Genuine Parts (GPC) Q1 Earnings Miss, Revenues Top Estimates

Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) reported adjusted earnings of $1.27 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.32. Adjusted earnings per share in the year-ago quarter were $1.08.

The company recorded net income of $176.6 million in first-quarter 2018, up from $160.2 million in the prior-year quarter.

Genuine Parts reported net sales of $4.59 billion, up 17% year over year. The figure surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.5 billion. The rise was driven by its global automotive and industrial businesses. Total sales included 2% organic growth, 14% from acquisitions - including Alliance Automotive Group (AAG) and 1% benefit from foreign currency translation.

Genuine Parts Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Genuine Parts Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Genuine Parts Company Quote

Operating profit increased to $318.5 million from $286.9 million in first-quarter 2017. Selling, administrative and other expenses rose to $1.1 billion from $874 million a year ago.

Segment Results

Revenues from the Automotive group’s net sales improved 29.6% to $2.6 billion from the year-ago figure of $2 billion. Moreover, the group’s operating profit rose to $184.7 million in the reported quarter from $151.8 million a year ago.

Effective Jan 1, 2018, the company’s Electrical/electronic material segment became a division of the Industrial segment. Further, the results of both the segments were reported under the Industrial Parts Group. The Industrial Parts group’s net sales rose 8.3% year over year to $1.55 billion. Operating profit, however, increased to $112 million from $104 million in the year-ago quarter.

The S. P. Richards or Business Products group’s net sales declined 4.8% to $474 million. Operating profit at the segment declined to $21.6 million from $31.1 million recorded in the prior-year quarter.

Financial Position

Genuine Parts had cash and cash equivalents of $326 million as of Mar 31, 2018, up from $178 million as of Mar 31, 2017. Long-term debt increased to $2.6 billion as of Mar 31, 2018, from $550 million as of Mar 31, 2017.

In first-quarter 2018, capital expenditures increased to $31.6 million from $24.8 million in the year-ago quarter.

Guidance

For full-year 2018, Genuine Parts reiterated sales growth-rate expectation of 12-13% and adjusted earnings per share expectation of $5.6-$5.75.

Zacks Rank & Key Picks

Genuine Parts carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). A few better-ranked stocks in the auto space are Dana Incorporated (NYSE:DAN) , AB Volvo VLVLY and PACCAR Inc. (NASDAQ:PCAR) . While Dana sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), Volvo and PACCAR carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Dana has an expected long-term growth rate of 10%. Over a year, shares of the company have gained 42.2%.

Volvo has an expected long-term growth rate of 15%. Shares of the company have risen 33.2% in the past year.

PACCAR has an expected long-term growth rate of 9.8%. Over a year, shares of the company have gained 7.6%.

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