulatory and other conditions, many of which are beyond our control. As a normal part of our business, we will from time to time consider opportunities to repay, redeem, repurchase or refinance our indebtedness, depending on market conditions. Changes in our operating plans, lower than anticipated sales, increased expenses, acquisitions, or other events may cause us to seek additional debt or equity financing in future periods. Additional debt financing could impose increased cash payment obligations, as well as covenants that may restrict our operations. There can be no guarantee that financing will be available on acceptable terms or at all. As of December 31, 2025, approximately 50% of our debt bore interest at variable rates, an increase from approximately 49% as of December 31, 2024, which increases our interest rate risk and may require that we use more of our cash flow for the payment of interest if prevailing interest rates increase or we incur additional indebtedness under our variable rate facilities or otherwise. See also “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk—Interest Rate Risk.”
As of December 31, 2025, we were in a strong liquidity position of approximately $888 million, consisting of approximately $305 million of cash and cash equivalents and approximately $583 million of availability under our lines of credit available for certain purposes. This liquidity position currently provides us with adequate funding to satisfy our contractual and other obligations from our existing cash balances. As of December 31, 2025, we had no outstanding borrowings under our $140.0 million PNC Line of Credit (as defined below), $32.9 million of unused availability under the M&T equipment line of credit, described below, and $418.7 million of unused availability under our $800 million Capital One Line of Credit (as defined below), which we may elect to increase up to $1.0 billion, subject to obtaining additional financing commitments from current lenders or other banks, and subject to certain other terms. Our liquidity position increased significantly following the closing of the APC IPO on February 13, 2026 and the use of the proceeds to repay approximately $184.0 million of the indebtedness under our Capital One Line of Credit.
The Board declared, and the Company paid, dividends of $0.03 per share of common stock on each of March 21, 2025, May 30, 2025, August 29, 2025, and December 1, 2025, totaling approximately $13.6 million. Additionally, the Board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.03 per share of common stock, to be paid on March 20, 2026 to stockholders of record as of March 10, 2026. The amount and timing of dividends payable on our common stock are within the sole discretion of our Board, which will evaluate dividend payments within the context of our overall capital allocation strategy on an ongoing basis, giving consideration to our current and forecast earnings, financial condition, cash requirements and other factors. There can be no assurance that we will continue to pay such dividends or the amounts of such dividends.
In May 2024, the Board increased the size of our share repurchase program for up to an aggregate of $125.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock, from an aggregate of $100.0 million of our outstanding shares of common stock. During the year ended December 31, 2025, we repurchased approximately 6.1 million shares of common stock under the share repurchase program for approximately $25.7 million, or an average price of $4.19 per share. There is no availability remaining under the share repurchase program.
To date, we have funded capital expenditures primarily through funds generated from operations, funds received from vendors, sale-leaseback transactions, the issuance of debt and existing cash. Future capital required to finance operations, acquisitions, remodel and update stores, and add NTI retail stores and fleet fueling locations is expected to come from cash on hand, cash generated by operations, availability under our lines of credit, and additional long-term debt and equipment leases, as circumstances may dictate. In the short- to medium-term, we currently expect that our capital spending program will be primarily focused on remodeling and updating stores, including as part of our Transformation Plan, adding NTI retail stores and fleet fueling locations, strategic acquisitions and maintaining our properties and equipment. In the medium- to long-term, we currently expect that our capital spending program will align with our Transformation Plan. We do not expect such capital needs to adversely affect liquidity.
Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
Net cash provided by (used in) operating activities, investing activities and financing activities for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023 were as follows:
For the Year Ended December 31,
Net cash provided by (used in):
(in thousands)
Operating activities
Investing activities
Financing activities
Effect of exchange rates
Total
For a discussion of the comparison of our cash flows for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, refer to Part II, Item 7 “Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations ” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 26, 2025, under the subheading “Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022.”
Operating Activities
Cash flows provided by operations are our main source of liquidity. We have historically relied primarily on cash provided by operating activities, supplemented as necessary from time to time by borrowings on our credit facilities and other debt or equity transactions to finance our operations and to fund our capital expenditures. Cash flow provided by operating activities is primarily impacted by our net income and changes in working capital.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, cash flows provided by operating activities were $192.6 million compared to $221.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily the result of decreases in working capital as a result of the day of the week on which 2025 ended, which were partially offset by $6.1 million of lower net interest payments, $4.6 million of lower net tax payments, deposits received from dealers (including deposits related to retail stores that we expect to convert to dealer locations), and incremental vendor incentives received.
