O'Reilly Automotive
ORLY · NasdaqRepair shops now buy more than half, margin still rose
Professional customers bought $2.47B, 50.48% of sales, yet gross margin edged up 0.03 points to 51.45% as purchasing savings outran the mix drag.
Q2 FY2026, the quarter to Jun 30, 2026 · 10-Q filed Aug 7, 2026
- Operating margin
- 20.2%
- Net income
- $715.1M
- Free cash flow, quarter
- $698.9M
Largest source of revenue: Professional service provider customer, 50.5% of the total.
Where O'Reilly Automotive's money goes
- 01
Repair shops now buy more than half, margin still rose
Professional customers bought $2.47B, 50.48% of sales, yet gross margin edged up 0.03 points to 51.45% as purchasing savings outran the mix drag.
Why it matters
Professional service provider customers bought $2.47B in the quarter and DIY customers $2.34B, out of $4.89B in sales: 50.48% against 47.77%. The filing says shop sales "carry a lower gross margin percentage than DIY sales," so a mix that moves toward the shops pulls gross margin down on its own.1
Gross margin still edged up 0.03 points to 51.45%. The filing attributes the gain to "improved acquisition costs and distribution operating efficiencies," which more than offset the mix. Gross profit grew 8.18% to $2.52B, against sales growth of 8.11%.1
AnalysisAnalysis: the steady margin is two forces of similar size pulling in opposite directions, not a business standing still. The shop side brings volume and daily repeat orders; purchasing and distribution have to keep finding savings at the pace the mix moves for the blended margin to hold.
- 02
Bigger tickets, not more DIY visits, carry growth
Comparable store sales rose 6.0% against 4.1% a year earlier, driven by higher average tickets while DIY transaction counts fell.
Why it matters
Sales rose 8.11% to $4.89B. Comparable store sales grew 6.0%, against 4.1% in the same quarter a year earlier, and 7.0% for the half year against 3.9%. The filing attributes the gain to higher average tickets for both customer types and more professional transactions, "partially offset by a decrease in transaction counts for DIY customers."1
The filing gives two reasons tickets are rising: higher average selling prices on a same-SKU basis, and "the increasing complexity and cost of replacement parts." It ties the same cause to the traffic decline: better-engineered vehicles "require less frequent repairs," which "creates pressure on customer transaction counts."1
AnalysisAnalysis: one trend, more durable and more complex cars, lowers how often a DIY customer comes in and raises what each visit is worth. Growth depends on the second effect staying larger than the first, and part of the ticket gain is pricing rather than volume.
New stores added less in the quarter: 51 net new stores opened, against 67 in the same quarter a year earlier, though 110 opened in the half year against 105.1
- 03
Heavier investment cut free cash flow as profit grew
Capital spending took 42.3% of operating cash flow in FY2025 against 13.8% in FY2021, so free cash flow fell while operating income rose.
Why it matters
Between FY2021 and FY2025, operating income rose from $2.92B to $3.46B, but free cash flow fell from $2.76B to $1.59B. Capital spending rose from $442.9M, 3.32% of sales, to $1.17B, 6.57% of sales, while operating cash flow eased from $3.21B to $2.76B.1
The step came in FY2023, when capital spending reached $1.01B, against $563.3M in FY2022. The filing links the timing of capital spending to store and distribution expansion and enhancement projects.1
This quarter reads differently: operating cash flow was $1.01B, 1.41 times net income, and free cash flow $698.9M, against $456.1M in the same quarter a year earlier, with capital spending of $307.6M against $300.7M. For the half year the filing ties the cash gain mainly to the "timing of payment for transferrable federal renewable energy tax credits" and higher operating income.1
AnalysisAnalysis: the quarter's free cash flow is not yet evidence that the investment cycle has ended. Part of the gain is tax timing the filing names, and capital spending in the quarter was close to its level a year earlier. The full-year figures are the better test.
Sources
- 1.O'Reilly Automotive 10-Q for the period to 2026-06-30 (the filing), Aug 7, 2026, read Nov 2, 2026
Have a question about O'Reilly Automotive? Ask CXProWealth on ChatGPT.Free membership required.
Growth, profit and margin
Revenue went from $3.6B in FY2008 to $17.8B in FY2025, the operating margin from 9.4% to 19.5%, over 17 years.
- Revenue$17.8B
- Operating income$3.5B
- Operating margin19.5%
- Period
- Q2 FY2026
- Revenue
- $4.9B
- Operating income
- $985.7M
- Operating margin
- 20.2%
- Net income
- $715.1M
- Free cash flow
- $698.9M
Does the profit turn into cash?
Q2 FY2026: free cash flow of $698.9M against net income of $715.1M in the quarter.
