AutoZone, Inc. (AZO)
AutoZone keeps cars on the road by selling replacement parts and accessories to both everyday drivers and garage mechanics across thousands of stores.
Is AutoZone, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: High gross margin indicates strong pricing power on parts. Worth weighing: Negative book value means liabilities outweigh recorded assets, often due to share buybacks. Below, we lay out what it does, what its numbers mean, and the honest risks, so you can decide for yourself.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has AutoZone, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, AutoZone, Inc. fell as much as −33% from a high to a later low. Drops of this size are a normal part of owning a share - worth knowing in advance, so a dip doesn't come as a shock.
Worst peak-to-trough fall in the daily closing price over the period we hold. Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
The shift toward older cars remaining on the road longer drives sustained demand for replacement parts.
A massive shift toward electric vehicles drastically reduces the need for traditional engine parts.
What does AutoZone, Inc. do?
Every time a DIY car enthusiast fixes a leaky hose or a local mechanic needs a quick alternator replacement, they hand money over to this giant retailer. That steady stream of cash registers ringing adds up to billions in yearly sales, with a healthy chunk left over as profit. The critical detail to keep an eye on is whether they can keep growing those sales when people feel tighter on cash.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on value and quality, and weakest on income.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 8% over the year
- High gross margin indicates strong pricing power on parts.
- Essential car maintenance needs tend to hold up well during economic dips.
- Consistent revenue and earnings growth over recent periods.
- Momentum screens low (17/100)
- Income screens low (16/100)
- Competition from online retailers and other physical auto parts chains.
- Potential inflation in the cost of buying and shipping inventory.
- Long-term threat from electric vehicles requiring fewer replacement parts.
What do AutoZone, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does AutoZone, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does AutoZone, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - AutoZone, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
When does AutoZone, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
AutoZone, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-09-22 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-26 | $36.17 | $38.07 | Beat +5% |
| 2026-03-03 | $27.41 | $27.63 | In line |
| 2025-12-09 | $32.58 | $31.04 | Missed -5% |
| 2025-09-23 | $50.72 | $48.71 | Missed -4% |
| 2025-05-27 | $37.27 | $35.36 | Missed -5% |
| 2025-03-04 | $28.97 | $28.29 | Missed -2% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, AutoZone, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 1 time. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Casey's General Stores, Inc.What are the scenarios for AutoZone, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of AutoZone, Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- High gross margin: The share of each £1 of sales left after the direct cost of making the product, before other running costs. Higher usually means more pricing power. indicates strong pricing power on parts.
- Essential car maintenance needs tend to hold up well during economic dips.
- Consistent revenue and earnings growth over recent periods.
- Negative book value: A company's net assets - what it owns minus what it owes - per share. Price-to-book compares the share price to this figure. means liabilities outweigh recorded assets, often due to share buybacks.
- Does not pay a dividend, offering no cash returns simply for holding the shares.
- Recent twelve-month price decline shows investor caution.
- Competition from online retailers and other physical auto parts chains.
- Potential inflation in the cost of buying and shipping inventory.
- Long-term threat from electric vehicles requiring fewer replacement parts.
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained shift in vehicle fleets toward electric models that renders traditional repair parts obsolete much faster than anticipated.
- A sharp, long-term drop in gross margins signalling that competitors are successfully undercutting prices.
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.