Investing Activities
Cash flows used in investing activities primarily reflect capital expenditures for acquisitions, growth and replacing and maintaining existing facilities and equipment used in the business.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, cash used in investing activities increased by $4.9 million to $119.8 million from $114.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. For the year ended December 31, 2025, we used $127.3 million for capital expenditures, including the purchase of 23 fee properties for $23.6 million, investments in NTI retail stores, remodeling of new format stores, EV chargers, upgrades to fuel dispensers and other investments in our stores.
Financing Activities
Cash flows from financing activities primarily consist of increases and decreases in the principal amount of our lines of credit and other indebtedness, and the issuance of common stock, net of dividends paid and common stock repurchases.
For the year ended December 31, 2025, financing activities consisted primarily of net proceeds of $14.7 million from long-term debt, repayments of $5.7 million for financing leases, $3.2 million for additional consideration payments related to the 2020 acquisition of the business of Empire Petroleum Partners, LLC, $13.6 million for dividend payments on common stock, $5.8 million for dividend payments on the Series A redeemable preferred stock and $28.0 million for common stock repurchases. Cash flows from financing activities for the year ended December 31, 2024 were impacted by payment of the deferred consideration owed for the TEG Acquisition, including the repurchase of shares originally issued as payment of deferred consideration and the settlement of deferred consideration related to the TEG Acquisition.
Indebtedness
Credit Facilities and Senior Notes
Senior Notes
As of December 31, 2025, the Company had outstanding $450 million aggregate principal amount of its 5.125% Senior Notes due 2029 (the “Senior Notes”). Issued in October 2021, the Senior Notes are guaranteed, on an unsecured senior basis, by certain of the Company’s domestic subsidiaries (the “Guarantors”). The indenture governing the Senior Notes contains customary restrictive covenants that, among other things, generally limit the ability of the Company and substantially all of its subsidiaries to (i) create liens, (ii) pay dividends, acquire shares of capital stock and make payments on subordinated debt, (iii) place limitations on distributions from certain subsidiaries, (iv) issue or sell the capital stock of certain subsidiaries, (v) sell assets, (vi) enter into transactions with affiliates, (vii) effect mergers and (viii) incur indebtedness. The Senior Notes and the guarantees rank equally in right of payment with all of the Company’s and the Guarantors’ respective existing and future senior unsubordinated indebtedness and are effectively subordinated to all of the Company’s and the Guarantors’ existing and future secured indebtedness to the extent of the value of the collateral securing such indebtedness; and are structurally subordinated to any existing and future obligations of subsidiaries of the Company that are not Guarantors.
Financing Agreement with PNC
GPM and certain subsidiaries have a financing arrangement (as amended, the “PNC Credit Agreement”) with PNC Bank National Association (“PNC”) to provide a line of credit with an aggregate principal amount of up to $140 million for purposes of financing working capital (the “PNC Line of Credit”).
The PNC Line of Credit bears interest, as elected by GPM at: (a) SOFR Adjusted plus Term SOFR (as defined in the PNC Credit Agreement) plus a margin of 1.25% to 1.75% or (b) a rate per annum equal to the alternate base rate (as defined in the PNC Credit Agreement) plus a margin of 0% to 0.50%. Every quarter, the SOFR margin rate and the alternate base rate margin rate are updated based on the quarterly average undrawn availability of the line of credit. The calculation of the availability under the PNC Line of Credit is determined monthly subject to terms and limitations as set forth in the PNC Credit Agreement, taking into account the balances of receivables, inventory and letters of credit, among other things. As of December 31, 2025, $8.1 million of letters of credit were outstanding under the PNC Credit Agreement.
In connection with the consummation of the APC IPO, the PNC Credit Agreement was amended and restated to, among other things, remove APC’s subsidiaries as co-borrowers, reduce the principal amount available thereunder from $140 million to $56 million and extend the maturity date for both facilities from December 22, 2027 to the earliest of: (i) February 13, 2031, (ii) the date that is six months prior to the maturity date of the Senior Notes or any permitted refinancing thereof, subject to certain conditions, and (iii) the date that is six months prior to the maturity date of the Capital One Line of Credit. Concurrently, APC and certain of APC’s subsidiaries entered into a separate amended and restated credit agreement with PNC providing for a secured revolving credit facility with substantially similar terms as those under the PNC Line of Credit; provided that the aggregate principal amount available there under is up to $84 million.
