Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Analysts

Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) has earned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the ten brokerages that are presently covering the company, MarketBeat reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell recommendation, four have given a hold recommendation, three have issued a buy recommendation and two have issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 1-year target price among brokers that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $145.5714.

Several brokerages have recently issued reports on GPC. UBS Group decreased their target price on Genuine Parts from $150.00 to $135.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, February 18th. Evercore set a $160.00 price target on shares of Genuine Parts in a report on Friday, February 20th. Zacks Research lowered shares of Genuine Parts from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 25th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research report on Friday. Finally, Truist Financial set a $127.00 target price on shares of Genuine Parts and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 18th.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Genuine Parts

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Norges Bank bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the 4th quarter worth $293,471,000. Baupost Group LLC MA purchased a new stake in Genuine Parts during the third quarter valued at about $193,347,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its holdings in Genuine Parts by 7,774.2% during the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,234,984 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $151,854,000 after purchasing an additional 1,219,300 shares during the last quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. bought a new position in Genuine Parts during the second quarter worth about $107,015,000. Finally, Interval Partners LP boosted its position in Genuine Parts by 422.5% during the third quarter. Interval Partners LP now owns 932,596 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $129,258,000 after purchasing an additional 754,117 shares during the period. 78.83% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Genuine Parts Price Performance

Genuine Parts stock opened at $105.62 on Wednesday. Genuine Parts has a 52 week low of $96.08 and a 52 week high of $151.57. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $122.94 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $127.85. 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 stock has a market cap of $14.69 billion, a P/E ratio of 229.61 and a beta of 0.75.

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

Genuine Parts Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, April 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, March 6th will be issued a $1.0625 dividend. This is a boost from Genuine Parts’s previous quarterly dividend of $1.03. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, March 6th. This represents a $4.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Genuine Parts’s payout ratio is presently 923.91%.

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.