Comprehensive Stock Comparison
Compare CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS) vs Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP) Stock
Analyze side-by-side fundamentals, valuation, growth, and profitability to decide which stock is the better buy.
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Quick Verdict
| Category | Winner | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Growth | AAP | -5.4% revenue growth vs PRTS's -12.9% |
| Quality / Margins | AAP | 0.5% net margin vs PRTS's -9.7% |
| Stability / Safety | AAP | Beta 1.01 vs PRTS's 1.41 |
| Dividends | AAP | 1.9% yield; PRTS pays no meaningful dividend |
| Momentum (1Y) | AAP | +46.8% vs PRTS's -26.8% |
| Efficiency (ROA) | AAP | 0.4% ROA vs PRTS's -27.1%, ROIC 2.9% vs -32.1% |
Who Each Stock Is For
Income & stability
Growth exposure
Long-term compounding (10Y)
Sleep-well-at-night portfolio
Defensive / Recession hedge
Business Model
What each company does and how it makes money
CarParts.com is an online retailer of aftermarket auto parts and accessories serving individual consumers and repair shops. It generates revenue primarily through direct e-commerce sales — about 90% from individual consumers and 10% from wholesale to repair shops — via its network of websites and online marketplaces. The company's key advantage is its vertically integrated supply chain and proprietary technology platform that enables fast fulfillment and competitive pricing.
Advance Auto Parts is a specialty retailer of automotive aftermarket parts and accessories for both professional installers and do-it-yourself customers. It generates revenue primarily through retail store sales — with professional/commercial sales representing about 60% of revenue and DIY retail making up the remaining 40% — supplemented by e-commerce. The company's competitive advantage lies in its extensive physical store network — over 4,700 locations across North America — which provides convenient access and local market penetration that pure online competitors cannot match.
Revenue Breakdown by Segment
How each company's revenue is distributed across its business units
Financial Metrics Comparison
Side-by-side fundamentals across 2 stocks. BestLagging
Financial Scorecard
AAP leads in 4 of 6 categories (Financial Metrics, Profitability & Efficiency). PRTS leads in 1 (Valuation Metrics).
Financial Metrics (TTM)
AAP is the larger business by revenue, generating $8.6B annually — 15.3x PRTS's $561M. AAP is the more profitable business, keeping 0.5% of every revenue dollar as net income compared to PRTS's -9.7%. On growth, AAP holds the edge at -1.2% YoY revenue growth, suggesting stronger near-term business momentum.
| Metric | PRTSCarParts.com, Inc. | AAPAdvance Auto Part… |
|---|---|---|
| RevenueTrailing 12 months | $561M | $8.6B |
| EBITDAEarnings before interest/tax | -$31M | $433M |
| Net IncomeAfter-tax profit | -$54M | $44M |
| Free Cash FlowCash after capex | -$33M | -$298M |
| Gross MarginGross profit ÷ Revenue | +32.6% | +43.2% |
| Operating MarginEBIT ÷ Revenue | -9.5% | +1.9% |
| Net MarginNet income ÷ Revenue | -9.7% | +0.5% |
| FCF MarginFCF ÷ Revenue | -6.0% | -3.5% |
| Rev. Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -11.7% | -1.2% |
| EPS Growth (YoY)Latest quarter vs prior year | -11.8% | +101.4% |
Valuation Metrics
| Metric | PRTSCarParts.com, Inc. | AAPAdvance Auto Part… |
|---|---|---|
| Market CapShares × price | $49M | $3.2B |
| Enterprise ValueMkt cap + debt − cash | $54M | $5.3B |
| Trailing P/EPrice ÷ TTM EPS | -1.00x | 72.84x |
| Forward P/EPrice ÷ next-FY EPS est. | — | 19.56x |
| PEG RatioP/E ÷ EPS growth rate | — | — |
| EV / EBITDAEnterprise value multiple | — | 12.22x |
| Price / SalesMarket cap ÷ Revenue | 0.08x | 0.37x |
| Price / BookPrice ÷ Book value/share | 0.48x | 1.47x |
| Price / FCFMarket cap ÷ FCF | — | — |
Profitability & Efficiency
AAP delivers a 2.0% return on equity — every $100 of shareholder capital generates $2 in annual profit, vs $-85 for PRTS. PRTS carries lower financial leverage with a 0.49x debt-to-equity ratio, signaling a more conservative balance sheet compared to AAP's 2.38x. On the Piotroski fundamental quality scale (0–9), AAP scores 4/9 vs PRTS's 3/9, reflecting mixed financial health.
