2 Stocks Hit 52-Week Highs After Earnings: AAP, ASPS

NEW YORK (TheStreet) -- Shares of Advance Auto Parts(AAP) and Altisource Portfolio Solutions(ASPS) reached 52-week highs Thursday after the companies reported earnings.

Each of the companies gets a buy rating from TheStreet Ratings.

Advance Auto Parts

The car retailer reported Thursday fourth-quarter earnings of $66.4 million, or 90 cents a share, an increase from year-earlier earnings of $48.1 million, or 57 cents.

Analysts anticipated earnings of 75 cents a share.

"Management also introduced upbeat FY12 EPS guidance of $5.55-$5.75 vs. a consensus figure of $5.64," Oppenheimer analysts wrote in a report Thursday. "We estimate share repurchases could add another $0.10-$0.15 to forecasts. AAP shares are up about 8% today on the stronger report. We expect the company to continue benefiting from favorable industry trends near term. Our Perform rating reflects valuation."

The analysts raised their price target to $92 from $73 and maintained their perform rating on the stock.

Shares of Advance Auto Parts hit a 52-week high of $86.30 on Thursday. The stock's 52-week low of $49.50 was set on Sept. 12.

Advance Auto Parts has an estimated price-to-earnings ratio for next year of 13.12; the average for specialty retailers is 17.23. For comparison, Penske Automotive Group(PAG) has a lower forward P/E of 10.95 and Autonation's(AN) forward P/E is 13.88.

Fourteen of the 24 analysts who cover Advance Auto Parts rated it a hold. Ten analysts gave it a buy rating.

TheStreet Ratings gives Advance Auto Parts an A grade with a $92.54 price target. The stock has risen 23.4% year to date.

Altisource Portfolio Solutions

The real estate services company reported Thursday fourth-quarter earnings of $25.7 million, or $1.02 a share, up from year-earlier earnings of $16.8 million, or 64 cents a share.

"We are most interested in the 2012 margin expansion opportunity, diversification efforts into the mortgage origination side of the business and new business pipeline," Piper Jaffray analysts wrote in a report Tuesday. "We believe these are real levers for 2012 and 2013."

Shares of Altisource hit a 52-week high Thursday of $56.47. The stock's 52-week low of $29.50 was set on March 8.

Both of the analysts who cover the company rated it a buy.

TheStreet Ratings gives Altisource a B+ grade with a $69.79 price target. The stock has risen 8.01% year to date.

-- Written by Alexandra Zendrian

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