Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at MarineMax (NYSE:HZO) and the best and worst performers in the automotive and marine retail industry.

At their essence, cars and boats get you from point A to point B, but the former is usually a necessity in everyday life while the latter is a luxury or leisure product. The retailers that sell these vehicles therefore cater to different needs and populations. There are also retailers that may not sell cars and boats themselves but the parts and accessories needed to keep these complex machines in tip top shape.

The 11 automotive and marine retail stocks we track reported a weaker Q4; on average, revenues missed analyst consensus estimates by 2.5%. Stocks, especially growth stocks where cash flows further in the future are more important to the story, had a good end of 2023. The beginning of 2024 saw mixed inflation data, however, leading to more volatile stock performance, and automotive and marine retail stocks have held roughly steady amidst all this, with share prices up 0.7% on average since the previous earnings results.

MarineMax (NYSE:HZO)

Appropriately headquartered in Clearwater, Florida, MarineMax (NYSE:HZO) sells boats, yachts, and other marine products.

MarineMax reported revenues of $527.3 million, up 3.8% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 0.2%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with underwhelming earnings guidance for the full year and a miss of analysts' gross margin estimates.

“I’m proud of our team’s ability to drive a strong close to the December quarter, generating the highest first quarter revenue in our history. This growth came despite a challenging retail environment which required us to take more aggressive pricing actions than expected,” said Brett McGill, Chief Executive Officer and President of MarineMax.

The stock is down 17.2% since the results and currently trades at $27.5.

Read our full report on MarineMax here, it's free.

Best Q4: AutoZone (NYSE:AZO)

Aiming to be a one-stop shop for the DIY customer, AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) is an auto parts and accessories retailer that sells everything from car batteries to windshield wiper fluid to brake pads.

AutoZone reported revenues of $3.86 billion, up 4.6% year on year, in line with analyst expectations. It was a solid quarter for the company, with a decent beat of analysts' earnings estimates.

AutoZone achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The stock is up 8.5% since the results and currently trades at $3,010.01.

Is now the time to buy AutoZone? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.

Slowest Q4: America's Car-Mart (NASDAQ:CRMT)

With a strong presence in the Southern and Central US, America’s Car-Mart (NASDAQ:CRMT) sells used cars to budget-conscious consumers.

America's Car-Mart reported revenues of $299.6 million, down 7.9% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 14.6%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with a miss of analysts' revenue estimates.

America's Car-Mart had the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. The stock is down 2.6% since the results and currently trades at $60.67.

Read our full analysis of America's Car-Mart's results here.

OneWater (NASDAQ:ONEW)

A public company since early 2020, OneWater Marine (NASDAQ:ONEW) sells boats, yachts, and other marine products.

OneWater reported revenues of $364 million, down 0.7% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 0.2%. It was a slower quarter for the company, with a miss of analysts' earnings estimates.

The stock is down 0.4% since the results and currently trades at $25.05.

Read our full, actionable report on OneWater here, it's free.

Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC)

Largely targeting the professional customer, Genuine Parts (NYSE:GPC) sells auto and industrial parts such as batteries, belts, bearings, and machine fluids.

Genuine Parts reported revenues of $5.59 billion, up 1.1% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 1.4%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with a miss of analysts' revenue estimates and underwhelming earnings guidance for the full year.

The stock is up 2.9% since the results and currently trades at $148.28.

Read our full, actionable report on Genuine Parts here, it's free.

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