Press Releases April 29, 2026 04:30 PM

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2026 Results

O’Reilly Automotive Reports Strong Q1 2026 Earnings with Double-Digit Sales Growth and Raised Full-Year Guidance

By Hana Yamamoto ORLY
O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
ORLY

O’Reilly Automotive reported robust first quarter 2026 results with 8.1% comparable store sales growth and a 16% increase in diluted EPS to $0.72. The company achieved record revenue of $4.56 billion and operating income increased 14% to $842 million. O’Reilly repurchased 10 million shares in Q1 and updated its full-year guidance, projecting total revenue between $18.7 billion and $19.0 billion and diluted EPS of $3.15 to $3.25. The company remains optimistic about market demand and opportunities to grow market share in the automotive aftermarket sector.

Key Points

  • First quarter comparable store sales rose 8.1%, driven by double-digit growth in professional business and mid-single digit growth in DIY segment, positively impacting automotive aftermarket and retail sectors.
  • Operating income grew 14% to $842 million with effective expense management, underscoring operational efficiency in automotive retail.
  • Company repurchased 10 million shares during Q1 at average $92.45/share, signaling confidence in financial strength and shareholder value enhancement.
  • The automotive aftermarket sector is influenced, particularly auto parts retail, distribution, and service provider markets, affecting both professional and DIY customer segments.
  • First quarter comparable store sales growth of 8.1%
  • 16% increase in first quarter diluted earnings per share to $0.72
  • $1 billion net cash provided by operating activities year-to-date

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. (the “Company” or “O’Reilly”) (Nasdaq: ORLY), a leading retailer in the automotive aftermarket industry, today announced record revenue and earnings for its first quarter ended March 31, 2026.

1st Quarter Financial Results

Brad Beckham, O’Reilly’s CEO, commented, “We are pleased to report a strong start to 2026, highlighted by an 8.1% increase in comparable store sales and a 16% increase in our first quarter diluted earnings per share. Team O’Reilly delivered comparable store sales results exceeding our expectations in both professional and DIY, with double-digit growth in our professional business and mid-single digit growth in DIY. Our ability to drive productivity in our business and translate robust sales growth into a 14% increase in operating profit is the direct result of our Team’s focus on prudent expense management. I would like to thank all of our Team Members for their incredible hard work in the first quarter and their relentless focus on providing unsurpassed service to our customers each and every day. We look forward to the opportunities we have to grow our market share in 2026 and are encouraged by the stable demand backdrop in our industry.”

Sales for the first quarter of 2026 increased $424 million, or 10%, to $4.56 billion from $4.14 billion for the same period one year ago. Gross profit for the first quarter of 2026 increased 11% to $2.35 billion (or 51.5% of sales) from $2.12 billion (or 51.3% of sales) for the same period one year ago. Selling, general and administrative expenses for the first quarter of 2026 increased 9% to $1.51 billion (or 33.0% of sales) from $1.38 billion (or 33.4% of sales) for the same period one year ago. Operating income for the first quarter of 2026 increased 14% to $842 million (or 18.5% of sales) from $741 million (or 17.9% of sales) for the same period one year ago.

Net income for the first quarter of 2026 increased $66 million, or 12%, to $604 million (or 13.2% of sales) from $538 million (or 13.0% of sales) for the same period one year ago. Diluted earnings per common share for the first quarter of 2026 increased 16% to $0.72 on 843 million shares versus $0.62 on 864 million shares for the same period one year ago.

1st Quarter Comparable Store Sales Results

Comparable store sales are calculated based on the change in sales for U.S. stores open at least one year and exclude sales of specialty machinery, sales to independent parts stores, and sales to Team Members. Online sales for ship-to-home orders and pick-up-in-store orders for U.S. stores open at least one year are included in the comparable store sales calculation. Comparable store sales increased 8.1% for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, on top of 3.6% for the same period one year ago.

Share Repurchase Program

During the first quarter ended March 31, 2026, the Company repurchased 10.0 million shares of its common stock, at an average price per share of $92.45, for a total investment of $923 million. Excise tax on shares repurchased, assessed at one percent of the fair market value of shares repurchased, was $9.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026. Subsequent to the end of the first quarter and through the date of this release, the Company repurchased an additional 3.6 million shares of its common stock, at an average price per share of $92.83, for a total investment of $338 million. The Company has repurchased a total of 1.48 billion shares of its common stock under its share repurchase program since the inception of the program in January of 2011 and through the date of this release, at an average price of $19.38, for a total aggregate investment of $28.61 billion. As of the date of this release, the Company had approximately $1.14 billion remaining under its current share repurchase authorization.

