AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) , a leading specialty retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories, expects solid growth in fiscal 2025 due to continued strength across DIY and commercial businesses. However, high investments in the improvement of the electronic catalog might limit near-term cash inflows.Let’s see why you should hold on to this Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock for now.Strong DIY & Commercial Businesses Boost AZO’s ProspectsAutoZone has achieved record sales for 35 consecutive yea ...

have various maturity dates and were issued on an uncommitted basis. Additionally, the Company's total surety bonds commitment was $47.7 million at November 23, 2024, compared with $48.9 million at August 31, 2024. Since its fiscal year end, the Company has canceled, issued and modified stand-by letters of credit that are primarily renewed on an annual basis to cover deductible payments to its casualty insurance carriers. As of November 23, 2024, the $565 million commercial paper borrowings, the $400 millio ...

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 19, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO) today announces two Senior Vice President promotions. Bailey Childress, Vice President, Merchandising, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Omnichannel and Merchandising Support, and Luke Rauch, Vice President, Merchandising, has been promoted to Senior Vice President, Merchandising and Global Sourcing. Bailey and Luke will join the Company’s Executive Committee and report to Bill Hackney, Executive Vice President, Merchandi ...

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO ) is a stock that has broken out to new price highs after earnings, which I find bullish. In this article, I will outline my bullish thesis using my technical analysis methodology which focuses on price action, momentum, volume, andAs an individual investor nearing retirement I am trying to build my financial assets in order to have a fulfilling retirement. I am interested in trading both long and short; or at least using inverse ETFs, to take advantage of market declines. Having l ...

AutoZone Inc. (AZO) reported earnings of $32.52 per share for the first quarter of fiscal 2025 (ended Nov. 23, 2024), which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $33.54. The company reported earnings of $32.55 per share in the corresponding quarter of fiscal 2024. Net sales grew 2.1% year over year to $4.28 billion. The top line, however, missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.29 billion.Stay up-to-date with the quarterly releases: See Zacks Earnings Calendar.In the reported quarter, domestic commercial ...

AutoZone NYSE: AZO faces headwinds in 2024, but its FQ1 2025/CQ3 2024 results prove why it is a high-caliber buy-and-hold stock. The company sustains growth in difficult times, maintains margin, provides robust cash flow, and pays its shareholders to own it. It delivers a steadily increasing value, which is clearly seen in the stock’s price. This stock has trended steadily higher for decades. The trend went into overdrive in 2020 when growth accelerated, and the market is breaking out to new highs now that ...

