Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. Sells 10,000 Shares of Genuine Parts Company $GPC

Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc. reduced its stake in shares of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) by 2.5% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 394,250 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 10,000 shares during the period. Genuine Parts comprises 1.7% of Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest position. Schwartz Investment Counsel Inc.’s holdings in Genuine Parts were worth $48,477,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the 3rd quarter worth $27,000. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the 4th quarter worth $25,000. Peoples Financial Services CORP. bought a new position in shares of Genuine Parts during the 3rd quarter worth $29,000. WPG Advisers LLC grew its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 213.0% during the 4th quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 241 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares during the period. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its stake in shares of Genuine Parts by 6,225.0% during the 3rd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 253 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 249 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 78.83% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

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

Genuine Parts Stock Down 0.7%

Shares of NYSE GPC opened at $100.71 on Wednesday. Genuine Parts Company has a 52 week low of $96.08 and a 52 week high of $151.57. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $107.19 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $122.13. The company has a quick ratio of 0.48, a current ratio of 1.09 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77. The company has a market cap of $13.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 234.21 and a beta of 0.70.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The specialty retailer reported $1.77 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate 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 during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $1.75 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. Genuine Parts has set its FY 2026 guidance at 7.500-8.000 EPS. Research analysts anticipate that Genuine Parts Company will post 7.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Genuine Parts Announces Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Shareholders of record on Friday, June 5th will be paid a $1.0625 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $4.25 annualized dividend and a yield of 4.2%. Genuine Parts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 988.37%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have recently weighed in on GPC. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Truist Financial cut their price target on Genuine Parts from $127.00 to $124.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Raymond James Financial upgraded Genuine Parts from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Zacks Research downgraded Genuine Parts from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Finally, Evercore set a $160.00 price target on Genuine Parts in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $143.71.

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.