Updated Full-Year 2026 Guidance

The table below outlines the Company’s updated guidance for selected full-year 2026 financial data:

     For the Year Ending  December 31, 2026Net, new store openings 225 to 235Comparable store sales 3.0% to 5.0%Total revenue $18.7 billion to $19.0 billionGross profit as a percentage of sales 51.5% to 52.0%Operating income as a percentage of sales 19.3% to 19.8%Effective income tax rate 22.6%
Diluted earnings per share(1) $3.15 to $3.25Net cash provided by operating activities $3.1 billion to $3.5 billionCapital expenditures $1.3 billion to $1.4 billionFree cash flow(2) $1.8 billion to $2.1 billion


(1)Weighted-average shares outstanding, assuming dilution, used in the denominator of this calculation, includes share repurchases made by the Company through the date of this release.(2)Free cash flow is a non-GAAP financial measure. The table below reconciles Free cash flow guidance to Net cash provided by operating activities guidance, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure:


              For the Year Ending (in millions) December 31, 2026 Net cash provided by operating activities $3,110 to $3,520 Less:Capital expenditures  1,300 to  1,400  Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation payments  10 to  20 Free cash flow $1,800 to $2,100          

Non-GAAP Information

This release contains certain financial information not derived in accordance with United States generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). These items include adjusted debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, share-based compensation, and rent (“EBITDAR”) and free cash flow. The Company does not, nor does it suggest investors should, consider such non-GAAP financial measures in isolation from, or as a substitute for, GAAP financial information. The Company believes that the presentation of adjusted debt to EBITDAR and free cash flow provide meaningful supplemental information to both management and investors that is indicative of the Company’s core operations. The Company has included a reconciliation of this additional information to the most comparable GAAP measure in the table above and the selected financial information below.

Earnings Conference Call Information

The Company will host a conference call on Thursday, April 30, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. Central Time to discuss its results as well as future expectations. Investors may listen to the conference call live on the Company’s website at www.OReillyAuto.com by clicking on “Investor Relations.” Interested analysts are invited to join the call. The dial-in number for the call is (888) 506-0062 and the conference call identification number is 264620. A replay of the conference call will be available on the Company’s website through Thursday, April 29, 2027.

About O’Reilly Automotive, Inc.

O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. was founded in 1957 by the O’Reilly family and is one of the largest specialty retailers of automotive aftermarket parts, tools, supplies, equipment, and accessories in the United States, serving both the do-it-yourself and professional service provider markets. Visit the Company’s website at www.OReillyAuto.com for additional information about O’Reilly, including access to online shopping and current promotions, store locations, hours and services, employment opportunities, and other programs. As of March 31, 2026, the Company operated 6,644 stores across 48 U.S. states, Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Canada.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company claims the protection of the safe-harbor for forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as “estimate,” “may,” “could,” “will,” “believe,” “expect,” “would,” “consider,” “should,” “anticipate,” “project,” “plan,” “intend,” “guidance,” “target,” or similar words. In addition, statements contained within this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements, such as statements discussing, among other things, expected growth, store development, integration and expansion strategy, business strategies, future revenues, and future performance. These forward-looking statements are based on estimates, projections, beliefs, and assumptions and are not guarantees of future events and results. Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, including, but not limited to, the economy in general; inflation; consumer debt levels; product demand; a public health crisis; the market for auto parts; competition; weather; trade disputes and changes in trade policies, including the imposition of new or increased tariffs; availability of key products and supply chain disruptions; business interruptions, including terrorist activities, war and the threat of war; failure to protect our brand and reputation; challenges in international markets; volatility of the market price of our common stock; our increased debt levels; credit ratings on public debt; damage, failure, or interruption of information technology systems, including information security and cyber-attacks; historical growth rate sustainability; our ability to hire and retain qualified employees; risks associated with the performance of acquired businesses; and governmental regulations. Actual results may materially differ from anticipated results described or implied in these forward-looking statements. Please refer to the “Risk Factors” section of the annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, and subsequent Securities and Exchange Commission filings, for additional factors that could materially affect the Company’s financial performance. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they were made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

  For further information contact:Investor Relations Contacts Leslie Skorick (417) 874-7142 Eric Bird (417) 868-4259   Media Contact Sonya Cox (417) 427-8071  


