What If You’d Invested $2,000 in O’Reilly Automotive in 1993?

Imagine putting $2,000 into a stock and forgetting about it. No fiddling, no panic-selling, no checking your account every day. You look up a few decades later and you discover your modest investment has ballooned into more than $1 million.

That’s not a fantasy. That’s what actually happened if you invested in O’Reilly Automotive (NASDAQ: ORLY) when it went public 32 years ago.

Even more impressive? It’s still performing like a champ and bulls argue it’s not too late to get in.

Key Points

• A $2,000 investment in O’Reilly’s 1993 IPO is now worth over $1 million.

• O’Reilly keeps gaining share in the fragmented professional auto market.

• Despite rising costs and tariffs, aging cars and market opportunity support continued growth.

From One Store in Missouri to a near $80 Billion Powerhouse

O’Reilly was founded in 1957 by Charles F. O’Reilly and his son, Chub. What began as a single store in Springfield, Missouri, has grown into a retail empire of almost 6500 stores spanning the U.S., Mexico, Canada, and Puerto Rico, and closing in on an astonishing $80 billion market cap.

O’Reilly’s secret sauce? Serving both DIY auto tinkerers and professional mechanics. While the DIY crowd still accounts for over half the company’s sales, the real growth engine has been the professional market. It’s more fragmented, which makes it ripe for consolidation and O’Reilly has been scooping up market share like clockwork.

And this year the growth story hasn’t slowed. The stock is up double digits this year and held its ground even during recent market selloffs.

Not Without Some Bumps in the Road

Of course, no company rides on cruise control forever. O’Reilly’s first-quarter net income dipped slightly year-over-year, mostly due to rising costs. President Brent Kirby pointed to higher payroll, benefits, and maintenance expenses as culprits. Inflationary pressures haven’t helped either.

And there’s another looming wildcard: tariffs. CEO Brad Beckham didn’t sugarcoat it, saying the shifting tariff landscape, especially on goods from China, creates “a high degree of uncertainty.” That’s no small thing when about a quarter of the company’s products originate from China.

In short, it’s not all smooth sailing. But for long-term investors, short-term turbulence isn’t the end of the road.

Why This Stock Still Has Room to Run

You probably shouldn’t expect another gain like the one seen over the past 32 years but does O’Reilly still look like a solid long-term investment? Absolutely.

After all, cars are getting older and Americans are driving them longer. That’s music to the ears of any aftermarket parts supplier. More wear and tear means more demand for parts, tools, and maintenance.

Plus, O’Reilly is still blossoming. Despite its massive footprint, the company only holds a fraction of its total addressable market. As CEO Beckham put it, they “still have a ton of opportunity” to grow and they plan to do it “aggressively and profitably.”

That kind of mindset, backed by decades of consistent execution, is why this stock has made millionaires out of early investors.

Will ORLY Stun Again?

If you’re hunting for a proven winner in the retail space, O’Reilly Automotive still deserves a spot on your watchlist if not in your portfolio. It’s survived recessions, inflation, and the rise of e-commerce. And it’s done it all while steadily growing its footprint and bottom line.

No, it may not make you $1 million from $2,000 again. But it might be the kind of stock you’ll be glad you held 10 years from now.