CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:
CPRT posted Apr-Q EPS of $0.43 vs. $0.42 (+2%), ahead of the $0.41 consensus. The beat was driven by stronger-than-expected sales and gross margins, as revenue rose 2.1% to $1.24B ($40M above consensus) and gross margin expanded 70 bps to 46.3% (70 bps above consensus). Results reflected improved service and vehicle sales revenue growth, combined with effective cost management in a challenging operating environment. During the quarter, CPRT repurchased $1.41B of stock, a sharp increase from the $218M of buybacks it had made during the prior two quarters. CPRT continues to possess one of the industry's strongest balance sheets ($4.11B of net cash) and maintains ample capacity to buy back more stock - and is authorized to do so. CPRT shares are currently trading 1% lower after hours. We view the weakness as unjustified considering its better-than-expected sales and margins. The vehicle auction market has faced significant headwinds over the last few quarters, but we found CPRT's results encouraging.