- Operating cash flow$2.8B
- Capital expenditure$1.2B
- Free cash flow$1.6B
- Net income$2.5B
Capital expenditure is drawn below the axis as cash out. Cash conversion is operating cash flow over net income, shown in the tooltip for years with a profit.
Financial data and sources
How the revenue mix has shifted
Each breakdown the filing reports, as shares of revenue, for every period it restates.
MajorCustomers
REVENUE (Disaggregation of Revenue) (Details). The filing restates this breakdown for 1 period.
Click a member to isolate it across the years shown.
The figures
Margins, cash and growth for the period, each with what it was computed from.
Where revenue comes from
Every breakdown the filing reports for the period, with each item's share.
MajorCustomers
| Professional service provider customer | $2.5B | 50.5% |
| DIY customer | $2.3B | 47.8% |
| Other customers and sales adjustments | $85.6M | 1.7% |
What it costs
The cost lines beneath operating income, each as a share of revenue, then the operating result.
Costs are reported by function: what it cost to make what was sold, then the expenses of selling, developing and administering.
| Cost line | Q2 FY2026 | Of revenue | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost of goods sold, including warehouse and distribution expenses | $2.4B | 48.6% | Source10-Q, us-gaap:CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold, as reported in the 10-Q filed 2026-08-07 |
| Operating income | $985.7M | 20.2% | Source10-Q, us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss, as reported in the 10-Q filed 2026-08-07 |
Operating figures the company states
From the text of the filing rather than its statements, each with the sentence that states it.
View source
Comparable store sales increased 6.0% and 4.1% for the three months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively.
View source
Comparable store sales increased 7.0% and 3.9% for the six months ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively.
View source
We opened 51 and 110 net, new stores during the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, respectively, compared to opening 67 and 105 net, new stores during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, respectively.
View source
We opened 51 and 110 net, new stores during the three and six months ended June 30, 2026, respectively, compared to opening 67 and 105 net, new stores during the three and six months ended June 30, 2025, respectively.
View source
As of June 30, 2026, we operated 6,541 stores in 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, 126 stores in Mexico, and 28 stores in Canada.
View source
As of June 30, 2026, we operated 6,541 stores in 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, 126 stores in Mexico, and 28 stores in Canada.
View source
As of June 30, 2026, we operated 6,541 stores in 48 U.S. states and Puerto Rico, 126 stores in Mexico, and 28 stores in Canada.
The statements, as filed
The income statement, cash flow statement and balance sheet in the company's own order and words. Every line links to the filing.
Income statement16 lines, as presented in the 10-Q
Cash flow statement2 lines, as presented in the 10-Q
Year to date, as a quarterly filing reports it.
| Line | Q2 FY2026 | A year earlier | Change | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating activities: | ||||
| Net income | $715.1M | $668.6M | +7.0% | Source10-Q, us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss, as reported in the 10-Q filed 2026-08-07 |
| Consolidated Statements Of Cash Flows | ||||
| Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period | $262.2M | $198.6M | +32% | Source10-Q, us-gaap:CashCashEquivalentsRestrictedCashAndRestrictedCashEquivalents, as reported in the 10-Q filed 2026-08-07 |
Balance sheet31 lines, as presented in the 10-Q
About this data
- Source
- O'Reilly Automotive 10-Q, accession 0000898173-26-000045, filed Aug 7, 2026, read on Nov 2, 2026.
- History
- From the SEC's XBRL company facts, the value from the latest filing that stated each period.
- Reading
- Paragraphs marked Analysis are CXProWealth's reading; everything else is the filing's own numbers and words, or a cited source.
- Version
- methodology business-lens-1.0 · schema 1.2.0 · run business-lens-2026-11-02
What holds O'Reilly Automotive's model up, and what could bend it
Competitive edge
One set of shelves serves two customer types
DIY and repair shop customers draw on the same stores and stock, which the filing names first among its competitive advantages.
The detail
The filing calls selling to both DIY customers and professional service providers its "dual market strategy" and lists it first among its competitive advantages. In the quarter the two groups bought $2.34B and $2.47B, and gross margin across both was 51.45%.1
AnalysisAnalysis: the shop business adds daily, high-volume orders without a second inventory, and the DIY business, which the filing says carries the higher margin, keeps the blended margin above what shop sales alone would earn. Each customer type makes the shared network more productive for the other.
Same-day parts access is what customers pay for
Warehouse and distribution costs sit inside cost of goods, 48.55% of sales, because getting the part to the store fast is the product.