I have covered AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO ) three times in the past, and in the picture above, you can see that my initial buy recommendation a year ago has slightly underperformed the market. The argumentMy primary area of concentration will be on identifying companies of exceptional caliber, with a proven ability to reinvest capital for impressive returns. Targeting those with a market capitalization of less than $10 billion, affords ample opportunities for growth. The ideal scenario is for these companies ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics - Total sales grew by 2.1% to $4.3 billion, while earnings per share (EPS) decreased by 0.1% [10][29] - Domestic same-store sales grew by 0.3%, and international same-store sales grew by 13.7% on a constant currency basis [11][29] - EBIT was down by 0.9%, and EPS was down by 0.1% [29] - Foreign exchange rates weakened by 13% in Mexico, resulting in a $58 million headwind to sales, a $17 million headwind to EBIT, and a $0.68 per share drag on EPS [30] Business Line Performance - Domestic DIY comp sales were down 0.4%, with discretionary merchandise categories underperforming, representing 17% of the mix [13] - Domestic commercial sales grew by 3.2%, with a 9% increase on a two-year stack basis [11] - International same-store sales grew by 13.7% on a constant currency basis, but faced a 1,300 basis points currency headwind, resulting in a 1% unadjusted comp [11] Market Performance - Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Rust Belt markets underperformed, with a 1.8% decline compared to a 0.1% decline in other domestic markets [17] - International markets, particularly Mexico and Brazil, showed strong growth, with 11 new stores opened in the quarter, bringing the total to 932 international stores [24] Company Strategy and Industry Competition - The company is investing over $1 billion in CapEx to drive strategic growth priorities, including accelerated store growth, inventory placement, and distribution center efficiency [26] - The company plans to open around 100 international stores in FY 2025 and aims to have 300 mega-hubs at full buildout [25][37] - The company is focused on improving customer service, product assortment, and supply chain efficiency to position itself for future upswings in consumer demand [12] Management Commentary on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management remains optimistic about improved execution and customer service initiatives, expecting the environment to improve with winter weather and the election uncertainty behind [9] - The company expects DIY and commercial sales trends to modestly improve in Q2, with easier comparisons and momentum from sales growth initiatives [23] - Management is bullish on international growth, expecting it to be a meaningful contributor to future sales and operating profit growth [42] Other Important Information - The company repurchased $505 million of stock in the quarter and has $1.7 billion remaining under its share buyback authorization [55] - Free cash flow for the quarter was $565 million, down from $595 million in the previous year, driven by lower net income and higher CapEx [52] - The company's leverage ratio finished at 2.5 times EBITDAR, with inventory per store up 5.4% compared to the previous year [53] Q&A Session Summary Question: Impact of a competitor exiting the West Coast market - The company expects short-term headwinds from discounted prices but sees long-term opportunities for market share gains [76][77] Question: Cadence of Q1 and Q2 performance - The first four weeks of Q1 were the weakest for commercial sales due to hurricanes, but performance improved in the latter part of the quarter [79][80] Question: Operating income growth in a sluggish macro environment - The company expects comps to improve and gross margins to remain strong, with disciplined SG&A management [85][86] Question: Pricing and CPI impact - The company expects normal inflation to return, which should positively impact like-for-like SKU inflation [93] Question: Share repurchases and capital allocation - The company plans to maintain a leverage target of 2.5 times EBITDAR and continue returning cash to shareholders through buybacks [96][97] Question: Impact of calendar shifts on same-store sales - The extra week in the previous year negatively impacted comps by about 1 point in Q1, with a potential positive impact expected in later quarters [102][103] Question: Commercial sales performance in stores serviced by hubs - Hubs and mega-hubs significantly outperform satellite stores, lifting both DIY and commercial sales in their markets [105][106] Question: Gross margin dynamics - Gross margin improved by 21 basis points ex-LIFO, driven by merchandising margin improvements, with potential headwinds from new DCs coming online [110][113] Question: Mega-hub strategy and store growth targets - The company has increased its mega-hub target to 300, driven by strong performance and minimal cannibalization in dense markets [119][123] - The company is on track to open 300 domestic and 200 international stores by the end of the decade [125][127] Question: DIFM business performance - Commercial sales decelerated slightly in Q1, with weaker performance in new and used car-related segments, but improvement in other areas [132][135] Question: SG&A growth and wage inflation - SG&A growth has moderated, with wage inflation cooling, allowing the company to invest in growth initiatives while managing expenses [137][138] Question: DIY and commercial performance expectations - The company expects improvement in DIY and commercial performance due to easier comps, growth initiatives, and potential share gains [143][145] Question: Competitive environment and pricing strategies - The company remains confident in its pricing strategies, despite increased competition from mass retailers in certain categories [149][150] Question: Mega-hub density and returns - The company has found that multiple mega-hubs in large metro markets can coexist without significant cannibalization, driving better performance [154][155] Question: International market performance - International markets, particularly Mexico, are driving strong growth, with the company exporting domestic strategies to these regions [180][181] Question: Inflation and deflation trends - The company has seen slight deflation in the commercial business, driven by mix, but expects a return to more normal historical trends over time [164][165] Question: COGS and sourcing strategy - The company sources products globally, with a diversified supply chain to mitigate risks from inflation and tariffs [170][171]

EXHIBIT 99.1 AutoZone 1st Quarter Total Company Same Store Sales Increase 1.8%; Domestic Same Store Sales Increase 0.3%; 1st Quarter EPS of $32.52 MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 10, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE: AZO) today reported net sales of $4.3 billion for its first quarter (12 weeks) ended November 23, 2024, an increase of 2.1% from the first quarter of fiscal 2024 (12 weeks). Same store sales, or sales for our domestic and international stores open at least one year, are as follows: | --- | -- ...

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Dec. 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) announced it will hold its Annual Meeting of Stockholders on Wednesday, December 18, 2024, at the J.R. Hyde III Store Support Center in Memphis, Tennessee. The meeting will begin at 9:00 a.m. (ET). Additionally, this event will be webcast and can be accessed at AutoZone's website at www.autozone.com and by clicking on Investor Relations. About AutoZone: As of August 31, 2024, the Company had 6,432 stores in the U.S., 794 in Mexico a ...