It was a brutal year on Wall Street, with the major U.S. stock indexes posting their biggest yearly declines since the financial crisis of 2008.
But investors were able to find a safe harbor in some auto parts stocks.
While the S&P 500 fell 6.2 percent in 2018, Advance Auto Parts and O’Reilly Automotive were among the index’s 160 stocks that rose in 2018. They also were two of the S&P 500’s biggest gainers.
Shares of Advance Auto Parts jumped nearly 58 percent in 2018. Advance’s stock price closed 2017 at $99.69 per share, and closed 2018 at $157.46.
Shares of O’Reilly Automotive were up 43 percent in 2018. O’Reilly’s stock price closed 2017 at $240.54 per share, and closed 2018 at $344.33.
“Despite Amazon gunning to sell more car parts, Advance and O’Reilly have designed vast logistics networks to deliver car parts to professional mechanics and do-it-yourself car owners right away,” Nathaniel Meyersohn wrote in an article on CNN.com. “ … These companies have sharpened their focus on service, helping guide customers through repairs and the technical auto parts market.”
Shares of AutoZone were up nearly 18 percent in 2018, ending the year at $838.34 per share.