Zacks Investment Research
23 Sept 2026, 14:55 UTC · 1h ago
Verdict
Headline takes no side. We score AZO +0.40 across five claims — moderately bullish.
+0.40moderately bullish
More positive than 63% of ticker scores this week
What the story claims
5 claims · scored −1 bearish … +1 bullish · 5 new · 0 priced in
AutoZone reported Q4 fiscal 2026 EPS of $56.05, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $54.54 by 2.8%.
Newreported September 23, 2026
So whatThe 15.1% YoY growth in EPS significantly outpaced the 5.6% revenue growth, signaling high operating leverage.
More positive than 77% of claims this week
Gross margin expanded 182 basis points to 53.3%, driven by a 145-basis-point benefit from tariff refunds.
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5 related stories
Scored by the NIS engine · methodology.
Newreported September 23, 2026
So whatBecause the expansion relied on one-time tariff refunds, core organic margins may face pressure in the next print.
More positive than 63% of claims this week
Net sales of $6.60 billion missed the consensus mark of $6.69 billion by 1.4%.
Newreported September 23, 2026
So whatThe $90 million revenue miss suggests a softening in consumer demand that could drag on FY2027 top-line estimates.
More negative than 79% of claims this week
Domestic commercial sales grew 8.6% to $1.91 billion, with the number of programs increasing 5.7% to 6,443.
Newreported September 23, 2026
So whatThis professional channel is growing faster than the 1.6% domestic same-store sales, diversifying the revenue mix.
More positive than 50% of claims this week
Operating expenses rose to 33.4% of sales from 32.4% due to growth initiatives.
Newreported September 23, 2026
So whatThe 100bps increase in expense ratio offsets some of the gains from the LIFO and tariff windfalls.
More negative than 66% of claims this week
Which stocks this story touches
More positive than 63% of ticker scores this week
Reported an EPS beat and net income growth, though net sales slightly missed consensus estimates.
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−2.7%
Price is moving against the score
$2817.49 vs $2894.73 close before publication (Sep 22) · not market-adjusted
AZO chart →
