Narrows 2026 Outlook for Adjusted EPS to $7.50 to $7.75 from $7.50 to $8.00

ATLANTA, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Genuine Parts Company (NYSE: GPC), a leading global service provider of automotive and industrial replacement parts and value-added solutions, announced today its results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2026.

“Our third quarter performance demonstrates the strength of our market leading businesses and our teams’ continued focus on serving customers and executing our strategic priorities,” said Will Stengel, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “We also achieved important milestones in our separation process and remain on track to launch GPC and Motion as two independent, leading companies in the first quarter of 2027.”

Third Quarter 2026 Results

Sales were $6.5 billion, a 4.2% increase compared to $6.3 billion in the same period of the prior year. The improvement is attributable to a 2.9% increase in comparable sales, a 0.9% benefit from acquisitions and a net 0.4% favorable impact of foreign currency and other.

Net income was $224 million, or $1.62 per diluted earnings per share. This compares to net income of $226 million, or $1.62 per diluted share in the prior year period.

Adjusted net income was $286 million, or $2.07 per diluted earnings per share. Adjusted net income excludes $61 million of after-tax adjustments, or $0.45 per diluted share, which relates to costs associated with the company’s global restructuring initiative and the planned separation of the company’s Automotive and Industrial businesses. This compares to adjusted net income of $276 million, or $1.98 per diluted share in the prior year period. Refer to the reconciliation of GAAP net income to adjusted net income and GAAP diluted net income per common share to adjusted diluted net income per common share for more information.

Third Quarter 2026 Segment Highlights

North America Automotive Parts Group (“North America Automotive”)

North America Automotive sales were $2.5 billion, up 2.2% from the same period in 2025. The improvement is primarily attributable to a 1.7% increase in comparable sales and a 1.1% benefit from acquisitions.  This was partially offset by a 0.6% unfavorable impact of foreign currency and other. Segment EBITDA of $194 million decreased 2.9%, with segment EBITDA margin of 7.6%, down 40 basis points from the same period of the prior year.

International Automotive Parts Group (“International Automotive”)

International Automotive sales were $1.6 billion, up 4.5% from the same period in 2025. The improvement is primarily attributable to a 1.7% benefit from acquisitions, a 1.7% favorable impact of foreign currency and a 1.1% increase in comparable sales. Segment EBITDA of $141 million increased 4.7%, with segment EBITDA margin of 9.0%, flat versus the same period of the prior year.

Industrial Parts Group (“Industrial”)

Industrial sales were $2.4 billion, up 6.1% from the same period in 2025. The improvement is primarily attributable to a 5.5% increase in comparable sales, a 0.5% favorable impact of foreign currency and a 0.1% benefit from acquisitions. Segment EBITDA of $317 million increased 11.2%, with segment EBITDA margin of 13.2%, up 60 basis points from the same period of the prior year.

Year to Date 2026 Results

Sales for the nine months ended September 30, 2026 were $19.3 billion, up 5.6% from the same period in 2025. Net income for the nine months was $641 million, or $4.64 per diluted share. This compares to net income of $675 million, or $4.85 per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted net income was $827 million in the first nine months of 2026, compared to adjusted net income of $810 million in the prior year period. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $5.99 compared to $5.82 in the prior year period.

Balance Sheet, Cash Flow and Capital Allocation

The company generated cash flow from operations of $817 million for the first nine months of 2026. Net cash used in investing activities was $361 million, including $314 million for capital expenditures and $69 million for acquisitions. Net cash used in financing activities was $139 million, including net proceeds of debt (including net commercial paper) of $338 million, partially offset by $434 million for quarterly dividends paid to shareholders. Free cash flow was $502 million for the first nine months of 2026. Refer to the reconciliation of GAAP net cash provided by operating activities to free cash flow for more information.

As of September 30, 2026, total liquidity was $2.4 billion, consisting of $763 million in cash, and $1.6 billion of available capacity under the company’s $2.0 billion Revolving Credit Agreement. This reflects $389 million outstanding under our commercial paper program.

2026 Outlook

The company is narrowing the range for adjusted diluted earnings per share outlook from its previous full-year 2026 outlook provided in its earnings releases on February 17, 2026, April 21, 2026 and July 21, 2026. The company considered its recent business trends and financial results, current growth plans, strategic initiatives, global economic outlook, geopolitical conflicts and the potential impact on results in updating its outlook, which is outlined in the table below. The updated GAAP earnings-per-share outlook includes expected costs associated with the company’s restructuring initiatives, and includes costs related to the planned separation that have been incurred year-to-date. 

