The action in Advance Auto Parts, Inc. AAP has some investors and traders confused. The company released its earnings report Thursday and it was well short of estimates.
But the shares are trading higher. This is why it is our Stock of the Day.
The company reported a loss of four cents per share. This was well below the Street's estimates of a profit of 49 cents. The revenue was also well short of estimates. It came in at $2.15 billion. Analysts were looking for $2.65 billion.
But sometimes the headlines don't tell the whole story.
Operating margin is an important metric studied by analysts. It is a measurement of how profitable a company is.
For example, if a company has an operating margin of 5%, after all costs and expenses, it makes five cents for every dollar of sales. If the margin is 7%, it makes seven cents on every dollar of sales, and so on.
If the operating margin is increasing, it means the company is becoming more efficient and profitable.
Advance Auto's management team predicts an operating margin of 2%-3% in 2025. But their guidance for 2027 is 7%. So, despite current losses, some investors are buying shares because they believe the company will turn things around and that the long-term picture is bullish.
As you can see on the chart, the stock may be breaking out.
Resistance is a large concentration of sell orders that are at, or close to, the same price. Uptrends tend to end and even reverse when they reach resistance.
This was the case with Advanced Auto in September.
If the price eventually moves above resistance, traders say it is a “breakout.” This isn't just symbolic. It illustrates an important supply and demand dynamic.
It shows the investors and traders who created the resistance are gone. They have either canceled or finished their orders. This means a large amount of supply has left the market.
This could set the stage for a move higher.
If new buyers enter the market, they will have a hard time finding someone to buy shares from. As a result, they will be forced to pay higher prices to get the interest of sellers. This could force the stock into an uptrend.
On Wall Street, the headlines may not tell the whole story and the initial reaction may be wrong. This could be the case with Advance Auto.
Photo: Refina via Shutterstock
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