| Metric | PRTSCarParts.com, Inc. | AAPAdvance Auto Part… |
|---|---|---|
| ROE (TTM)Return on equity | -84.6% | +2.0% |
| ROA (TTM)Return on assets | -27.1% | +0.4% |
| ROICReturn on invested capital | -32.1% | +2.9% |
| ROCEReturn on capital employed | -30.7% | +2.3% |
| Piotroski ScoreFundamental quality 0–9 | 3 | 4 |
| Debt / EquityFinancial leverage | 0.49x | 2.38x |
| Net DebtTotal debt minus cash | $5M | $2.1B |
| Cash & Equiv.Liquid assets | $36M | $3.1B |
| Total DebtShort + long-term debt | $41M | $5.2B |
| Interest CoverageEBIT ÷ Interest expense | -35.10x | 1.16x |
Total Returns (with DRIP)
A $10,000 investment in AAP five years ago would be worth $4,099 today (with dividends reinvested), compared to $370 for PRTS. Over the past 12 months, AAP leads with a +46.8% total return vs PRTS's -26.8%. The 3-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) favors AAP at -26.6% vs PRTS's -51.6% — a key indicator of consistent wealth creation.
| Metric | PRTSCarParts.com, Inc. | AAPAdvance Auto Part… |
|---|---|---|
| YTD ReturnYear-to-date | +42.0% | +37.4% |
| 1-Year ReturnPast 12 months | -26.8% | +46.8% |
| 3-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -88.7% | -60.4% |
| 5-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -96.3% | -59.0% |
| 10-Year ReturnCumulative with dividends | -74.2% | -53.9% |
| CAGR (3Y)Annualised 3-year return | -51.6% | -26.6% |
Risk & Volatility
AAP is the less volatile stock with a 1.01 beta — it tends to amplify market swings less than PRTS's 1.41 beta. A beta below 1.0 means the stock typically moves less than the S&P 500. AAP currently trades 76.0% from its 52-week high vs PRTS's 52.2% drawdown — a narrower gap to the peak suggests stronger recent price momentum.
| Metric | PRTSCarParts.com, Inc. | AAPAdvance Auto Part… |
|---|---|---|
| Beta (5Y)Sensitivity to S&P 500 | 1.41x | 1.01x |
| 52-Week HighHighest price in past year | $1.36 | $70.00 |
| 52-Week LowLowest price in past year | $0.39 | $28.89 |
| % of 52W HighCurrent price vs 52-week peak | +52.2% | +76.0% |
| RSI (14)Momentum oscillator 0–100 | 70.1 | 48.8 |
| Avg Volume (50D)Average daily shares traded | 827K | 1.8M |
Analyst Outlook
AAP is the only dividend payer here at 1.86% yield — a key consideration for income-focused portfolios.
| Metric | PRTSCarParts.com, Inc. | AAPAdvance Auto Part… |
|---|---|---|
| Analyst RatingConsensus buy/hold/sell | — | Hold |
| Price TargetConsensus 12-month target | — | $56.40 |
| # AnalystsCovering analysts | — | 44 |
| Dividend YieldAnnual dividend ÷ price | — | +1.9% |
| Dividend StreakConsecutive years of raises | 0 | 0 |
| Dividend / ShareAnnual DPS | — | $0.99 |
| Buyback YieldShare repurchases ÷ mkt cap | +1.0% | 0.0% |
Historical Charts
Charts are rendered on first load. Hover for details.
Chart 1Total Return — 5 Years (Rebased to 100)
| Stock | Mar 20 | Feb 26 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS) | 100 | 20.08 | -79.9% |
| Advance Auto Parts,… (AAP) | 100 | 36.63 | -63.4% |
Advance Auto Parts,… (AAP) returned -59% over 5 years vs CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS)'s -96%.
Chart 2Revenue Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS) | $304M | $589M | +94.0% |
| Advance Auto Parts,… (AAP) | $9.6B | $8.6B | -10.1% |
Advance Auto Parts, Inc.'s revenue grew from $9.6B (2016) to $8.6B (2025) — a -1.2% CAGR.