Non-GAAP Information

This release contains certain financial information not derived in accordance with United States (“U.S.”) generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). These items include adjusted net income, adjusted diluted net income per common share, adjusted selling, administrative, and other expenses, and free cash flow. The company believes that the presentation of adjusted net income, adjusted diluted net income per common share, adjusted selling, administrative and other expenses and free cash flow, when considered together with the corresponding GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to those measures, provides meaningful supplemental information to both management and investors that is indicative of the company’s core operations. The company considers these metrics useful to investors because they provide greater transparency into management’s view and assessment of the company’s ongoing operating performance by removing items management believes are not representative of the company’s continuing operations and may distort the company’s longer-term operating trends. The company believes these measures are useful and enhance the comparability of the results from period to period and with the company’s competitors, as well as show ongoing results from operations distinct from items that are infrequent or not associated with the company’s core operations. The company does not, nor does it suggest investors should, consider such non-GAAP financial measures as superior to, in isolation from, or as a substitute for, GAAP financial information. The company has included a reconciliation of this additional information to the most comparable GAAP measure following the financial statements below. The company does not provide a forward-looking outlook for certain financial measures on a GAAP basis because the company is unable to predict certain items contained in the GAAP measures without unreasonable efforts. These items may include separation costs, acquisition-related costs, litigation charges or settlements, impairment charges, restructuring costs and certain other unusual adjustments.

Comparable Sales

Comparable sales is a key metric that refers to period-over-period comparisons of the company’s net sales excluding the impact of acquisitions, foreign currency and other. The company’s calculation of comparable sales is computed using total business days for the period and is inclusive of sales from company-owned stores and sales into independent stores. The company considers this metric useful to investors because it provides greater transparency into management’s view and assessment of the company’s core ongoing operations. This is a metric that is widely used by analysts, investors and competitors; however the company’s calculation of the metric may not be comparable to similar measures disclosed by other companies, because not all companies and analysts calculate this metric in the same manner.

Conference Call

Genuine Parts Company will hold a conference call today at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss the results of the quarter. A supplemental earnings deck will also be available for reference. Interested parties may listen to the call and view the supplemental earnings deck on the company’s investor relations website. The call is also available by dialing 800-836-8184. A replay of the call will be available on the company’s website or toll-free at 888-660-6345, conference ID 26206#, two hours after the completion of the call.

About Genuine Parts Company

Established in 1928, Genuine Parts Company is a leading global service provider of automotive and industrial replacement parts and value-added solutions. Our Automotive Parts Group operates across North America, Europe and Australasia, while our Industrial Parts Group serves customers across North America and Australasia. We keep the world moving with a vast network of over 10,800 locations spanning 17 countries supported by more than 65,000 teammates. Learn more at genpt.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this release, as well as in other materials the company files with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), release to the public, or make available on the company’s website, constitute forward-looking statements that are subject to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in the future tense and all statements accompanied by words such as “expect,” “likely,” “outlook,” “forecast,” “preliminary,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “position,” “will,” “project,” “intend,” “plan,” “on track,” “anticipate,” “to come,” “may,” “possible,” “assume,” or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include the company’s view of business and economic trends for the remainder of the year and the company’s expectations regarding its ability to capitalize on these business and economic trends; the company’s full-year 2026 outlook and the company’s ability to successfully execute on its strategic priorities, including the company’s anticipated separation of Global Automotive and Global Industrial into two independent, publicly traded companies. Senior officers may also make verbal statements to analysts, investors, the media and others that are forward-looking.

The company cautions you that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and while the company believes its expectations for the future are reasonable in view of currently available information, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the company’s forward-looking statements. Actual results or events may differ materially from those indicated as a result of various important factors. Such factors may include, among other things, changes in general economic conditions, including persistent inflation (including the direct and indirect impact of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs) or deflation, geopolitical uncertainty and unrest (including from the conflict involving the United States and Iran) and declining consumer confidence; the company’s ability to successfully implement the separation of Global Automotive and Global Industrial and achieve the anticipated benefits of such transaction; volatility in oil prices; significant costs, such as elevated fuel and freight expenses; the company’s ability to maintain compliance with its debt covenants; its ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses into its operations and to realize the anticipated synergies and benefits; its ability to successfully implement its business initiatives in its three business segments; slowing demand for its products; the ability to maintain favorable supplier arrangements and relationships; changes in national and international legislation or government regulations or policies, including changes to global trade regulations, environmental and social policy, infrastructure programs and privacy legislation and related uncertainties, and their impact on the company, its suppliers and customers; changes in tax policies; volatile exchange rates; the company’s ability to successfully attract and retain employees in the current labor market; uncertain credit markets and other macroeconomic conditions; competitive product, service and pricing pressures; failure or weakness in the company’s disclosure controls and procedures and internal controls over financial reporting; the uncertainties and costs of litigation; public health emergencies, including the effects on the financial health of the company’s business partners and customers, on supply chains and its suppliers, on vehicle miles driven as well as other metrics that affect the company’s business, and on access to capital and liquidity provided by the financial and capital markets; disruptions caused by a failure or breach of the company’s information systems; the success of its global restructuring efforts and the annualized cost savings arising therefrom, as well as other risks and uncertainties discussed in the company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and from time to time in its subsequent filings with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statements except as required by law. You are advised, however, to review any further disclosures the company makes on related subjects in subsequent Forms 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K and other reports filed with the SEC.

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SOURCE Genuine Parts Company