AAP Stock Surges 9% Pre-Market – What’s Fueling the Rally?

Comparable store sales rose 1.1% in the fourth-quarter with a revenue of $2 billion and adjusted earnings per share of $0.86.

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The Advance Auto Parts logo is seen on a sign outside of its store in Shenandoh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Paul Weaver/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

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Shivani Kumaresan · Stocktwits

Published Feb 13, 2026, 1:15 PM

AAP
  • The CEO said the company returned to a full-year positive comparable sales growth following three years of negative results.
  • Gross profit in Q4 reached approximately $0.9 billion, representing 44% of revenue, compared with 17.4% last year.
  • For 2026, the company projects revenue between $8.49 billion and $8.58 billion, with comparable sales growth of 1% to 2%.

Advance Auto Parts Inc. (AAP) reported fourth-quarter (Q4) and full-year results for the period ended Jan. 3, 2026, highlighting a return to annual comparable sales growth and improved profitability after several challenging years. 

The automotive aftermarket retailer, which serves both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers across North America, said operational changes made in 2025 began to gain traction.

Leadership Points To Turnaround Progress

In Q4, the company reported sales of $2 billion and adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.86. The period included an extra week that contributed about $132 million in revenue. Both revenue and EPS surpassed the analysts’ consensus estimate of $1.95 billion and $0.41, respectively, according to Fiscal AI data. 

“We returned to full-year positive comparable sales growth following three years of negative results and expanded adjusted operating income margin by over 200 basis points, which were both in line with our full-year 2025 guidance range."

-Shane O'Kelly, President and CEO, Advance Auto Parts

Comparable store sales rose 1.1% in Q4 when excluding the additional week, and stores closed under the company’s 2024 restructuring initiative. Following the earnings, Advance Auto Parts stock traded over 9% higher in Friday’s premarket. 

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around the stock jumped to ‘bullish’ from ‘neutral’ territory the previous day amid ‘high’ message volume levels. 

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AAP’s Sentiment Meter and Message Volume as of 07:30 a.m. ET on Feb. 13, 2026 | Source: Stocktwits

Margins And Profitability Improve

Gross profit reached approximately $0.9 billion, representing 44.0% of revenue, compared with 17.4% last year, which was affected by restructuring-related charges. Adjusted gross margin improved to 44.2%, a 520 basis point YoY increase. 

The company posted an operating income of $44 million, compared to an $820 million loss last year. On February 10, Advance Auto Parts declared a quarterly dividend of $0.25 per share, payable April 24, to shareholders of record as of April 10. 

For 2026, the company projects revenue between $8.49 billion and $8.58 billion, comparable sales growth of 1% to 2%, and adjusted EPS of $2.40 to $3.10.

AAP stock has gained over 19% in the last 12 months. 

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