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O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 3 raised, 4 lowered, 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales and comparable growth rose: Sales rose $341 million, or 8%, to $4.71 billion. Comparable store sales rose 5.6%, on top of 1.5% in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 12% to $0.85: Diluted earnings per share rose 12% to $0.85 on 853 million shares, against $0.76 on 875 million shares a year earlier. Source
  • Professional sales rose about 13%: Sales to professional service provider customers were $2.31 billion, up about 13% from $2.04 billion, slightly above DIY sales of $2.30 billion. Source
  • Operating margin rose to 20.7%: Operating income rose 9% to $976 million, or 20.7% of sales, from $897 million, or 20.5% of sales, a year earlier. Source
  • Quarterly free cash flow fell: Free cash flow was $297.0 million in the quarter, against $500.0 million a year earlier. Nine-month free cash flow was $1.20 billion, against $1.66 billion. Source
  • Inventory rose to $5.61 billion: Inventory was $5.61 billion at September 30, 2025, against $4.91 billion a year earlier, and $5.10 billion at December 31, 2024. Source

“Our Team continues to execute our proven business model at a very high level, generating robust sales growth by delivering share gains on both sides of our business.”

Brad Beckham, O’Reilly’s CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Comparable store sales SourceFull-year 20254.0% to 5.0%Raised from 3% to 4.5%
Total revenue SourceFull-year 2025$17.6 billion to $17.8 billionRaised from $17.5 billion to $17.8 billion
Gross profit as a percentage of sales SourceFull-year 202551.2% to 51.7%Kept
Operating income as a percentage of sales SourceFull-year 202519.2% to 19.7%Kept
Effective income tax rate SourceFull-year 202521.6%Lowered from 22.3%
Diluted earnings per share SourceFull-year 2025$2.90 to $3.00Raised from $2.85 to $2.95
Net cash provided by operating activities SourceFull-year 2025$2.6 billion to $3.0 billionLowered from $2.8 billion to $3.2 billion
Capital expenditures SourceFull-year 2025$1.1 billion to $1.2 billionLowered from $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion
Free cash flow SourceFull-year 2025$1.5 billion to $1.8 billionLowered from $1.6 billion to $1.9 billion
Net new store openings SourceFull-year 2025200 to 210Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Comparable store sales guidance raised to 4.0% to 5.0% from 3% to 4.5%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Diluted EPS guidance raised to $2.90 to $3.00 from $2.85 to $2.95. Source
  • Guidance raised: Total revenue guidance low end raised to $17.6 billion from $17.5 billion. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Operating cash flow guidance lowered to $2.6 billion to $3.0 billion from $2.8 billion to $3.2 billion. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Capital expenditure guidance lowered to $1.1 billion to $1.2 billion from $1.2 billion to $1.3 billion. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Free cash flow guidance lowered to $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion from $1.6 billion to $1.9 billion. Source
  • Guidance lowered: Effective income tax rate guidance lowered to 21.6% from 22.3%. Source
  • New: Payment of renewable energy tax credits accelerated into 2025 from a planned settlement in early 2026. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Sales and comparable growth rose: Sales rose $341 million, or 8%, to $4.71 billion. Comparable store sales rose 5.6%, on top of 1.5% in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 12% to $0.85: Diluted earnings per share rose 12% to $0.85 on 853 million shares, against $0.76 on 875 million shares a year earlier. Source
  • Net income rose 9% to $726 million: Net income rose $60 million, or 9%, to $726 million, or 15.4% of sales, from $665 million, or 15.2% of sales, a year earlier. Source
  • Nine-month comparable sales growth 4.5%: For the nine months, sales rose 6% to $13.37 billion and diluted EPS rose 8% to $2.25. Comparable store sales rose 4.5%, on top of 2.4%. Source

Customers and sales mix

  • Professional sales rose about 13%: Sales to professional service provider customers were $2.31 billion, up about 13% from $2.04 billion, slightly above DIY sales of $2.30 billion. Source
  • DIY sales rose about 4%: Sales to do-it-yourself customers were $2.30 billion, up about 4% from $2.22 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Other sales lower: Other sales and sales adjustments were $93.1 million, against $101.3 million a year earlier. Source

“As a result of our year-to-date performance and updated outlook for the remainder of 2025, we are raising our full-year 2025 comparable store sales guidance to a range of 4.0% to 5.0%.”

