Handelsbanken Fonder AB Sells 9,520 Shares of Genuine Parts Company $GPC

Handelsbanken Fonder AB cut its holdings in shares of Genuine Parts Company (NYSE:GPC) by 12.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 68,246 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock after selling 9,520 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Genuine Parts were worth $8,392,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Community Bank N.A. bought a new position in Genuine Parts during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Olistico Wealth LLC bought a new position in Genuine Parts during the fourth quarter worth about $25,000. WPG Advisers LLC lifted its holdings in Genuine Parts by 213.0% during the fourth quarter. WPG Advisers LLC now owns 241 shares of the specialty retailer’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 164 shares in the last quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings in Genuine Parts by 6,225.0% during the third 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 in the last quarter. Finally, Lodestone Wealth Management LLC bought a new position in Genuine Parts during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. 78.83% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider James F. Howe sold 415 shares of Genuine Parts stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $104.33, for a total transaction of $43,296.95. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 25,589 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,669,700.37. This trade represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders own 0.13% of the company’s stock.

Genuine Parts Price Performance

NYSE:GPC opened at $97.65 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.77, a quick ratio of 0.48 and a current ratio of 1.09. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $104.45 and its 200 day simple moving average is $120.41. The company has a market cap of $13.44 billion, a P/E ratio of 227.09 and a beta of 0.70. Genuine Parts Company has a 52-week low of $90.78 and a 52-week high of $151.57.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) last posted 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 during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.17 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $1.75 earnings per share. Genuine Parts’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 forecast that Genuine Parts Company will post 7.65 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Genuine Parts Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, July 2nd. Investors of record on Friday, June 5th will be issued a dividend of $1.0625 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, June 5th. This represents a $4.25 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.4%. Genuine Parts’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 988.37%.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research firms have issued reports on GPC. Raymond James Financial raised Genuine Parts from a “market perform” rating to a “strong-buy” rating and set a $145.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. UBS Group dropped their price target on Genuine Parts from $135.00 to $125.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Zacks Research downgraded Genuine Parts from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 25th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Genuine Parts in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Finally, Evercore set a $160.00 price target on Genuine Parts in a research note on Friday, February 20th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have issued a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Genuine Parts presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $143.71.

Genuine Parts 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.