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O'Reilly Automotive, Inc.: Q1 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q1 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 April 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 raised, 8 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Sales rose 10% to $4.56 billion: Sales rose $424 million, or 10%, to $4.56 billion, from $4.14 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 16% to $0.72: Diluted EPS rose 16% to $0.72 on 843 million diluted shares, against $0.62 on 864 million a year earlier. Source
  • Comparable store sales up 8.1%: Comparable store sales rose 8.1%, on top of 3.6% in the prior-year period. The measure covers U.S. stores open at least one year. Source
  • Professional and DIY both grew: Sales to professional service provider customers were $2.29 billion, up from $2.00 billion; DIY sales were $2.19 billion, up from $2.05 billion. Management put professional growth in double digits and DIY in mid-single digits. Source
  • Operating income rose 14% to $842 million: Operating income rose 14% to $842 million, or 18.5% of sales, from $741 million, or 17.9%, a year earlier. Source
  • Repurchased $923 million in quarter: The company repurchased 10.0 million shares at an average $92.45, a total of $923 million, in the first quarter. Source
  • Full-year guidance updated: Management updated its 2026 guidance table. Operating margin and diluted EPS ranges were raised, and the other ranges were kept. Source

“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.”

Brad Beckham, O’Reilly’s CEO

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Net new store openings SourceFull year 2026225 to 235Kept
Comparable store sales SourceFull year 20263.0% to 5.0%Kept
Total revenue SourceFull year 2026$18.7 billion to $19.0 billionKept
Gross profit as a percentage of sales SourceFull year 202651.5% to 52.0%Kept
Operating income as a percentage of sales SourceFull year 202619.3% to 19.8%Raised from 19.2% to 19.7%
Effective income tax rate SourceFull year 202622.6%Kept
Diluted earnings per share SourceFull year 2026$3.15 to $3.25Raised from $3.10 to $3.20
Net cash provided by operating activities SourceFull year 2026$3.1 billion to $3.5 billionKept
Capital expenditures SourceFull year 2026$1.3 billion to $1.4 billionKept
Free cash flow SourceFull year 2026$1.8 billion to $2.1 billionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Operating income margin guidance raised to 19.3% to 19.8% of sales from 19.2% to 19.7%. Source
  • Guidance raised: Diluted EPS guidance raised to $3.15 to $3.25 from $3.10 to $3.20. Source
  • Guidance kept: Store openings, comparable sales, revenue, gross margin, tax rate, cash flow, capex and free cash flow guidance unchanged from the prior release. Source

Headline results and earnings

  • Record revenue and earnings reported: The company reported record revenue and earnings for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026. Source
  • Sales rose 10% to $4.56 billion: Sales rose $424 million, or 10%, to $4.56 billion, from $4.14 billion a year earlier. Source
  • Net income rose 12% to $604 million: Net income rose $66 million, or 12%, to $604 million, or 13.2% of sales, from 13.0% a year earlier. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose 16% to $0.72: Diluted EPS rose 16% to $0.72 on 843 million diluted shares, against $0.62 on 864 million a year earlier. Source

Customers, demand and comparable sales

  • Comparable store sales up 8.1%: Comparable store sales rose 8.1%, on top of 3.6% in the prior-year period. The measure covers U.S. stores open at least one year. Source
  • Online orders counted in comparable sales: Ship-to-home and pick-up-in-store online orders for U.S. stores open at least one year are included in the comparable store sales measure. Source
  • Professional and DIY both grew: Sales to professional service provider customers were $2.29 billion, up from $2.00 billion; DIY sales were $2.19 billion, up from $2.05 billion. Management put professional growth in double digits and DIY in mid-single digits. Source
  • Demand backdrop described as stable: Management said it looks forward to growing market share in 2026 and sees a stable demand backdrop in the industry. Source

“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.”

Brad Beckham, O’Reilly’s CEO

Margins and operating costs

  • Gross margin rose to 51.5%: Gross profit rose 11% to $2.35 billion, or 51.5% of sales, from $2.12 billion, or 51.3%, a year earlier. Source
  • SG&A share of sales fell to 33.0%: SG&A rose 9% to $1.51 billion, or 33.0% of sales, from $1.38 billion, or 33.4% of sales, a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income rose 14% to $842 million: Operating income rose 14% to $842 million, or 18.5% of sales, from $741 million, or 17.9%, a year earlier. Source

Cash flow and share repurchases

  • Repurchased $923 million in quarter: The company repurchased 10.0 million shares at an average $92.45, a total of $923 million, in the first quarter. Source
  • Further $338 million bought after quarter: From quarter end through April 29, 2026, the company repurchased 3.6 million more shares at an average $92.83, for $338 million. Source
  • About $1.14 billion authorization remains: Approximately $1.14 billion remained under the current repurchase authorization, down from about $2.26 billion in the February release. Source
  • Excise tax on buybacks $9.2 million: Excise tax on shares repurchased, at one percent of fair market value, was $9.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026. Source
  • Operating cash flow of $1 billion: Net cash provided by operating activities was $1.03 billion for the quarter, against $755 million a year earlier. Source

“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.”

Brad Beckham, O’Reilly’s CEO

Full-year 2026 guidance

  • Full-year guidance updated: Management updated its 2026 guidance table. Operating margin and diluted EPS ranges were raised, and the other ranges were kept. Source
  • EPS guidance counts buybacks to date: The diluted share count used for EPS guidance includes share repurchases made through the April 29, 2026 release date. Source
  • Free cash flow guidance reconciled to GAAP: Free cash flow guidance equals operating cash flow guidance less capital expenditures and an excess tax benefit of $10 million to $20 million. Source

Store growth and team

  • Store count reached 6,644: The company operated 6,644 stores at March 31, 2026, up from 6,585 at December 31, 2025 and 6,416 a year earlier. Source
  • 59 net new stores in quarter: Quarter openings were 48 domestic, 9 in Mexico and 2 in Canada, with no closings; the year-earlier quarter had 33 domestic openings. Source
  • Thanks to Team Members: Management thanked Team Members for first-quarter work and for service to customers. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Comparable store sales growth Source8.1%
Gross margin Source51.5% of sales
Store count Source6,644 stores at March 31, 2026
Net new stores in quarter Source59

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said first-quarter comparable sales exceeded its expectations in both professional and DIY. 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.