Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE:AAP) saw its shares begin Tuesday on an upward note, after the company reported second-quarter FY21 sales growth of 5.9% year-on-year, to $2.649 billion, managing to surpass the consensus of $2.62 billion.
Comparable store sales increased 5.8%. On a two-year stack, comparable store sales increased 13.3%. In Q1 of FY21, comparable store sales increased 24.7%.
Gross profit rose 8.4% Y/Y to $1.2 billion with a margin of 44.9%, a 110 basis points increase.
Adjusted gross profit increased 11.7% to $1.2 billion, with the margin expanding 239 basis points to 46.4%.
The operating margin was 9.2%, a 126-basis-point decrease and operating income for the quarter fell 6.8% to $244.9 million. Adjusted operating income margin expanded 11 basis points to 11.4%.
Adjusted EBITDAR of $1.8 billion rose 11.5% Y/Y. Adjusted EPS of $3.40 beat the analyst consensus of $3.03.
Advance Auto Parts held $809.3 million in cash and equivalents as of July 17. Cash provided by operating activities year to date totaled $776.2 million with a free cash flow of $646.6 million.
The company’s regular cash dividend of $1.00 per share is payable on October 1, to all common stockholders of record as of September 17.
Advance Auto Parts raised its FY21 sales outlook to $10.6 billion – $10.8 billion (prior $10.4 billion – $10.6 billion) versus the consensus of $10.66 billion.
AAP shares muscled up $4.10, or 2%, to $211.87.