As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at auto parts retailer stocks, starting with Monro (NASDAQ: MNRO).

Cars are complex machines that need maintenance and occasional repairs, and auto parts retailers cater to the professional mechanic as well as the do-it-yourself (DIY) fixer. Work on cars may entail replacing fluids, parts, or accessories, and these stores have the parts and accessories or these jobs. While e-commerce competition presents a risk, these stores have a leg up due to the combination of broad and deep selection as well as expertise provided by sales associates. Another change on the horizon could be the increasing penetration of electric vehicles.

The 5 auto parts retailer stocks we track reported a mixed Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1%.

Luckily, auto parts retailer stocks have performed well with share prices up 18.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Slowest Q1: Monro (NASDAQ: MNRO)

Started as a single location in Rochester, New York, Monro (NASDAQ: MNRO) provides common auto services such as brake repairs, tire replacements, and oil changes.

Monro reported revenues of $295 million, down 4.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a softer quarter for the company with a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and gross margin estimates.

The stock is up 24.2% since reporting and currently trades at $15.85.

Read our full report on Monro here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP)

Founded in Virginia in 1932, Advance Auto Parts (NYSE: AAP) is an auto parts and accessories retailer that sells everything from carburetors to motor oil to car floor mats.

Advance Auto Parts reported revenues of $2.58 billion, down 6.8% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3.1%. The business had a strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and full-year EPS guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Advance Auto Parts scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and highest full-year guidance raise among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 64.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $51.51.

Is now the time to buy Advance Auto Parts? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

AutoZone (NYSE: AZO)

Aiming to be a one-stop shop for the DIY customer, AutoZone (NYSE: AZO) is an auto parts and accessories retailer that sells everything from car batteries to windshield wiper fluid to brake pads.

AutoZone reported revenues of $4.46 billion, up 5.4% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.1%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a slight miss of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 4.5% since the results and currently trades at $3,659.

Read our full analysis of AutoZone’s results here.

Genuine Parts (NYSE: GPC)

Largely targeting the professional customer, Genuine Parts (NYSE: GPC) sells auto and industrial parts such as batteries, belts, bearings, and machine fluids.

Genuine Parts reported revenues of $5.87 billion, up 1.4% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 0.5%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

The stock is up 8.8% since reporting and currently trades at $121.66.

Read our full, actionable report on Genuine Parts here, it’s free.

O'Reilly (NASDAQ: ORLY)

Serving both the DIY customer and professional mechanic, O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ: ORLY) is an auto parts and accessories retailer that sells everything from fuel pumps to car air fresheners to mufflers.

O'Reilly reported revenues of $4.14 billion, up 4% year on year. This print missed analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged full-year EPS guidance exceeding analysts’ expectations but a miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

O'Reilly had the weakest performance against analyst estimates and weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The stock is down 2% since reporting and currently trades at $89.81.

Read our full, actionable report on O'Reilly here, it’s free.

Market Update

As a result of the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has come down from frothy levels post-pandemic. The general rise in the price of goods and services is trending towards the Fed’s 2% goal as of late, which is good news. The higher rates that fought inflation also didn't slow economic activity enough to catalyze a recession. So far, soft landing. This, combined with recent rate cuts (half a percent in September 2024 and a quarter percent in November 2024) have led to strong stock market performance in 2024. The icing on the cake for 2024 returns was Donald Trump’s victory in the U.S. Presidential Election in early November, sending major indices to all-time highs in the week following the election. Still, debates around the health of the economy and the impact of potential tariffs and corporate tax cuts remain, leaving much uncertainty around 2025.

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