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O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) Up 0.4% Since Last Earnings Report: Can It Continue?

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A month has gone by since the last earnings report for O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY - Free Report) . Shares have added about 0.4% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is O'Reilly Automotive due for a pullback? Before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late, let's take a quick look at its most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the important catalysts.

O'Reilly Q3 Earnings Miss Expectations

O’Reilly reported third-quarter 2024 adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $11.41, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $11.53. However, the bottom line increased from $10.72 reported in the prior-year quarter. The automotive parts retailer registered quarterly revenues of $4.36 billion, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.43 billion. The top line, however, increased 3.8% year over year.

During the quarter, comparable store sales grew 1.5%. The company opened 47 new stores in the United States, Mexico and Canada during the quarter. The total store count was 6,291 as of Sept. 30, 2024.

Financials, Share Repurchase & Costs

In the reported quarter, selling, general and administrative expenses rose 7% year over year to $1.35 billion. Operating income remained flat year over year at $897 million. Net income was $665 million, up from $650 million in the year-ago quarter.

During the reported quarter, O’Reilly repurchased 0.5 million shares for $541 million at an average price of $1,084.28 per share. After the end of the quarter until the release date, ORLY repurchased an additional 0.1 million shares of common stock for a total investment of $70 million at an average price of $1,170.55 per share. As of Oct. 23, the company had nearly $898 million remaining under the current share repurchase authorization.

It had cash and cash equivalents of $115.6 million at the end of the reported quarter, down from $279.1 million recorded as of 2023-end. Its long-term debt was $5.36 billion, lower than $5.57 billion as of Dec. 31, 2023.

During the reported quarter, O’Reilly generated $772 million in cash from operating activities compared with the year-ago period’s $2.43 billion. Capital expenditures totaled $258.3 million compared with $732.9 million in the year-ago period. Free cash flow was $500 million, down 69.8% year over year.

ORLY’s Updated 2024 Outlook

For 2024, O’Reilly estimates total revenues in the range of $16.6-$16.8 billion, down from the prior guidance of $16.6-$16.9 billion. It now expects earnings per share in the range of $40.60-$41.10, down from the previous estimate of $40.75-$41.25. The outlook for comparable store sales growth was revised downward to 2-3% from 2-4%. The outlook for free cash flow remained unchanged at $1.8-$2.1 billion. Capital expenditure guidance remained unchanged in the range of $900 million to $1 billion. The company intends to open 190-200 stores this year.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?

It turns out, estimates review have trended downward during the past month.

VGM Scores

Currently, O'Reilly Automotive has a nice Growth Score of B, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. Charting a somewhat similar path, the stock was allocated a grade of C on the value side, putting it in the middle 20% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

Outlook

Estimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Notably, O'Reilly Automotive has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

Performance of an Industry Player

O'Reilly Automotive belongs to the Zacks Automotive - Retail and Wholesale - Parts industry. Another stock from the same industry, Genuine Parts (GPC - Free Report) , has gained 8.5% over the past month. More than a month has passed since the company reported results for the quarter ended September 2024.

Genuine Parts reported revenues of $5.97 billion in the last reported quarter, representing a year-over-year change of +2.5%. EPS of $1.88 for the same period compares with $2.49 a year ago.

For the current quarter, Genuine Parts is expected to post earnings of $1.54 per share, indicating a change of -31.9% from the year-ago quarter. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has changed -22% over the last 30 days.

Genuine Parts has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell) based on the overall direction and magnitude of estimate revisions. Additionally, the stock has a VGM Score of B.


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