 O’REILLY AUTOMOTIVE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(In thousands, except share data)            March 31, 2026 March 31, 2025 December 31, 2025  (Unaudited) (Unaudited) (Note)Assets         Current assets:         Cash and cash equivalents $252,632  $191,248  $193,793 Accounts receivable, net  431,173   392,168   389,793 Amounts receivable from suppliers  165,033   129,921   159,900 Inventory  5,810,121   5,172,436   5,731,385 Other current assets  308,377   143,694   269,406 Total current assets  6,967,336   6,029,467   6,744,277           Property and equipment, at cost  10,440,524   9,450,387   10,222,249 Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization  4,065,527   3,684,666   3,964,824 Net property and equipment  6,374,997   5,765,721   6,257,425           Operating lease, right-of-use assets  2,450,393   2,374,177   2,391,150 Goodwill  953,035   933,130   948,208 Other assets, net  191,417   191,380   197,193 Total assets $16,937,178  $15,293,875  $16,538,253           Liabilities and shareholders’ deficit         Current liabilities:         Accounts payable $7,237,126  $6,535,532  $7,103,684 Self-insurance reserves  321,896   154,013   297,304 Accrued payroll  152,357   132,965   119,603 Accrued benefits and withholdings  256,015   214,547   240,072 Income taxes payable  6,996   137,142   13,957 Current portion of operating lease liabilities  445,416   425,330   439,907 Other current liabilities  804,462   910,977   561,294 Total current liabilities  9,224,268   8,510,506   8,775,821           Long-term debt  6,195,311   5,651,821   6,016,904 Operating lease liabilities, less current portion  2,090,498   2,026,668   2,034,688 Deferred income taxes  224,411   236,572   211,210 Other liabilities  269,745   225,764   262,982           Shareholders’ equity (deficit):         Common stock, $0.01 par value:         Authorized shares – 1,250,000,000         Issued and outstanding shares –         832,292,716 as of March 31, 2026,         856,702,725 as of March 31, 2025, and         841,909,238 as of December 31, 2025  8,323   8,567   8,419 Additional paid-in capital  1,537,430   1,476,741   1,530,292 Retained deficit  (2,638,068)  (2,805,929)  (2,328,817)Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)  25,260   (36,835)  26,754 Total shareholders’ deficit  (1,067,055)  (1,357,456)  (763,352)          Total liabilities and shareholders’ deficit $16,937,178  $15,293,875  $16,538,253              

Note: The balance sheet at December 31, 2025, has been derived from the audited consolidated financial statements at that date but does not include all of the information and footnotes required by United States generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements.

 O’REILLY AUTOMOTIVE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)         For the Three Months Ended  March 31,  2026  2025 Sales $4,560,539  $4,136,924 Cost of goods sold, including warehouse and distribution expenses  2,213,328   2,015,439 Gross profit  2,347,211   2,121,485        Selling, general and administrative expenses  1,505,603   1,380,019 Operating income  841,608   741,466        Other income (expense):      Interest expense  (62,745)  (57,564)Interest income  1,748   1,664 Other, net  (522)  (1,215)Total other expense  (61,519)  (57,115)       Income before income taxes  780,089   684,351 Provision for income taxes  175,908   145,866 Net income $604,181  $538,485        Earnings per share-basic:      Earnings per share $0.72  $0.63 Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic  838,578   859,564        Earnings per share-assuming dilution:      Earnings per share $0.72  $0.62 Weighted-average common shares outstanding – assuming dilution  842,516   864,331          


 O’REILLY AUTOMOTIVE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(In thousands)         For the Three Months Ended  March 31,  2026  2025 Operating activities:      Net income $604,181  $538,485 Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:      Depreciation and amortization of property, equipment and intangibles  135,361   122,224 Amortization of debt discount and issuance costs  1,887   1,851 Deferred income taxes  13,291   (11,159)Share-based compensation programs  8,816   8,444 Other  1,987   3,191 Changes in operating assets and liabilities:      Accounts receivable  (45,716)  (37,758)Inventory  (79,069)  (75,081)Accounts payable  135,531   9,952 Income taxes payable  951   138,513 Other  255,693   56,458 Net cash provided by operating activities  1,032,913   755,120        Investing activities:      Purchases of property and equipment  (244,447)  (286,951)Proceeds from sale of property and equipment  1,542   1,948 Other, including acquisitions, net of cash acquired  (1,751)  — Net cash used in investing activities  (244,656)  (285,003)       Financing activities:      Net (payments) proceeds of commercial paper  (163,887)  129,288 Proceeds from the issuance of long-term debt  847,365   — Principal payments on long-term debt  (500,000)  — Payment of debt issuance costs  (5,909)  (3,801)Repurchases of common stock  (922,947)  (559,432)Net proceeds from issuance of common stock  16,609   24,926 Other  (270)  (433)Net cash used in financing activities  (729,039)  (409,452)       Effect of exchange rate changes on cash  (379)  338 Net increase in cash and cash equivalents  58,839   61,003 Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period  193,793   130,245 Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period $252,632  $191,248        Supplemental disclosures of cash flow information:      Income taxes paid $18,909  $16,904 Interest paid, net of capitalized interest  43,544   39,424          


