Short Interest in O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) Increases By 23.3%

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (NASDAQ:ORLY) was the recipient of a large increase in short interest in the month of December. As of December 31st, there was short interest totaling 14,930,309 shares, an increase of 23.3% from the December 15th total of 12,107,375 shares. Based on an average trading volume of 5,371,194 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.8 days. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the company are sold short. Currently, 1.8% of the shares of the company are sold short. Based on an average trading volume of 5,371,194 shares, the days-to-cover ratio is presently 2.8 days.

O’Reilly Automotive Price Performance

Shares of ORLY opened at $94.70 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $95.53 and a two-hundred day moving average of $98.64. The stock has a market cap of $79.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.81, a PEG ratio of 2.01 and a beta of 0.63. O’Reilly Automotive has a one year low of $80.73 and a one year high of $108.71.

O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ:ORLY) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, October 22nd. The specialty retailer reported $0.85 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.83 by $0.02. O’Reilly Automotive had a net margin of 14.23% and a negative return on equity of 206.86%. The business had revenue of $4.71 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.69 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $11.41 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 7.8% compared to the same quarter last year. O’Reilly Automotive has set its FY 2025 guidance at 2.900-3.000 EPS. Analysts anticipate that O’Reilly Automotive will post 43.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at O’Reilly Automotive

In other O’Reilly Automotive news, SVP Philip M. Hopper sold 3,500 shares of O’Reilly Automotive stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.25, for a total transaction of $354,375.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president owned 4,792 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $485,190. The trade was a 42.21% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, SVP Christopher Andrew Mancini sold 2,355 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $101.31, for a total value of $238,585.05. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 28 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,836.68. The trade was a 98.83% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 8,980 shares of company stock worth $882,335 in the last three months. 1.01% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of O’Reilly Automotive

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of ORLY. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in O’Reilly Automotive by 1,404.9% during the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 78,834,967 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $7,105,396,000 after buying an additional 73,596,571 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in O’Reilly Automotive by 1,424.2% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 37,179,783 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $3,351,014,000 after acquiring an additional 34,740,553 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of O’Reilly Automotive by 1,443.1% in the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 23,679,108 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $2,130,866,000 after purchasing an additional 22,144,563 shares during the period. Bank of New York Mellon Corp increased its holdings in shares of O’Reilly Automotive by 1,317.8% in the 2nd quarter. Bank of New York Mellon Corp now owns 17,651,104 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock valued at $1,590,894,000 after purchasing an additional 16,406,181 shares during the period. Finally, Jennison Associates LLC lifted its position in shares of O’Reilly Automotive by 1,820.9% in the second quarter. Jennison Associates LLC now owns 14,116,976 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $1,272,363,000 after purchasing an additional 13,382,074 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 85.00% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

ORLY has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. Royal Bank Of Canada set a $110.00 price objective on shares of O’Reilly Automotive and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, October 24th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $115.00 price objective on shares of O’Reilly Automotive and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 15th. Robert W. Baird set a $115.00 price objective on shares of O’Reilly Automotive and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of O’Reilly Automotive in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Finally, Raymond James Financial upgraded shares of O’Reilly Automotive from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $105.00 target price for the company in a report on Wednesday, November 5th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $111.80.

About O’Reilly Automotive

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc is a leading retailer and distributor in the automotive aftermarket, supplying parts, tools, supplies and accessories for both professional service providers and do‑it‑yourself (DIY) customers. The company’s product assortment covers replacement parts, maintenance items, performance parts, collision components and shop equipment, complemented by diagnostic tools, batteries, chemicals and consumables. O’Reilly serves customers through company-operated retail stores, commercial sales programs for repair shops and maintenance fleets, and digital channels that support parts lookup, ordering and fulfillment.

The company operates a broad supply chain that includes regional distribution centers to support rapid replenishment of store inventory and commercial deliveries.