Principal Financial Group Inc. Has $2.54 Billion Stock Position in O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY)

Principal Financial Group Inc. trimmed its position in O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY - Free Report) by 1.2% in the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 1,771,078 shares of the specialty retailer's stock after selling 21,891 shares during the period. O'Reilly Automotive accounts for about 1.4% of Principal Financial Group Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 7th biggest holding. Principal Financial Group Inc. owned about 3.09% of O'Reilly Automotive worth $2,537,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of ORLY. HWG Holdings LP acquired a new position in O'Reilly Automotive during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in O'Reilly Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at $28,000. HighMark Wealth Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of O'Reilly Automotive by 185.7% during the first quarter. HighMark Wealth Management LLC now owns 20 shares of the specialty retailer's stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the period. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new position in shares of O'Reilly Automotive during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Investment Management Corp VA ADV bought a new position in shares of O'Reilly Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. 85.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised O'Reilly Automotive from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday, April 3rd. Guggenheim reiterated a "buy" rating and issued a $98.33 target price on shares of O'Reilly Automotive in a research report on Monday, March 10th. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on shares of O'Reilly Automotive from $95.00 to $103.33 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 16th. Royal Bank Of Canada restated an "outperform" rating and set a $98.00 price target on shares of O'Reilly Automotive in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, Mizuho increased their price objective on shares of O'Reilly Automotive from $93.33 to $96.33 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, April 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, O'Reilly Automotive currently has a consensus rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $94.38.

O'Reilly Automotive Stock Up 1.9%

NASDAQ ORLY traded up $1.73 during trading on Friday, reaching $91.05. 3,187,218 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 5,493,754. O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $67.55 and a fifty-two week high of $97.22. The stock's 50-day moving average price is $90.76 and its 200 day moving average price is $88.40. The firm has a market cap of $77.83 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.49 and a beta of 0.58.

O'Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 23rd. The specialty retailer reported $0.62 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.66 by ($0.04). The firm had revenue of $4.14 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.18 billion. O'Reilly Automotive had a net margin of 14.10% and a negative return on equity of 167.25%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.61 EPS. Analysts anticipate that O'Reilly Automotive, Inc. will post 43.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, SVP Ramon Parises Odems sold 30,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.70, for a total transaction of $2,720,900.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 240 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $21,767.20. This trade represents a 99.21% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, SVP Najera Jose A. Montellano sold 285 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $90.13, for a total transaction of $25,686.29. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 33,285 shares of company stock valued at $3,022,386 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.01% of the company's stock.

About O'Reilly Automotive

O'Reilly Automotive, Inc, together with its subsidiaries, operates as a retailer and supplier of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories in the United States, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. The company provides new and remanufactured automotive hard parts and maintenance items, such as alternators, batteries, brake system components, belts, chassis parts, driveline parts, engine parts, fuel pumps, hoses, starters, temperature control, water pumps, antifreeze, appearance products, engine additives, filters, fluids, lighting products, and oil and wiper blades; and accessories, including floor mats, seat covers, and truck accessories.