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# O'Reilly Lifts 2026 Sales And Margin Targets As Professional Business Grows At A Double-Digit Pace
- URL: https://www.bullished.co/oreilly-lifts-2026-sales-and-margin-targets-as-professional-business-grows-at-a-double-7bb136ca/
- Published: 2026-10-28T20:53:06.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-28T20:53:06.000Z
- Description: The auto parts chain posted third-quarter sales of $5.12 billion and credited a $39 million tariff refund for part of its 14% per-share earnings gain.
- Author: Matteo Parrino
- Tags: Earnings, ORLY, Industry: Consumer Discretionary

[O'Reilly Automotive](https://www.bullished.co/tag/orly/), the auto parts retailer, raised its full-year 2026 targets for same-store sales and profit margins after third-quarter sales rose 9% to [$5.12 billion](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000898173/000089817326000050/orly-ex99d1.htm?ref=bullished.co), the company said in an [8-K filed Wednesday](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000898173/000089817326000050/orly-20261028x8k.htm?ref=bullished.co). Diluted earnings per share climbed 14% to $0.97, helped by a $39 million benefit from tariff refunds and a smaller share count.

## Professional customers lead the quarter

Sales at U.S. stores open at least a year [rose 7.2%](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/28/3390787/10672/en/o-reilly-automotive-inc-reports-third-quarter-2026-results.html?ref=bullished.co) in the third quarter, on top of 5.6% a year earlier. CEO Brad Beckham said that produced a two-year stack of 12.8%, driven by share gains, with "double-digit growth in our professional business and mid-single digit growth in DIY."

Sales to professional service customers reached [$2.60 billion](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/28/3390787/10672/en/o-reilly-automotive-inc-reports-third-quarter-2026-results.html?ref=bullished.co), against $2.31 billion a year earlier, while do-it-yourself sales were $2.45 billion, up from $2.30 billion. Gross profit rose 10% to $2.68 billion, or 52.4% of sales, from 51.9%. Operating income rose 13% to $1.10 billion, or 21.4% of sales.

Net income rose 8% to $786 million, from $726 million. Per-share earnings grew faster because diluted shares fell to 812 million from 853 million.

## Guidance goes up, with refunds baked in

Beckham said the higher full-year outlook includes the tariff refund benefit and the company's fourth-quarter margin expectations. O'Reilly now targets comparable sales growth of 5.5% to 6.5%, gross margin of 51.6% to 52.1% and operating margin of 19.5% to 20.0%.

The company also guided to revenue of $19.0 billion to $19.3 billion and diluted earnings of $3.25 to $3.35 per share. It expects 225 to 235 net new stores in 2026, after opening 173 net so far this year.

## A $1.03 billion buyback quarter

O'Reilly, which sells auto parts, tools and accessories to do-it-yourself drivers and professional repair shops, repurchased 11.8 million shares in the third quarter at an average $87.34, for $1.03 billion. Since quarter-end it has bought another 2.3 million shares for $204 million, and about $727 million remains under its authorization.

Long-term debt stood at $7.71 billion on September 30, up from $5.92 billion a year earlier, and the company had a shareholders' deficit of $2.09 billion. For the first nine months, operating cash flow was $2.6 billion.

Management will discuss the results on a conference call Thursday at 10:00 a.m. Central Time.

Learn

- [Item 2.02: results of operations →](https://www.bullished.co/learn/8-k-items-explained/#item-202-results-of-operations)  
From 8-K Items Explained: What Every Item Code From 1.01 To 9.01 Tells You, With Examples

### Sources

- [8-K Filing — O REILLY AUTOMOTIVE INC (ORLY)](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000898173/000089817326000050/orly-20261028x8k.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR
- [Exhibit orly-ex99d1.htm — O REILLY AUTOMOTIVE INC 8-K exhibit](https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000898173/000089817326000050/orly-ex99d1.htm?ref=bullished.co) — SEC EDGAR
- [AutoZone and O'Reilly better positioned to capitalize on do-it-for-me trends—BofA Securities (ORLY:NASDAQ) | Seeking Alpha](https://seekingalpha.com/news/4657091-autozone-and-oreilly-better-positioned-to-capitalize-on-do-it-for-me-trends---bofa-securities?ref=bullished.co) — seekingalpha.com
- [Does Earnings Preview Change The Bull Case For O'Reilly Stock (ORLY)?](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/does-earnings-preview-change-bull-201133832.html?ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance
- [If You Invested $1000 in O'Reilly Automotive a Decade Ago, This is How Much It'd Be Worth Now](https://finance.yahoo.com/markets/stocks/articles/invested-1000-oreilly-automotive-decade-113002719.html?.tsrc=rss&ref=bullished.co) — Yahoo Finance
- [O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. Reports Third Quarter 2026](https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/28/3390787/10672/en/o-reilly-automotive-inc-reports-third-quarter-2026-results.html?ref=bullished.co) — globenewswire.com

### More on O'Reilly Automotive

- [O'Reilly Automotive Will Release Third-Quarter 2026 Results On October 28, SEC Filing Shows](https://www.bullished.co/oreilly-automotive-will-release-third-quarter-2026-results-on-october-28-sec-filing-shows-b5b2068d/)

[All O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY) coverage →](https://www.bullished.co/tag/orly/)