Financing Agreements with M&T Bank
As of December 31, 2025, GPM had a financing arrangement with M&T Bank (the “M&T Credit Agreement”) that provides a line of credit for up to $45.0 million to purchase equipment on or before September 2026, which may be borrowed in tranches, as well as an aggregate original principal amount, as amended in May 2025, of $83.7 million of real estate loans (the “M&T Term Loans”). As of December 31, 2025, approximately $32.9 million remained available under the equipment line of credit.
Each additional equipment loan tranche will have a term of up to five years after the date of the applicable tranche’s issuance, payable in equal monthly payments of principal plus interest, and the May 2025 amendment of the M&T Credit Agreement also provided that additional and existing borrowings under the equipment line of credit accrue interest, at GPM’s discretion, at either a fixed rate based on M&T Bank’s five-year cost of funds as of the applicable date of each tranche plus 2.25%, or a floating rate at SOFR plus 2.25%. In addition, following such amendment, the M&T Term Loans bear interest at SOFR plus 2.25%, mature in June 2026, November 2028 or May 2030 (depending on the loan) and are payable in monthly installments based on a fifteen-year amortization schedule, with the balance of each loan payable at maturity.
In connection with the consummation of the APC IPO, the M&T Credit Agreement was amended to remove APC’s subsidiaries as borrowers or guarantors thereunder, and APC’s assets that previously served as collateral under the M&T Credit Agreement were released from M&T’s security interest.
Financing Agreement with a Syndicate of Banks Led by Capital One, National Association (“Capital One”)
GPMP has a revolving credit facility with a syndicate of banks led by Capital One, National Association, in an aggregate principal amount of up to $800 million (the “Capital One Line of Credit”). At GPMP’s request, the Capital One Line of Credit can be increased up to $1.0 billion, subject to obtaining additional financing commitments from current lenders or from other banks, and subject to certain terms as detailed in the Capital One Line of Credit. The Capital One Line of Credit is available for general GPMP purposes, including working capital, capital expenditures and permitted acquisitions.
The Capital One Line of Credit matures on May 5, 2028. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $380.8 million was drawn on the Capital One Line of Credit, $0.5 million of letters of credit were outstanding under the Capital One Line of Credit and approximately $418.7 million was available thereunder.
On January 13, 2026, GPMP entered into an amendment to the Capital One Line of Credit, and on February 13, 2026, we used the proceeds from the APC IPO to repay approximately $184.0 million of the indebtedness under the Capital One Line of Credit. Additionally, GPMP entered into certain pledge and security agreements whereby the Capital One Line of Credit is secured by GPM Empire LLC’s interest in, and proceeds from, APC’s agreements with the Company and APC’s fuel supply agreements with certain of its fuel supply partners and a pledge of APC’s equity interests in GPMP.
The Capital One Line of Credit bears interest, as elected by GPMP at: (a) Adjusted Term SOFR (as defined in the agreement) plus a margin of 2.25% to 3.25% or (b) a rate per annum equal to the alternate base rate (as defined in the agreement) plus a margin of 1.25% to 2.25%. The margin is determined according to a formula in the Capital One Line of Credit that depends on GPMP’s leverage.
Additionally, the Capital One Line of Credit limits GPMP’s ability to pay dividends to APC to the extent of its available cash, which is generally the amount of cash and cash equivalents of GPMP and its subsidiaries less certain cash reserves, as determined by GPM Petroleum GP, LLC, GPMP’s general partner.
Critical Accounting Estimates
The preparation of financial statements and related disclosures in conformity with GAAP and the Company’s discussion and analysis of its financial condition and operating results require the Company’s management to make judgments, assumptions and estimates that affect the amounts reported. Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” of the Consolidated Financial Statements describes the significant accounting policies and methods used in the preparation of the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements. Management bases its estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions it believes to be reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities. We believe the following critical accounting estimates affect our more significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Application of ASC 842, Leases (“ASC 842”)
The lease liabilities and right-of-use assets are significantly impacted by the following:
Our determination of whether it is reasonably certain that an extension option will be exercised.
