Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

Zacks Research downgraded shares of Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Genuine Parts’ Q1 2027 earnings at $2.01 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $2.06 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.02 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.96 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $8.05 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $9.73 EPS.

GPC has been the subject of a number of other reports. Truist Financial set a $127.00 target price on Genuine Parts and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. UBS Group decreased their price target on shares of Genuine Parts from $150.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th. Evercore set a $160.00 price target on shares of Genuine Parts in a report on Friday, February 20th. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Genuine Parts from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $145.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a report on Monday, December 29th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $145.57.

Genuine Parts Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of GPC opened at $105.00 on Wednesday. Genuine Parts has a 12-month low of $96.08 and a 12-month high of $151.57. The company has a quick ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 1.08 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.79. The firm has a market capitalization of $14.61 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 228.26 and a beta of 0.75. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $124.12 and its 200 day moving average price is $128.52.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 17th. The specialty retailer reported $1.55 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.79 by ($0.24). Genuine Parts had a net margin of 0.27% and a return on equity of 22.28%. The firm had revenue of $6.01 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.06 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $1.61 EPS. The company’s revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. Genuine Parts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that Genuine Parts will post 7.9 earnings per share for the current year.

Genuine Parts Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.0625 dividend. This represents a $4.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.0%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This is a positive change from Genuine Parts’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. Genuine Parts’s payout ratio is currently 923.91%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Genuine Parts

Several institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in GPC. Community Bank N.A. bought a new stake in Genuine Parts during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Strive Financial Group LLC bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Peoples Financial Services CORP. acquired a new position in shares of Genuine Parts in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. Finally, WPG Advisers LLC grew its position in Genuine Parts by 213.0% during the 4th quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 241 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the last quarter. 78.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

More Genuine Parts News

Here are the key news stories impacting Genuine Parts this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GPC remains part of the Dividend Kings group (long consecutive dividend increase streak), which supports interest from income-oriented investors and can provide a valuation floor during selloffs. Dividend Kings on the Brink
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus and company context — Street consensus still points to roughly $7.90–8.00 FY EPS and GPC has recently given FY 2026 guidance in the ~7.50–8.00 EPS range; these longer-term numbers temper the near-term noise but make the stock sensitive to quarterly misses or guide-downs. GPC Market Overview
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research cut multiple quarterly and full-year EPS forecasts and downgraded GPC from “Hold” to “Strong Sell.” They lowered Q1–Q4 FY2027 estimates (Q1: 2.19→2.01; Q2: 2.22→2.06; Q3: 2.13→2.02; Q4: 2.08→1.96) and trimmed FY2027 (8.61→8.05) and FY2028 forecasts, citing weaker expected near-term results — the downgrade and estimate cuts are the primary driver of today’s downward pressure. Zacks Research Ticker Report

Genuine Parts Company Profile

Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC) is a global distributor of automotive replacement parts, industrial parts and business products with a history dating back to 1928. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company operates a broad distribution network and retail presence serving repair shops, independent retailers, industrial customers and commercial accounts. Its business model centers on stocking and delivering a wide range of parts and supplies to support aftermarket and maintenance needs across multiple end markets.

Genuine Parts conducts its operations through several well-known operating groups and subsidiaries.