Chart 3Net Margin Trend — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS) | 0.2% | -6.9% | -2963.4% |
| Advance Auto Parts,… (AAP) | 4.8% | 0.5% | -89.4% |
Advance Auto Parts, Inc.'s net margin went from 5% (2016) to 1% (2025).
Chart 4P/E Ratio History — 8 Years
| Stock | 2017 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Advance Auto Parts,… (AAP) | 15.5 | 53.8 | +247.1% |
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. has traded in a 16x–122x P/E range over 8 years; current trailing P/E is ~73x.
Chart 5EPS Growth — 10 Years
| Stock | 2016 | 2025 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS) | -0.08 | -0.71 | -787.5% |
| Advance Auto Parts,… (AAP) | 6.2 | 0.73 | -88.2% |
Advance Auto Parts, Inc.'s EPS grew from $6.20 (2016) to $0.73 (2025) — a -21% CAGR.
Chart 6Free Cash Flow — 5 Years
CarParts.com, Inc. generated $-10M FCF in 2024 (+45% vs 2021). Advance Auto Parts, Inc. generated $-298M FCF in 2025 (-136% vs 2021).
PRTS vs AAP: Frequently Asked Questions
7 questions · data-driven answers · updated daily
01Is PRTS or AAP a better buy right now?
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP) offers the better valuation at 72.8x trailing P/E (19.6x forward), making it the more compelling value choice. Analysts rate Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP) a "Hold" — based on 44 analyst ratings — the highest consensus in this comparison. The "better buy" depends entirely on your goals: growth investors should weight revenue trajectory, value investors should weight P/E and PEG, and income investors should weight dividend yield and streak.
02Which is the better long-term investment — PRTS or AAP?
Over the past 5 years, Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP) delivered a total return of -59.0%, compared to -96.3% for CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS). A $10,000 investment in AAP five years ago would be worth approximately $4K today (assuming dividends reinvested). Over 10 years, the gap is even starker: AAP returned -53.9% versus PRTS's -74.2%. Past returns do not guarantee future results, and the stock with the higher historical return may already have its best growth priced in.
03Which is safer — PRTS or AAP?
By beta (market sensitivity over 5 years), Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP) is the lower-risk stock at 1.01β versus CarParts.com, Inc.'s 1.41β — meaning PRTS is approximately 39% more volatile than AAP relative to the S&P 500. On balance sheet safety, CarParts.com, Inc. (PRTS) carries a lower debt/equity ratio of 49% versus 2% for Advance Auto Parts, Inc. — giving it more financial flexibility in a downturn.
04Which has better profit margins — PRTS or AAP?
Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP) is the more profitable company, earning 0.5% net margin versus -6.9% for CarParts.com, Inc. — meaning it keeps 0.5% of every revenue dollar as bottom-line profit. Operating margin tells a similar story: AAP leads at 1.9% versus -6.9% for PRTS. At the gross margin level — before operating expenses — AAP leads at 43.7%, reflecting greater pricing power or product mix advantage. Stronger margins indicate durable pricing power, lower cost of revenue, or higher mix of software/services. They are one of the clearest signs of business quality.
05Which pays a better dividend — PRTS or AAP?
In this comparison, AAP (1.9% yield) pays a dividend. PRTS does not pay a meaningful dividend and should not be held primarily for income.
06Is PRTS or AAP better for a retirement portfolio?
For long-horizon retirement investors, Advance Auto Parts, Inc. (AAP) is the stronger choice — it scores higher on the combination of lower volatility, dividend reliability, and long-term compounding (low volatility (β 1.01), 1.9% yield). Both have compounded well over 10 years (AAP: -53.9%, PRTS: -74.2%), confirming both are viable long-term holds — but the lower-volatility option typically results in less emotional selling during corrections. Retirement portfolios generally favour predictability over maximum returns. Consult a financial advisor before making allocation decisions.
07What are the main differences between PRTS and AAP?
Both stocks operate in the Consumer Cyclical sector, making this a peer-level intra-sector comparison — the same macro tailwinds and headwinds will affect both. AAP pays a dividend while PRTS does not, making them suitable for different income and tax situations. These fundamental differences mean investors should not choose between them on a single metric — the "better stock" depends entirely on which of these characteristics aligns with your investment strategy.
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