Our determination of whether it is reasonably certain a purchase option will be exercised.
Some of the lease agreements include an increase in the consumer price index coupled with a multiplier and a percentage increase cap effectively assures the cap will be reached each year. We determine, based on past experience and consumer price index increase expectations, if these types of variable payments are in-substance fixed payments, in which case such payments are included in the lease payments and measurement of the lease liabilities.
The discount rates used in the calculations of the right-of-use assets and lease liabilities are based on our incremental borrowing rates and are primarily affected by economic environment, differences in the duration of each lease and the nature of the leased asset.
Environmental provision and reimbursement assets
We estimate the anticipated environmental costs with respect to contamination arising from the operation of gasoline marketing operations and the use of aboveground and underground storage tanks as well as the costs of other exposures and recognize a liability when these losses are anticipated and can be reasonably estimated. Reimbursement for these expenses from various state underground storage tank trust funds or from insurance companies is recognized as an asset and included in other current assets or non-current assets, as appropriate. The scope of the reimbursement asset and liability is estimated by a third-party at least twice a year and adjustments are made according to past experience, changing conditions and changes in governmental policies.
Liability for dismantling and removing aboveground and underground storage tanks and restoring the site on which the storage tanks are located
The liability is based on our estimates with respect to the external costs which will be necessary to remove the aboveground and underground storage tanks in the future, regulatory requirements, discount rate and an estimate of the length of the useful life of the storage tanks.
Property and equipment and amortizable intangible assets
We evaluate property and equipment and amortizable intangible assets for impairment when facts and circumstances indicate that the carrying values of such assets may not be recoverable. When evaluating for impairment, we first compare the carrying value of the asset to the asset’s estimated future undiscounted cash flows. If the estimated undiscounted future cash flows are less than the carrying value of the asset, we determine if we have an impairment loss by comparing the carrying value of the asset to the asset's estimated fair value and recognize an impairment charge when the asset’s carrying value exceeds its estimated fair value. The adjusted carrying amount of the asset becomes its new cost basis and is depreciated over the asset’s remaining useful life.
Impairment of goodwill
We evaluate the need for impairment with regard to goodwill once a year or with greater frequency if there are indicators of impairment exist. Goodwill is tested for impairment by first comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount, including goodwill. The fair value of a reporting unit is determined according to assumptions and computations we set.
We perform an annual assessment to evaluate whether an impairment of goodwill exists. We performed the evaluation with the assistance of independent assessor which, for purposes of determining the fair value of the retail and GPMP reporting units to
which the goodwill was attributed, utilized the income approach, namely, the present value of the future cash flows forecasted to be derived from the reporting units, as well as the market approach.
For the 2025 annual impairment test, the data used for the income approach was directly linked to our internal projections for 2026 through 2030. The long-term growth rate used in the terminal year was (0.7)% for the GPMP reporting unit, and was 2.9% for the retail reporting unit, in accordance with the relevant weighted average long-term nominal growth rate. The cash flows used assumed an unlevered, debt-free basis with no deduction for interest of debt principal to present the cash flows available for debt and equity holders. The discount rate for each reporting unit was determined based on the risk profile of each of the reporting units, and was derived from its weighted average cost of capital (“WACC”) as assessed by management with the assistance of an independent assessor. The WACC took into account both debt and equity. The discount rate applied to the cash flow projections for the GPMP and the retail reporting units was approximately 10% and 11%, respectively.
The impairment review was sensitive to changes in the key assumptions used. Our key assumptions included revenue and profit growth, capital expenditures, external industry data and past experiences. The major assumptions that could result in significant sensitivities were the discount rate, the long-term growth rate and capital expenditures. Sensitivity analyses were performed by applying various reasonable scenarios whereby the long-term growth rate and discount rate were adjusted within a reasonable range. None of the sensitivity scenarios indicated a potential impairment in any of the reporting units.
