Autobytel to Present at the 19th Annual Needham Gr

IRVINE, Calif., Dec. 28, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Autobytel Inc. (NASDAQ: ABTL ), a pioneer and leading provider of digital automotive services connecting in-market car buyers with dealers and OEMs, has been invited to present at the 19th Annual Needham Growth Conference being held January 10-12, 2017 at the New York Palace Hotel.

Autobytel President and CEO Jeffrey Coats is scheduled to present on Wednesday, January 11 at 8:00 a.m. Eastern time, with one-on-one meetings held throughout the day.

The presentation will be webcast live and available for replay at http://wsw.com/webcast/needham79/abtl and via the investor relations section of the company’s website at www.autobytel.com .

For additional information or to schedule a one-on-one meeting with Autobytel management, please contact your Needham representative.

Tax Benefit Preservation Plan At December 31, 2015, the company had approximately $88.2 million in available net operating loss carryforwards ("NOLs") for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The company's Tax Benefit Preservation Plan ("Plan") was adopted by the company's Board of Directors to preserve the company's NOLs and other tax attributes and thus reduce the risk of a possible change of ownership under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code. Any such change of ownership under Section 382 would limit or eliminate the ability of the company to use its existing NOLs for federal income tax purposes. Rights issued under the Plan could be triggered upon the acquisition by any person or group of 4.9% or more of the company's outstanding common stock and could result in substantial dilution of the acquirer's percentage ownership in the company. As of October 31, 2016, there were 10,962,330 shares of the company’s common stock, $0.001 par value, outstanding. There is no guarantee that the Plan will achieve the objective of preserving the value of the company's NOLs. For more information, please visit http://investor.autobytel.com/tax.cfm .

About Autobytel Inc. Autobytel Inc. provides high quality consumer leads and associated marketing services to automotive dealers and manufacturers throughout the United States. The company also provides consumers with robust and original online automotive content to help them make informed car-buying decisions. The company pioneered the automotive Internet in 1995 with its flagship website www.autobytel.com  and has since helped tens of millions of automotive consumers research vehicles; connected thousands of dealers nationwide with motivated car buyers; and has helped every major automaker market its brand online.

Investors and other interested parties can receive Autobytel news alerts and special event invitations by accessing the online registration form at investor.autobytel.com/alerts.cfm .

Company Contact Kimberly Boren Chief Financial Officer 949-862-1396 kimb@autobytel.com Investor Relations Liolios Cody Slach or Sean Mansouri 949-574-3860 ABTL@liolios.com