You’ve probably seen the blue and white NAPA Auto Parts sign a thousand times. It’s a staple of the American roadside. But most folks don't realize that behind those local shops sits a massive, global machine called Genuine Parts Company. If you're looking for the genuine parts company stock ticker and exchange rate, you’re likely trying to figure out how a distributor based in Atlanta, Georgia, ends up being a major player on the New York Stock Exchange while juggling currencies from Europe to Australasia.
Let’s get the basics out of the way first. The ticker is GPC. It trades on the NYSE. As of mid-January 2026, the stock has been hovering around the $136 mark, showing some decent momentum after a bit of a rocky 2025. Honestly, it’s a boring stock, and that is exactly why people love it.
Why the GPC Ticker is a Dividend Legend
Genuine Parts Company isn’t just some random mid-cap. It is a Dividend King. That’s a fancy way of saying they’ve increased their dividend for over 60 consecutive years. Think about that for a second. Through the 1970s inflation, the dot-com bubble, the Great Recession, and a global pandemic, they just kept hiking the payout.
Currently, the annual dividend sits at $4.12 per share. That works out to a yield of about 3.03% based on the current price. For a lot of retirees, GPC is basically a bond that grows. But there’s a catch that often trips up new investors: the payout ratio. It’s currently around 61% to 69% depending on which analyst you ask. Some people get nervous when it crosses 60%, but GPC has lived in this neighborhood for a long time. They have a predictable cash flow because people have to fix their cars whether the economy is good or bad. Actually, when the economy is bad, people fix their old cars instead of buying new ones. That's a win for GPC.
The Exchange Rate Headache Nobody Talks About
This is where things get kinda messy. Genuine Parts Company isn't just an American brand. They operate in 17 countries. We're talking Canada, Mexico, the UK, France, Germany, and even Australia. Because they sell parts in Euros, British Pounds, and Australian Dollars, the exchange rate matters a lot more than you’d think.
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In their Q3 2025 earnings report, they actually noted a 0.8% favorable impact from foreign currency. That sounds small. It’s not. When you’re doing $6.3 billion in quarterly sales, a fraction of a percent in currency fluctuation moves millions of dollars on the balance sheet.
How Currency Swings Hit the Bottom Line
- Strong Dollar: When the U.S. Dollar is strong, the money GPC makes in Europe or Australia is worth less when they bring it home. This can make their earnings look "flat" even if they are selling more brake pads than ever.
- Weak Dollar: This is the sweet spot for GPC’s international segments. Their overseas profits suddenly get a "bonus" when converted back to USD.
- Hedging: They use derivative instruments to try and smooth this out, but as they mentioned in recent SEC filings, these hedges aren't perfect.
If you’re watching the genuine parts company stock ticker and exchange rate, you have to keep an eye on the DXY (Dollar Index). If the dollar is screaming higher, don't be surprised if GPC’s "Global Automotive" segment shows lower growth in the headlines than it does in local currency.
What’s Happening Right Now in 2026?
January has been a busy month for GPC. Just yesterday, they announced a major leadership shift. Will Stengel, the current CEO, is taking over as Chairman because Paul Donahue is retiring. Usually, when a long-time leader like Donahue leaves, the stock gets the jitters. But Stengel has been the architect of their recent digital transformation, so the market seems okay with it.
The stock price history for the last couple of weeks looks like this:
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- Jan 15, 2026: $136.16 (The market liked the leadership news).
- Jan 12, 2026: $129.21 (A bit of a dip before the rally).
- Jan 2, 2026: $124.00 (The starting point for the year).
It’s up nearly 10% in the first two weeks of the year. That’s a huge move for a company that usually moves like a turtle. Analysts at places like Evercore ISI and Goldman Sachs have been keeping a "Hold" or "Buy" rating on it, with price targets ranging from $140 to $148.
The Industrial Side: Motion Industries
People forget that GPC isn't just NAPA. They own Motion Industries. This is the "Industrial" side of the business. They sell bearings, pulleys, and industrial robots. While the auto side is about 60% of their revenue, the industrial side often has better margins. In late 2025, industrial sales were up about 4.6%.
The interesting part? The industrial side is more sensitive to the exchange rate in the Australasian market. When the Australian dollar fluctuates, it hits the Motion segment hard. But right now, the industrial EBITDA margins are sitting at a healthy 12.6%. That's significantly higher than the 8.4% they get from selling car batteries and spark plugs.
Is GPC a Value Trap?
There is a real debate here. Some bears argue that the rise of Electric Vehicles (EVs) will kill GPC. Fewer moving parts mean fewer things to break, right? Well, sort of. GPC is betting that EVs still need tires, brakes, suspension, and cabin filters. Plus, the average age of cars on the road is hitting record highs—over 12.5 years in the U.S. That is a massive tailwind for a parts distributor.
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However, the "negative" outlook recently assigned by Moody's is a red flag. They are worried about the debt GPC took on to buy companies like KDG. It’s a classic balancing act: growing through acquisitions vs. keeping the balance sheet clean enough to protect that Dividend King status.
Actionable Insights for Investors
If you're tracking the genuine parts company stock ticker and exchange rate, don't just look at the daily price.
- Watch the Fed: Interest rates impact their debt service. Since they have a decent amount of leverage from recent acquisitions, higher rates for longer is a headwind.
- The 200-Day Moving Average: The stock recently broke above this key technical level. Usually, that draws in the "algo" traders and can provide a floor for the price.
- Currency Correlation: If you see the Euro or the Aussie Dollar strengthening, expect a better-than-expected earnings report next quarter.
- February 17, 2026: Mark your calendar. That is the next scheduled earnings date. Expect a lot of talk about the "restructuring initiative" they've been working on to cut costs.
Genuine Parts Company is a global giant hiding in plain sight. It isn't a tech stock that's going to double overnight. It's a "slow and steady" play. If you're looking for a place to park cash and collect a check every three months, GPC is a name that usually delivers, provided you can stomach the occasional currency-driven dip.
Keep an eye on the $143.48 mark. That was the 52-week high. If it breaks through that on the back of the Stengel era, we could be looking at a new all-time high by summer. If the dollar stays volatile, just remember: the underlying business is still selling parts that the world literally cannot move without.