Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 35,500 Shares of Genuine Parts Company $GPC

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. lessened its holdings in Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) by 9.0% during the first quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 358,750 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 35,500 shares during the period. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Genuine Parts were worth $37,938,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Genuine Parts in the 4th quarter valued at about $293,471,000. Baupost Group LLC MA purchased a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the third quarter worth about $193,347,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its position in shares of Genuine Parts by 7,774.2% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,234,984 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $151,854,000 after purchasing an additional 1,219,300 shares during the last quarter. Junto Capital Management LP purchased a new stake in Genuine Parts in the third quarter valued at approximately $65,551,000. Finally, Balyasny Asset Management L.P. purchased a new stake in Genuine Parts in the third quarter valued at approximately $61,321,000. Institutional investors own 78.83% of the company’s stock.

Genuine Parts Trading Down 1.5%

Shares of GPC stock opened at $123.67 on Tuesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $106.68 and a 200 day moving average of $115.61. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a current ratio of 1.09 and a quick ratio of 0.48. Genuine Parts Company has a 1-year low of $90.78 and a 1-year high of $151.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $17.02 billion, a PE ratio of 287.61 and a beta of 0.63.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.75 by $0.02. Genuine Parts had a return on equity of 22.28% and a net margin of 0.24%.The business had revenue of $6.26 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.17 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $1.75 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% on a year-over-year basis. Genuine Parts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Genuine Parts Company will post 7.69 earnings per share for the current year.

Genuine Parts Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th were paid a $1.0625 dividend. This represents a $4.25 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.4%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Friday, June 5th. Genuine Parts’s payout ratio is presently 988.37%.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have commented on the stock. DA Davidson boosted their price target 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. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Genuine Parts from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 25th. UBS Group dropped their price objective on shares of Genuine Parts from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Truist Financial cut their target price on shares of Genuine Parts from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research note on Wednesday, June 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have given a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Genuine Parts currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $144.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider James F. Howe sold 415 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, May 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $104.33, for a total transaction of $43,296.95. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 25,589 shares in the company, valued at $2,669,700.37. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. 0.13% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Genuine Parts Company Profile

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.