Brad Beckham, O’Reilly’s CEO

Costs and margins

  • Gross margin rose to 51.9%: Gross profit rose 8% to $2.44 billion, or 51.9% of sales, from $2.25 billion, or 51.6% of sales, a year earlier. Source
  • SG&A at 31.1% of sales: SG&A rose 8% to $1.46 billion, or 31.1% of sales, from $1.35 billion, or 31.0% of sales, a year earlier. Source
  • Operating margin rose to 20.7%: Operating income rose 9% to $976 million, or 20.7% of sales, from $897 million, or 20.5% of sales, a year earlier. Source

Stores and regions

  • Store count reached 6,538: The company operated 6,538 stores at September 30, 2025: 6,406 domestic, 107 in Mexico and 25 in Canada. No stores closed in the quarter. Source
  • Quarter openings: 46 domestic, 9 Mexico: The company opened 46 domestic stores and 9 in Mexico during the quarter, against 35 and 9 a year earlier. Canada had no openings in the quarter, against 3 a year earlier. Source
  • Sales per square foot rose: Sales per weighted-average square foot for U.S. and Puerto Rico operations were $90.80 in the quarter, against $89.17 a year earlier. Source

“We remain confident in the underlying demand drivers of our industry and our Team’s ability to grow our share of the market by delivering industry-leading customer service.”

Brad Beckham, O’Reilly’s CEO

Cash flow and capital returns

  • Quarterly free cash flow fell: Free cash flow was $297.0 million in the quarter, against $500.0 million a year earlier. Nine-month free cash flow was $1.20 billion, against $1.66 billion. Source
  • Nine-month operating cash flow lower: Net cash provided by operating activities was $616.5 million in the quarter and $2.13 billion for the nine months, against $2.43 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Share repurchases in the quarter: The company repurchased 4.3 million shares for $420 million in the quarter, at an average $98.08. Nine-month repurchases were 17.6 million shares for $1.60 billion. Source
  • Repurchases continued after quarter-end: Through the release date, the company bought 0.8 million more shares for $79 million, and about $820 million remained under the current authorization. Source

Inventory and balance sheet

  • Inventory rose to $5.61 billion: Inventory was $5.61 billion at September 30, 2025, against $4.91 billion a year earlier, and $5.10 billion at December 31, 2024. Source
  • Payables covered 125.9% of inventory: Accounts payable to inventory was 125.9% at September 30, 2025, against 129.4% a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted debt to EBITDAR at 2.04: Adjusted debt to EBITDAR was 2.04 for the twelve months to September 30, 2025, against 1.96 a year earlier. GAAP debt was $5.92 billion, against $5.36 billion. Source

Strategy, investment and people

  • Customer service cited for results: The CEO credited the Team’s commitment to unparalleled service with driving the quarter’s results. Source
  • Capital expenditures rose 21% in quarter: Capital expenditures were $312.1 million in the quarter, against $258.3 million, and $899.8 million for the nine months, against $732.9 million. Source
  • Total employment reached 93,269: Total employment was 93,269 at September 30, 2025, against 92,709 a year earlier. The CEO thanked each of the over 93,000 Team Members. Source

Taxes and interest costs

  • Quarter income tax provision rose: The income tax provision was $197.8 million in the quarter, against $182.5 million, about 21.4% of pre-tax income, against about 21.5%. Source
  • Nine-month cash taxes paid rose: Income taxes paid were $876.5 million for the nine months, against $419.3 million a year earlier. Source
  • Interest expense rose to $59.6 million: Interest expense was $59.6 million in the quarter, against $55.2 million a year earlier. Interest income was $1.8 million, against $2.1 million. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable store sales Source5.6% in the third quarter (1.5% a year earlier)
Gross margin Source51.9% of sales in the third quarter (51.6% a year earlier)
Inventory Source$5,610,118 thousand at September 30, 2025
Inventory turnover Source1.6 (1.7 a year earlier); average inventory per store $858 thousand ($781 thousand a year earlier)
Store openings Source46 domestic and 9 Mexico in the third quarter; 141 domestic and 20 Mexico for the nine months
Store count Source6,538 total stores (6,406 domestic, 107 Mexico, 25 Canada)
Sales per store Source$720 thousand in the third quarter ($689 thousand a year earlier)

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management refers to an earlier planned settlement of these tax credits in early 2026, which the payment timing has since moved earlier. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.