When a company decides to conduct a forward stock split, it's usually because the share price has gotten "too high" in nominal terms and management teams want to increase accessibility for more investors by raising the number of shares outstanding, thereby lowering the price per share. While the stock doesn't change fundamentally, this can be an exciting development.
In June last year, aftermarket auto parts business O'Reilly Automotive (ORLY +0.02%) implemented a 15-for-1 stock split. This move shouldn't distract investors from the real story, though.
This unstoppable retail stock has registered a fantastic return, as its shares are up 58,000% since the company's initial public offering in 1993.
Image source: Getty Images.
The stocks of boring companies can be monster winners
Via its nearly 6,600 stores (most in the U.S., with some in Canada and Mexico), O'Reilly Automotive sells aftermarket auto parts to DIY and professional customers. This business could not be any less exciting. However, that monster return since IPO speaks for itself.
In just the last five years, shares have more than tripled.
NASDAQ: ORLY
Key Data Points
Consistency is the name of the game here. In 2025, O'Reilly reported same-store sales growth of 4.7%. This was the 33rd straight year that the metric was positive. Considering all the macroeconomic headwinds that occurred in the past three decades, this is an unbelievable streak.
It all comes down to demand trends. People can't go long without having a working vehicle. It doesn't matter if the economy is thriving or if the U.S. is in a severe recession. A backdrop like this, coupled with an aging vehicle fleet and more miles driven each year, supports durable revenue growth for O'Reilly.
Between 2015 and 2025, revenue climbed 122%. Net income was up 168% during that time. Earnings per share were boosted by sizable stock buyback activity. New store openings, planned to total between 225 and 235 this year, are helping fuel the numbers.
Expensive for a reason
The market doesn't typically place O'Reilly shares on the discount rack. The current price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 31.8 is 26% more expensive than the S&P 500 index. That premium is warranted, given the quality of this business.
However, value investors probably won't be interested in buying this stock unless there's a major pullback that pushes the P/E multiple below 25 and even closer to 20. That day might never come.
If, however, you are simply looking for the best companies, then it makes sense to take a closer look at O'Reilly.