The detail
The filing credits a "strategic distribution and hub store network that provides same day and over-night inventory access" for its stores, alongside well-trained, technically proficient staff. At the end of June it operated 6,541 stores in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, 126 in Mexico and 28 in Canada.1
Cost of goods sold, including warehouse and distribution expenses, grew 8.04% against sales growth of 8.11%, and the filing credits "distribution operating efficiencies" for part of the quarter's gross margin gain.1
AnalysisAnalysis: a mechanic with a car on the lift values speed over the lowest price. A dense network of stores and hubs is costly and slow to copy, which is why the heavier capital spending of recent years bears on the advantage as well as on cash flow.
Supplier terms let cash run ahead of profit
Supplier finance programs let vendors carry much of the stock, which helps explain FY2025 operating cash flow of $2.76B against net income of $2.54B.
The detail
The filing describes supplier finance programs in which participating suppliers can assign the company's payment obligations to banks, which the company pays on the original due dates of invoices "generally for a term of one year." The obligations sit inside accounts payable.1
Operating cash flow was $1.01B in the quarter, 1.41 times net income of $715.1M. In FY2025 it was $2.76B against net income of $2.54B, in a year with capital spending of $1.17B.1
AnalysisAnalysis: when vendors finance the shelves, a larger inventory consumes less of the company's own cash. The advantage depends on suppliers and their banks continuing to offer those terms.
What to watch
Borrowing costs rise faster than operating profit
Interest expense rose 21.86% to $69.9M against operating income growth of 7.79%, taking 7.09% of operating income versus 6.27% a year earlier.
The detail
The filing attributes the higher interest to "higher average outstanding borrowings" and lists "our increased debt levels" and the credit ratings on its public debt among its risks. It says weaker demand could affect its ability to meet the covenants of its credit agreement.1
Net income grew 6.95%, slower than operating income at 7.79%. Diluted earnings per share rose to $0.86 from $0.78 because the diluted share count fell to 828.9 million from 858.4 million. The company pays no dividend; it returns cash through share repurchases.1
AnalysisAnalysis: per-share growth running ahead of net income growth is the intended result of buying back shares partly with borrowed money. It works while operating income keeps growing faster than the cost of the debt behind it.
Operating costs grew faster than sales
SG&A rose 8.42% against sales growth of 8.11%, reaching 31.3% of sales, and operating margin slipped 0.06 points to 20.15%.
The detail
The filing points to "inflationary pressure in costs and higher costs relating to medical and casualty insurance programs," partly offset by leverage of store operating costs on strong comparable store sales. It also names the ability to hire and keep qualified staff among its risks.1
AnalysisAnalysis: this quarter the company absorbed the cost pressure with comparable store sales growth of 6.0%. A slower comparable quarter would test whether store costs still spread well without that tailwind.
Inflation lifts tickets but can squeeze DIY budgets
Same-SKU price increases lifted average tickets, yet the filing warns that inflation and fuel costs outrunning wages could cut consumers' disposable income.
The detail
The filing says the company has typically been able to pass industry-wide cost increases through higher selling prices, and does not believe inflation has had a material adverse effect on results. Its risk list still names inflation, consumer debt levels, tariffs and trade disputes.1
It warns that "continued broad-based inflation and rapid fuel cost increases that exceed wage growth" may reduce consumers' disposable income, and that total miles driven can be affected by rapid increases in fuel cost.1
AnalysisAnalysis: DIY customers, 47.77% of sales, are the group most exposed to household budgets, and their transaction counts already fell this quarter. Price-led ticket growth helps only as long as customers keep buying at the higher prices.
Sources
- 1.O'Reilly Automotive 10-Q for the period to 2026-06-30 (the filing), Aug 7, 2026, read Nov 2, 2026
O'Reilly Automotive, further in
Member research, then your own questions on ChatGPT.
What could change the outlook
What O'Reilly Automotive's numbers depend on from here, read from the filing: the conditions behind this period's margins and growth, and where a change would show first.
- Can the margin hold as repair shops take a larger share?
What has to keep happening in purchasing, distribution and operating costs for profit to keep pace with sales as the customer mix shifts and borrowing rises.
- What the investment cycle has to deliver
How the heavier store and distribution spending of recent years connects to future cash flow, and which reported figures show whether it is paying back.
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Have a question about O'Reilly Automotive?
Explore its profit drivers, competitive edge, risks, or your own investment and business questions with CXProWealth on ChatGPT.
- How does O'Reilly keep gross margin steady while lower-margin repair shop sales grow to more than half of its sales?
- Why did O'Reilly's capital spending rise from 13.8% to 42.3% of operating cash flow between FY2021 and FY2025?
- How much of O'Reilly's earnings per share growth comes from share buybacks rather than higher net income?
Business Lens describes O'Reilly Automotive from its own filings with the SEC. It is not a view on its shares, a target, or advice to buy, sell or hold anything; figures are as filed and may be restated by the company later. The filing, the dates and the version are under the financial data above.