Welch & Forbes LLC Sells 2,254 Shares of O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY)

Welch & Forbes LLC decreased its position in shares of O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 200,368 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 2,254 shares during the quarter. O’Reilly Automotive makes up about 3.1% of Welch & Forbes LLC’s portfolio, making the stock its 4th biggest holding. Welch & Forbes LLC’s holdings in O’Reilly Automotive were worth $237,596,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the company. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in O’Reilly Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in O’Reilly Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $32,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in O’Reilly Automotive in the third quarter valued at about $32,000. MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in O’Reilly Automotive in the third quarter valued at about $37,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC acquired a new position in O’Reilly Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at about $46,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.00% of the company’s stock.

O’Reilly Automotive Stock Performance

ORLY stock opened at $1,331.06 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $1,275.52 and its 200 day moving average price is $1,216.03. O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $947.49 and a fifty-two week high of $1,389.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $76.84 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.74, a PEG ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.94.

O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $9.96 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates 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%. Equities analysts forecast that O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. will post 43.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the stock. Guggenheim upped their target price 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. DA Davidson boosted their price target on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,450.00 to $1,525.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, February 7th. StockNews.com upgraded shares of O’Reilly Automotive from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday. Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,200.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 6th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets boosted their price target on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, February 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,390.81.

Insider Activity at O’Reilly Automotive

In related news, Director Maria Sastre sold 248 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $1,316.17, for a total value of $326,410.16. Following the completion of the transaction, the director now directly owns 971 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,278,001.07. This represents a 20.34 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Jason Lee Tarrant sold 1,992 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,339.10, for a total value of $2,667,487.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now directly owns 1,398 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,872,061.80. This trade represents a 58.76 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 7,894 shares of company stock valued at $10,409,618 over the last three months. 1.55% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

O’Reilly Automotive Profile

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.