Advance Auto Parts Inc. (NYSE: AAP) reported its fiscal second-quarter financial results before the markets opened on Thursday. The retailer had $2.27 in earnings per share (EPS) on $2.37 billion in revenue, compared to Thomson Reuters consensus estimates of $2.25 in EPS on $2.38 billion in revenue. In the same period of the previous year, had $2.08 in EPS on $2.35 billion in revenue.
The board of directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share, to be paid on October 2, for stockholders of record as of September 18.
As of mid-July, the company operated 5,252 stores and 117 Worldpac branches and served roughly 1,300 independently owned Carquest stores.
Mike Norona, executive vice president and chief financial officer, said:
Our teams once again delivered on our synergy expectations, expanded our core gross margins and demonstrated expense discipline to grow our Comparable Operating Income 8.7% in the quarter. We continue to stay focused on our base business while meeting our integration milestones and remain on pace to deliver against our full-year guidance for Comparable Cash EPS in the range of $8.10 to $8.30 including achievement of our full-year synergy targets.
In other guidance, the company expects to close 50 stores in the second half of 2015 and achieve its 12% operating profit target in 2016. Consensus estimates call for $8.26 in EPS on $9.90 billion in revenue for the full year.
Darren R. Jackson, CEO of Advance Auto Parts, commented on earnings:
I would like to thank all our Team Members for their hard work during the second quarter of 2015. Our second quarter comparable store sales increased 1.0% and Comparable Cash EPS grew 9.1% to $2.27. These results were in-line with our expectations given the continuing demands of the General Parts integration. Our integration continues to be on-track overall along with our sales and profitability.
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Free cash flow increased to $216.3 million through the second quarter of fiscal 2015 from $214.3 million through the second quarter of fiscal 2014. On the books, the company had cash and cash equivalents of $114.5 million, compared to 67.4 million in the same period from the previous year.
Shares of Advance Auto Parts were up 4.1% to $179.24 early Thursday, in its 52-week trading range of $126.25 to $180.16. The stock has a consensus analyst price target of $174.67.
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