Advance Auto Parts, Inc. $AAP Shares Purchased by Atom Investors LP

Key Points

• Atom Investors LP nearly doubled its stake in Advance Auto Parts during the fourth quarter, buying an additional 74,580 shares to bring its total to 150,108 shares worth about $5.9 million.
• Analyst sentiment remains mostly cautious, with two Buy ratings, seventeen Hold ratings, and one Sell rating; the stock’s average analyst rating is “Hold” with a target price of $58.66.
• Advance Auto Parts beat earnings expectations in its latest quarterly report, posting $0.77 EPS versus $0.39 expected and revenue of $2.61 billion, while also announcing a $0.25 quarterly dividend.

Atom Investors LP increased its holdings in shares of Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (NYSE:AAP - Free Report) by 98.7% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 150,108 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 74,580 shares during the quarter. Atom Investors LP owned approximately 0.25% of Advance Auto Parts worth $5,899,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd acquired a new stake in Advance Auto Parts during the third quarter worth about $31,000. AlphaCore Capital LLC raised its stake in Advance Auto Parts by 6,288.9% during the third quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 575 shares of the company's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 566 shares during the period. Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its stake in Advance Auto Parts by 184.5% during the fourth quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 919 shares of the company's stock worth $36,000 after acquiring an additional 596 shares during the period. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC raised its stake in Advance Auto Parts by 290.3% during the second quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 925 shares of the company's stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 688 shares during the period. Finally, Leonteq Securities AG acquired a new stake in Advance Auto Parts during the fourth quarter worth about $55,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 88.70% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AAP has been the topic of several research reports. Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of Advance Auto Parts from $54.00 to $58.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, May 26th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upgraded shares of Advance Auto Parts to a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 22nd. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Advance Auto Parts from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their target price on shares of Advance Auto Parts from $49.00 to $54.00 and gave the stock a "sell" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Advance Auto Parts from $50.00 to $60.00 and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 22nd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seventeen have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $58.66.

Advance Auto Parts Stock Down 1.1%

AAP stock opened at $60.40 on Wednesday. Advance Auto Parts, Inc. has a 12 month low of $37.89 and a 12 month high of $70.00. The firm has a market cap of $3.64 billion, a PE ratio of 83.89, a P/E/G ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.05. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $56.43 and a 200 day simple moving average of $51.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.54, a current ratio of 1.78 and a quick ratio of 0.85.

Advance Auto Parts (NYSE:AAP - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 21st. The company reported $0.77 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.38. Advance Auto Parts had a net margin of 0.51% and a return on equity of 8.95%. The business had revenue of $2.61 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.05 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.40 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 1.2% on a year-over-year basis. Advance Auto Parts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 2.400-3.100 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Advance Auto Parts, Inc. will post 2.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Advance Auto Parts Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, July 24th. Investors of record on Friday, July 10th will be paid a dividend of $0.25 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, July 10th. This represents a $1.00 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Advance Auto Parts's dividend payout ratio is currently 138.89%.

About Advance Auto Parts

Advance Auto Parts, Inc NYSE: AAP is a leading distributor of automotive aftermarket parts, accessories, and maintenance items. The company operates a network of stores and distribution centers across North America, serving both do-it-yourself (DIY) customers and professional service providers. Advance Auto Parts focuses on offering a comprehensive selection of replacement parts, batteries, engine components, and performance products for cars and light trucks.

The company's product portfolio includes engine oils and lubricants, cooling system components, brake and suspension parts, filters, belts, hoses, and diagnostic tools.

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