 O’REILLY AUTOMOTIVE, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
SELECTED FINANCIAL INFORMATION
(Unaudited)          For the Twelve Months Ended  March 31,Adjusted Debt to EBITDAR: 2026 2025(In thousands, except adjusted debt to EBITDAR ratio)      GAAP debt $6,195,311 $5,651,821Add:Letters of credit  197,892  127,264 Unamortized discount and debt issuance costs  29,689  27,679 Six-times rent expense  2,986,494  2,771,640Adjusted debt $9,409,386 $8,578,404       GAAP net income $2,603,905 $2,377,927Add:Interest expense  240,245  222,964 Provision for income taxes  732,004  651,098 Depreciation and amortization  524,367  474,468 Share-based compensation expense  35,487  30,353 Rent expense(i)  497,749  461,940EBITDAR $4,633,757 $4,218,750       Adjusted debt to EBITDAR  2.03  2.03


(i)The table below outlines the calculation of Rent expense and reconciles Rent expense to Total lease cost, per ASC 842, the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure, for the twelve months ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 (in thousands):


            For the Twelve Months Ended   March 31,   2026 2025 Total lease cost, per ASC 842 $598,987 $558,415 Less:Variable non-contract operating lease components, related to property taxes and insurance  101,238  96,475 Rent expense $497,749 $461,940        


           March 31,  2026 2025Selected Balance Sheet Ratios:        Inventory turnover(1)  1.6  1.6Average inventory per store (in thousands)(2) $874 $806Accounts payable to inventory(3)  124.6%  126.4%         


           For the Three Months Ended   March 31,   2026 2025Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow (in thousands):      Net cash provided by operating activities $1,032,913 $755,120Less:Capital expenditures  244,447  286,951 Excess tax benefit from share-based compensation payments  3,352  12,925Free cash flow $785,114 $455,244       


         For the Three Months Ended  March 31,  2026 2025Revenue Disaggregation (in thousands):     Sales to do-it-yourself customers$2,190,132 $2,051,859Sales to professional service provider customers  2,290,784  1,998,593Other sales and sales adjustments  79,623  86,472Total sales $4,560,539 $4,136,924       


           For the Three Months Ended For the Twelve Months Ended  March 31, March 31,  2026 2025  2026 2025 Store Count:        Beginning domestic store count 6,447 6,265  6,298 6,131 New stores opened 48 33  197 167 Stores closed  —   — Ending domestic store count 6,495 6,298  6,495 6,298          Beginning Mexico store count 112 87  93 63 New stores opened 9 6  28 30 Stores closed  —   — Ending Mexico store count 121 93  121 93          Beginning Canada store count 26 26  25 23 New stores opened 2 —  3 3 Stores closed  (1)  (1)Ending Canada store count 28 25  28 25          Total ending store count 6,644 6,416  6,644 6,416            


               For the Three Months Ended For the Twelve Months Ended  March 31, March 31,  2026 2025 2026 2025Store and Team Member Information:            Total employment  93,973  93,419      Square footage (in thousands)(4)  52,229  49,371      Sales per weighted-average square foot(4)(5) $85.94 $82.22 $349.36 $341.85Sales per weighted-average store (in thousands)(4)(6) $688 $643 $2,774 $2,650             


(1)Calculated as cost of goods sold for the last 12 months divided by average inventory. Average inventory is calculated as the average of inventory for the trailing four quarters used in determining the denominator.(2)Calculated as inventory divided by store count at the end of the reported period.(3)Calculated as accounts payable divided by inventory.(4)Represents O’Reilly’s U.S. and Puerto Rico operations only.(5)Calculated as sales less jobber sales, divided by weighted-average square footage. Weighted-average square footage is determined by weighting store square footage based on the approximate dates of store openings, acquisitions, expansions, or closures.(6)Calculated as sales less jobber sales, divided by weighted-average stores. Weighted-average stores is determined by weighting stores based on their approximate dates of openings, acquisitions, or closures.



Risks

  • Economic conditions and consumer demand fluctuations could impact future sales growth and profitability in automotive retail sector.
  • Supply chain disruptions or availability of key products could adversely affect inventory levels and sales performance.
  • Increased debt levels and exposure to interest expenses pose financial risks, potentially impacting capital expenditures and share repurchase programs.

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