Deferred tax assets
We account for income taxes and the related accounts in accordance with FASB ASC Topic 740, Income Taxes (“ASC 740”). Deferred tax liabilities and assets are determined based on the difference between the financial statement and tax basis of assets and liabilities using enacted rates expected to be in effect during the year in which the differences reverse. Deferred tax assets are recognized for future tax benefits and credit carryforwards to the extent that it is probable that future taxable profit will be available against which the temporary differences can be utilized. We periodically assess the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets and reflect any changes in estimates in the valuation allowance. Deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance when, in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion, or all, of the deferred tax assets will not be realized.
We are required to make judgments, estimates and assumptions to establish the amount of deferred tax assets to be recognized based on timing differences, the expected taxable income and its sources and the tax planning strategy.
ITEM 7A. Quantitative and Qualitat ive Disclosures about Market Risk
Commodity Price Risk
We have limited exposure to commodity price risk as a result of the payment and volume-related discounts in certain of our fuel supply contracts with our fuel suppliers, which are based on the market price of motor fuel. Significant increases in fuel prices could result in significant increases in the retail price of fuel and in lower sales to consumers and dealers. When fuel prices rise, some of our dealers may have insufficient credit to purchase fuel from us at their historical volumes. In addition, significant and persistent increases in the retail price of fuel could also diminish consumer demand, which could subsequently diminish the volume of fuel we distribute. A significant percentage of our sales are made with the use of credit cards. Because the interchange fees we pay when credit cards are used to make purchases are based on transaction amounts, higher fuel prices at the pump and higher gallon movements result in higher credit card expenses. These additional fees increase operating expenses. From time to time, we make use of derivative commodity instruments to manage risks associated with an immaterial number of gallons designed to offset changes in the price of fuel that are directly tied to firm commitments to purchase diesel fuel.
Interest Rate Risk
We may be subject to market risk from exposure to changes in interest rates based on our financing, investing, and cash management activities. The Senior Notes bear a fixed interest rate; therefore, an increase or decrease in prevailing interest rates has no impact on our debt service for the Senior Notes. As of December 31, 2025, the interest rate on our Capital One Line of Credit was 7.0%, and the interest rate on our M&T Term Loans and M&T equipment loans was 6.2%. As of December 31, 2024, the interest rate on our Capital One Line of Credit was 7.4%, the interest rate on our M&T Term Loans was 7.6% and the interest rate on the variable portion of our M&T equipment loan was 7.4% (approximately $15.9 million of the total loan) As of December 31, 2025, approximately 50% of our debt bore interest at variable rates. Based on the outstanding balances as of December 31, 2025, if our applicable interest rates each increase by 1%, then our debt service on an annual basis would increase by approximately $4.7 million. Interest rates on commercial bank borrowings and debt offerings could be higher than current levels, causing our financing costs to increase accordingly. Although this could limit our ability to raise funds in the debt capital markets, we expect to remain competitive with respect to acquisitions and capital projects, as our competitors would likely face similar circumstances. For additional information regarding our interest rate risk, see “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Business and Industry—Our variable rate debt could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.”
ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMEN TS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Page
Report of Independent Registered Certified Public Accounting Firm (PCAOB ID Number 248 )
Consolidated Balance Sheets
Consolidated Statements of Operations
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Equity
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
- Exhibit 10.23arko-ex10_23.htm · 2.5 MB
- Exhibit 21.1: Subsidiaries of the Registrantarko-ex21_1.htm · 47.0 KB
- Exhibit 23.1: Consent of Independent Auditorsarko-ex23_1.htm · 4.6 KB
- Exhibit 31.1: Rule 13a-14(a) Certification (CEO)arko-ex31_1.htm · 21.2 KB
- Exhibit 31.2: Rule 13a-14(a) Certification (CFO)arko-ex31_2.htm · 20.4 KB
- Exhibit 32.1: Section 1350 Certification (CEO)arko-ex32_1.htm · 8.6 KB
- Exhibit 32.2: Section 1350 Certification (CFO)arko-ex32_2.htm · 8.8 KB
- 0001193125-26-071464-index-headers.html0001193125-26-071464-index-headers.html
- Ticker
- ARKO
- CIK
0001823794- Form Type
- 10-K
- Accession Number
0001193125-26-071464- Filed
- Feb 25, 2026
- Period
- Dec 31, 2025 (Q4 25)
- Industry
- Retail-Convenience Stores
External resources
Permalink
https://insiderdelta.com/issuers/ARKO/10-k/0001193125-26-071464