Genuine Parts Company $GPC Stock Holdings Lowered by Jefferies Financial Group Inc.

Key Points

• Jefferies Financial Group cut its Genuine Parts stake by 67.7% in the fourth quarter, leaving it with 9,807 shares valued at about $1.21 million.
• Insider selling and mixed analyst views were also highlighted: executive James F. Howe sold 415 shares, while analysts currently hold a consensus Moderate Buy with an average target price of $143.71.
• Genuine Parts reported Q1 earnings and revenue above expectations, posting $1.77 EPS on $6.26 billion in revenue, and the company also declared a quarterly dividend of $1.0625 per share, or $4.25 annualized.

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lowered its position in shares of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC - Free Report) by 67.7% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund owned 9,807 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 20,593 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.'s holdings in Genuine Parts were worth $1,206,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the third quarter worth about $27,000. WPG Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Genuine Parts by 213.0% during the fourth 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. Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Elyxium Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the fourth quarter worth about $33,000. Institutional investors own 78.83% of the company's stock.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, insider James F. Howe sold 415 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.33, for a total transaction of $43,296.95. Following the transaction, the insider owned 25,589 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,669,700.37. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.13% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research note on Friday, March 27th. UBS Group cut their target price on Genuine Parts from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of Genuine Parts from a "market perform" rating to a "strong-buy" rating and set a $145.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Truist Financial decreased their target price on shares of Genuine Parts from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded shares of Genuine Parts from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Genuine Parts currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $143.71.

Genuine Parts Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE GPC opened at $99.25 on Friday. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.66 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 230.82 and a beta of 0.70. The stock's fifty day simple moving average is $103.69 and its 200 day simple moving average is $119.48. Genuine Parts Company has a 52-week low of $90.78 and a 52-week high of $151.57.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.75 by $0.02. Genuine Parts had a net margin of 0.24% and a return on equity of 22.28%. The company had revenue of $6.26 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.17 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.75 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Genuine Parts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Genuine Parts Company will post 7.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Genuine Parts Announces Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be given a dividend of $1.0625 per share. This represents a $4.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Friday, June 5th. Genuine Parts's dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 988.37%.

Trending Headlines about Genuine Parts

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2027 EPS estimate for Genuine Parts to $8.41 from $8.18 and lifted FY2028 EPS to $9.76 from $9.75, suggesting stronger profit expectations ahead.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm also increased quarterly estimates for Q2 2027, Q3 2027, and Q4 2027, indicating improving earnings visibility over the next several reporting periods.
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research upgraded Genuine Parts from “strong sell” to “hold,” a less bearish stance that may temper some downside pressure, though it is not a bullish endorsement. Zacks.com
• Neutral Sentiment: A separate Zacks note trimmed Q1 2028 EPS slightly to $2.49 from $2.51, showing that not all outlook changes were positive.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks still rates Genuine Parts “hold” or “strong sell” depending on the note, so the research house remains cautious overall despite the higher estimates.

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.

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