O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) Upgraded to “Buy” at StockNews.com

StockNews.com upgraded shares of O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a report released on Thursday.

Several other analysts have also commented on ORLY. DA Davidson increased their price target on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,450.00 to $1,525.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,325.00 to $1,425.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,400.00 to $1,475.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. BMO Capital Markets increased their price objective on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Monday, February 10th. Finally, Wedbush increased their price objective on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,200.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have issued a buy rating and two have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, O’Reilly Automotive currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $1,390.81.

O’Reilly Automotive Price Performance

NASDAQ:ORLY opened at $1,331.06 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $76.84 billion, a PE ratio of 32.74, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.94. The company has a 50-day moving average of $1,275.52 and a 200 day moving average of $1,216.03. O’Reilly Automotive has a 1-year low of $947.49 and a 1-year high of $1,389.05.

O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $9.96 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $9.73 by $0.23. O’Reilly Automotive had a net margin of 14.28% and a negative return on equity of 166.88%. Sell-side analysts anticipate that O’Reilly Automotive will post 43.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Maria Sastre sold 248 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,316.17, for a total value of $326,410.16. Following the transaction, the director now owns 971 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,278,001.07. This represents a 20.34 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, CEO Brad W. Beckham sold 833 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 19th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,300.00, for a total transaction of $1,082,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 760 shares in the company, valued at approximately $988,000. This trade represents a 52.29 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 7,894 shares of company stock worth $10,409,618. 1.55% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On O’Reilly Automotive

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of O’Reilly Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $28,000. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of O’Reilly Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $30,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp acquired a new stake in shares of O’Reilly Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of O’Reilly Automotive during the 4th quarter worth approximately $32,000. Finally, Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of O’Reilly Automotive during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $32,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.00% 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.