Howard Capital Management LLC Acquires 36,249 Shares of Genuine Parts Company $GPC

Key Points

• Howard Capital Management increased its Genuine Parts stake by 233.1% in the third quarter, purchasing 36,249 additional shares for a total holding of 51,799 shares valued at $6.5 million.
• Genuine Parts reported quarterly results above expectations, with EPS of $2.15 versus the $2.08 consensus and revenue of $6.54 billion, up 6% year over year.
• Shares traded at $133.91, while analysts maintained a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $146; the company also pays a quarterly dividend equivalent to a 3.2% annual yield.

Howard Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC - Free Report) by 233.1% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 51,799 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after buying an additional 36,249 shares during the quarter. Howard Capital Management LLC's holdings in Genuine Parts were worth $6,513,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund boosted its position in Genuine Parts by 85.0% in the 1st quarter. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund now owns 30,262 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $3,200,000 after buying an additional 13,900 shares during the last quarter. Paradiem LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Genuine Parts in the 1st quarter valued at $3,154,000. Montag A & Associates Inc. increased its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 19.6% in the 1st quarter. Montag A & Associates Inc. now owns 64,855 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $6,923,000 after buying an additional 10,622 shares during the period. Hsbc Holdings PLC increased its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 19.5% in the 4th quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 477,970 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $58,887,000 after buying an additional 77,936 shares during the period. Finally, Bastion Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Genuine Parts during the first quarter worth $16,978,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 78.83% of the company's stock.

Genuine Parts Trading Up 0.3%

GPC stock traded up $0.40 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $133.91. The company's stock had a trading volume of 1,254,483 shares, compared to its average volume of 898,022. The business's 50-day simple moving average is $132.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $118.41. The company has a quick ratio of 0.50, a current ratio of 1.16 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.88. Genuine Parts Company has a 52 week low of $90.78 and a 52 week high of $151.57. The stock has a market cap of $18.46 billion, a PE ratio of 535.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.47 and a beta of 0.67.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The specialty retailer reported $2.15 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.08 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $6.54 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.43 billion. Genuine Parts had a net margin of 0.13% and a return on equity of 22.59%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.10 EPS. Genuine Parts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Genuine Parts Company will post 7.73 EPS for the current year.

Genuine Parts Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, October 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, September 4th were issued a $1.0625 dividend. This represents a $4.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, September 4th. Genuine Parts's dividend payout ratio is currently 1,700.00%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts have recently issued reports on GPC shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "hold (c-)" rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research note on Monday, September 21st. UBS Group reiterated a "neutral" rating and issued a $122.00 price objective on shares of Genuine Parts in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Genuine Parts from $125.00 to $137.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, October 12th. Raymond James Financial reissued a "strong-buy" rating and set a $165.00 price objective on shares of Genuine Parts in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial upped their target price on shares of Genuine Parts from $124.00 to $126.00 and gave the company a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have given a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, Genuine Parts has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $146.00.

Genuine Parts Profile

Genuine Parts Company NYSE: GPC is a global distributor of automotive replacement parts and industrial components. Founded in 1928 and headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company serves professional repair businesses, retailers, equipment manufacturers, and other commercial customers through a broad distribution and service network.

In its automotive business, Genuine Parts distributes replacement parts, accessories, tools, and equipment for cars and light trucks. Its operations include the NAPA Auto Parts brand in North America, along with automotive distribution businesses serving customers in Europe and Australasia.

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