O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) Reaches New 52-Week High – Should You Buy?

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY)’s share price hit a new 52-week high on Thursday . The company traded as high as $1,352.82 and last traded at $1,348.29, with a volume of 102717 shares. The stock had previously closed at $1,330.42.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms recently issued reports on ORLY. Guggenheim boosted 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 report on Friday, February 7th. BMO Capital Markets increased their target price on O’Reilly Automotive from $1,400.00 to $1,450.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Monday, February 10th. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on O’Reilly Automotive from $1,325.00 to $1,425.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Barclays lifted their price target on O’Reilly Automotive from $1,110.00 to $1,250.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Friday, February 7th. Finally, Wedbush lifted their target price on shares of O’Reilly Automotive from $1,200.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 6th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fourteen have issued a buy rating and two have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $1,390.81.

O’Reilly Automotive Stock Performance

The stock has a market cap of $78.14 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 33.29, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.34 and a beta of 0.94. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,258.72 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $1,206.84.

O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 5th. The specialty retailer reported $9.96 earnings per share (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%. As a group, research analysts predict that O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. will post 43.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Andrea Weiss sold 248 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $1,311.23, for a total value of $325,185.04. Following the sale, the director now owns 452 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $592,675.96. The trade was a 35.43 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, CEO Brad W. Beckham sold 833 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 19th. The shares were 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 directly owns 760 shares of the company’s stock, 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 valued at $10,409,618. 1.55% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On O’Reilly Automotive

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Lee Danner & Bass Inc. bought a new stake in O’Reilly Automotive during the fourth quarter worth about $28,000. AlphaMark Advisors LLC acquired a new position in O’Reilly Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $30,000. Murphy & Mullick Capital Management Corp bought a new stake in O’Reilly Automotive during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in O’Reilly Automotive in the third quarter valued at $32,000. Finally, Kestra Investment Management LLC acquired a new stake in O’Reilly Automotive in the fourth quarter valued at $32,000. 85.00% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.