Meet the Market Outperformer That Doubled the S&P 500's Total Return in the Past 5 Years (Hint: It's Not an AI Stock)

The article spotlights O'Reilly Automotive as a market outperformer that returned 162% since late April 2021—roughly double the S&P 500's 84% total return over the same five-year span (as of April 24). Motley Fool attributes the outperformance to steady store expansion (6,447 stores as of Dec. 31, 2025; 207 net new stores in 2025 and a 2026 target of 225–235), resilient demand tied to aging vehicle fleets, aggressive buybacks (share count down 44% from 2015–2025) and strong earnings growth. The piece notes the stock trades about 14% below its record high with a P/E ~31.4, arguing quality justifies a premium while warning it isn't a deep value buy. Market takeaway: durable, non-AI businesses can still significantly outperform broad benchmarks, but investors must weigh valuation.