AutoZone stock beats EPS estimates as revenue rises 5.6 percent

Published on 09/22/2026 at 16:30 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

AutoZone stock posted USD 56.05 EPS for fiscal Q4 2026 on September 22, beating estimates by USD 2.40. Annual sales rose 7.4 percent.

NYSE-Handelsparkett mit Tradern vor Monitoren, die Einzelhandels-Börsencharts zeigen — AutoZone Inc. ISIN US0533321024 NYSE-Handelsparkett mit Tradern vor großen Einzelhandels-Börsencharts und Kursgrafiken, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

AutoZone Inc. (ISIN US0533321024) opened at USD 2,805.17 on September 22, 2026, while fiscal fourth-quarter earnings supplied the main market catalyst. According to Manila Times on September 22, 2026, net sales reached USD 6.6 billion for the 16 weeks ended August 29, 2026, up 5.6 percent from the prior-year quarter.

EPS beats by USD 2.40

AutoZone reported diluted earnings per share of USD 56.05 for fiscal Q4 2026, compared with USD 48.71 a year earlier. According to MarketBeat on September 22, 2026, the figure exceeded the consensus estimate of USD 53.65 by USD 2.40. The comparison implies a 15.1 percent year-over-year increase in quarterly diluted EPS.

The earnings beat came alongside a softer top line. Fiscal fourth-quarter revenue of USD 6.6 billion was below the USD 6.71 billion estimate cited by Yahoo Finance on September 22, 2026, although sales still grew 5.6 percent year over year. That mix makes margin quality and demand in the next fiscal year more important than the headline EPS beat alone.

Margins gain from special factors

Quarterly gross profit reached 53.3 percent of sales, 182 basis points above the prior-year level. The company attributed 145 basis points of the improvement to tariff refunds and 105 basis points to a net non-cash LIFO impact, while higher commercial mix partly offset those benefits.

Operating profit increased 10.1 percent to USD 1.3 billion, and net income rose to USD 931.6 million from USD 837.0 million in the comparable quarter. The underlying comparison is positive, but the disclosed tariff and inventory-accounting effects mean investors will have to distinguish recurring operating progress from temporary margin support.

Annual sales reach USD 20.3 billion

For the fiscal year ended August 29, 2026, AutoZone generated USD 20.3 billion in sales, up 7.4 percent from fiscal 2025. Operating profit rose 3.1 percent to USD 3.7 billion, net income increased 3.0 percent to USD 2.6 billion, and diluted annual EPS advanced 5.3 percent to USD 152.55 from USD 144.87.

Store expansion remained a measurable growth driver. AutoZone opened 175 stores during the quarter and 374 during fiscal 2026, reaching 8,031 locations across the United States, Mexico and Brazil as of August 29, 2026. The company also repurchased 579,000 shares during the fiscal year for USD 2.0 billion, with USD 1.6 billion remaining under its authorization.

Stock trades near yearly low

AutoZone stock opened at USD 2,805.17 on the NYSE on September 22, 2026. MarketBeat listed a 52-week low of USD 2,796.85, a 52-week high of USD 4,332.68 and market capitalization of USD 45.81 billion on the same date. The opening price was 35.3 percent below the reported yearly high and only 0.3 percent above the low.

The valuation backdrop was a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 19.29 and a PEG ratio of 1.43 on September 22, 2026. The stock's proximity to its yearly low contrasts with fiscal-year sales growth of 7.4 percent and EPS growth of 5.3 percent, leaving the market to weigh expansion and earnings delivery against softer revenue relative to estimates.

AutoZone stock closes at USD 2,803.25

AutoZone stock closed at USD 2,803.25 on September 21, 2026, according to the September 22 market reports, after a 1.82 percent daily decline. The current results provide a new reference point for judging whether earnings growth can offset the revenue miss and the temporary factors supporting quarterly gross margin.