Traders Purchase High Volume of Call Options on Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC)

Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) saw unusually large options trading on Wednesday. Investors purchased 4,205 call options on the stock. This represents an increase of 304% compared to the average daily volume of 1,040 call options.

More Genuine Parts News

Here are the key news stories impacting Genuine Parts this week:

• Positive Sentiment: GPC reported Q2 EPS of $2.15, topping estimates, while revenue of $6.54 billion also beat Wall Street forecasts. Genuine Parts earnings call
• Positive Sentiment: Management said sales growth was broad-based, with industrial strength helping drive the quarter and supporting the earnings beat. Zacks earnings beat on industrial strength
• Positive Sentiment: The company reaffirmed 2026 adjusted EPS guidance of $7.50 to $8.00, signaling confidence in full-year performance. Genuine Parts Q2 results press release
• Neutral Sentiment: GPC also outlined revenue guidance of $25.0 billion to $25.6 billion for 2026, broadly in line with expectations. Seeking Alpha guidance update
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also watching the company’s plan to target a separation in Q1 2027, which could unlock value but adds strategic uncertainty. Seeking Alpha separation plan

Insider Activity

In other news, insider James F. Howe sold 415 shares of Genuine Parts stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.33, for a total transaction of $43,296.95. Following the transaction, the insider owned 25,589 shares in the company, valued at $2,669,700.37. The trade was a 1.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.13% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Genuine Parts

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. United Asset Strategies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Genuine Parts by 1.6% in the fourth quarter. United Asset Strategies Inc. now owns 4,492 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $552,000 after buying an additional 72 shares in the last quarter. J2 Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 1.9% during the 4th quarter. J2 Capital Management Inc now owns 4,136 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $509,000 after acquiring an additional 79 shares in the last quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 0.6% during the 4th quarter. Capital Investment Advisors LLC now owns 14,173 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,743,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares in the last quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in shares of Genuine Parts by 1.8% in the 4th quarter. IHT Wealth Management LLC now owns 4,644 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $571,000 after acquiring an additional 83 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Matrix Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of Genuine Parts by 27.6% in the 4th quarter. Matrix Trust Co now owns 393 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $48,000 after acquiring an additional 85 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 78.83% of the company’s stock.

Genuine Parts Stock Up 1.8%

NYSE:GPC traded up $2.14 during trading hours on Wednesday, reaching $121.26. 528,038 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,771,685. Genuine Parts has a twelve month low of $90.78 and a twelve month high of $151.57. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.48. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $108.96 and a 200 day moving average of $115.53. The stock has a market cap of $16.69 billion, a PE ratio of 281.60 and a beta of 0.63.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 21st. The specialty retailer reported $2.15 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.08 by $0.07. Genuine Parts had a net margin of 0.24% and a return on equity of 22.28%. The company had revenue of $6.54 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.43 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.10 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 6.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Genuine Parts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Genuine Parts will post 7.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Genuine Parts Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Stockholders of record on Friday, June 5th were issued a $1.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Friday, June 5th. This represents a $4.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.5%. Genuine Parts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 988.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

GPC has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating and set a $165.00 target price on shares of Genuine Parts in a report on Wednesday. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating and issued a $122.00 price target on shares of Genuine Parts in a report on Wednesday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research report on Wednesday, June 24th. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research report on Wednesday. Finally, DA Davidson upped their target price on shares of Genuine Parts from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $146.62.

About Genuine Parts

Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC) is a global distributor of automotive replacement parts, industrial parts and business products with a history dating back to 1928. Headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, the company operates a broad distribution network and retail presence serving repair shops, independent retailers, industrial customers and commercial accounts. Its business model centers on stocking and delivering a wide range of parts and supplies to support aftermarket and maintenance needs across multiple end markets.

Genuine Parts conducts its operations through several well-known operating groups and subsidiaries.