Mad Money Spotlight: Monroe and O'Reilly

Car-parts retail and repair chains like Monroe and O'Reilly stand to benefit from the mass demise of Chrysler and GM dealers.

Author:: Scott Eden
Publish date:: May 18, 2009 11:08 AM EDT

There will be those who benefit from the

Chrysler

bankruptcy and the general automaker collapse, according to Jim Cramer.

During his "Mad Money" broadcast Friday, Cramer said the shuttering of Chrysler and

General Motors'

(GM) - Get Report

dealerships across the country will boost the business of companies such as

Monroe Muffler

(MNRO) - Get Report

Cramer has been bullish on Monroe stock since last August, and he continues to be almost a year later, citing some data to back up his opinion. He noted that 37% of the dealers Chrysler will shut down are in states where Monroe does business. Also, same-store sales at the car-repair chain rose 10% in the most-recent quarter. And also: the company lifted its earnings forecast for the rest of the year. It now expects to earn 12 cents to 15 cents a share, up from previous guidance of 9 cents to 14 cents.

Monroe shares changed hands Monday morning at $27.02, up 38 cents. The stock's 52-week high came in April, when it touched $29.40.

Cramer also mentioned

O'Reilly Automotive

(ORLY) - Get Report

as a possible beneficiary of the dealership die-off. The Springfield, Mo.-based, auto-parts retailer has more room to grow, Cramer said, than rivals such as

AutoZone

(AZO) - Get Report

and

Advance Auto Parts

(AAP) - Get Report

O'Reilly stock was moving Monday at $36.31, up slightly from the previous session and not far from its 52-week high of $40.50, which it hit in late April.