Financial Performance - AutoZone reported net sales of $4.0 billion for Q2 FY2025, a 2.4% increase from Q2 FY2024[1] - Operating profit decreased by 4.9% to $706.8 million, and net income fell by 5.3% to $487.9 million, with diluted earnings per share at $28.29[3] - Total auto parts sales reached $3,874,366 for the 12 weeks ended February 15, 2025, representing a 2.3% increase compared to $3,786,339 in the same period last year[23] - Same store sales for domestic locations increased by 1.9% for the 12 weeks ended February 15, 2025, compared to a 0.3% increase in the prior year[24] - Cash flow from operations for the 12 weeks ended February 15, 2025, was $583,749, compared to $434,127 in the same period last year[21] Sales and Store Performance - Domestic same store sales increased by 1.9%, while international same store sales decreased by 8.2%, resulting in total company same store sales growth of 0.5%[1] - AutoZone's international same store sales grew by 9.5% on a constant currency basis, indicating strong performance despite currency fluctuations[5] - The company opened 45 new stores during the quarter, including 28 in the U.S., 13 in Mexico, and 4 in Brazil, bringing the total store count to 7,432[6] - Total company stores opened, net, was 45 for the 12 weeks ended February 15, 2025, compared to 26 in the same period last year[22] Inventory and Costs - Inventory increased by 10.4% year-over-year, with net inventory per store slightly improving to negative $161,000[4] - Inventory as of February 15, 2025, was $6,588,586, an increase from $5,970,175 the previous year[25] - Total lease cost per ASC 842 was $614,312 for the trailing four quarters ended February 15, 2025, up from $546,195 the previous year[19] Share Repurchase and Capital Management - AutoZone repurchased 100,000 shares at an average price of $3,291, totaling $329.4 million, with $1.3 billion remaining under its share repurchase authorization[3] - Cumulative share repurchases since fiscal 1998 reached $37,820,600, with remaining share repurchase authorization at $1,329,400[20] - Adjusted debt to EBITDAR ratio improved to 2.5 from 2.4 year-over-year, reflecting a disciplined approach to capital management[17] Tax and Returns - The effective tax rate for the trailing four quarters was 20.3%, slightly down from 20.5% in the previous year[19] - Adjusted after-tax return for the trailing four quarters was $3,351,080, an increase from $3,253,009 in the previous year[18] Operating Expenses - Gross profit margin remained flat at 53.9%, with operating expenses as a percentage of sales increasing to 36.0% from 34.6% last year[2] - Average sales per program per week increased to $14.7, up from $14.1 in the prior year[23] Strategic Focus - The company remains focused on expanding its domestic DIY and commercial sales while investing in growth initiatives[5]

Core Insights - AutoZone, Inc. reported net sales of $4.5 billion for Q3 FY2025, reflecting a 5.4% increase from the same period in FY2024 [1][13] - Same store sales showed a mixed performance, with domestic sales increasing by 5.0% while international sales decreased by 9.2% [1][25] - The company opened 84 new stores during the quarter, bringing the total store count to 7,516 across the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil [6][23] Financial Performance - Gross profit margin decreased to 52.7%, down 77 basis points year-over-year, impacted by higher inventory shrink and startup costs for new distribution centers [2][3] - Operating profit fell by 3.8% to $866.2 million, and net income decreased by 6.6% to $608.4 million, with diluted earnings per share at $35.36 [3][13] - The company repurchased 70,000 shares at an average price of $3,571, totaling $250.3 million, with $1.1 billion remaining under its share repurchase authorization [3][22] Inventory and Sales Metrics - Inventory increased by 10.8% year-over-year, driven by new store growth and same store sales initiatives, with net inventory per store improving to negative $142 thousand [4][26] - Total auto parts sales reached $4.38 billion, a 5.3% increase compared to the previous year [24] - Sales per average store were $586, and sales per average square foot were $87 for the quarter [23][24] Strategic Outlook - The company remains optimistic about its growth strategy, particularly in domestic and international DIY and commercial sales, despite currency pressures [5] - AutoZone plans to continue investing in new distribution centers to improve gross margins and drive higher merchandise margins [5] - The company is well-prepared for the summer selling season and aims to achieve targeted returns on capital for its investments [5]

Core Viewpoint - AutoZone, Inc. is expected to report its third-quarter fiscal 2025 results on May 27, with earnings per share (EPS) estimated at $36.78 and revenues at $4.4 billion, reflecting a 0.25% growth year-over-year [1][2]. Financial Performance - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for AutoZone's quarterly revenues indicates a year-over-year growth of 3.95% [2]. - In the second quarter of fiscal 2025, AutoZone's adjusted EPS was $28.29, missing the consensus estimate of $29.16 and decreasing from $28.89 in the prior year. Net sales were reported at $3.95 billion, missing the estimate of $3.99 billion but showing a 2.4% increase year-over-year [2]. Growth Prospects - AutoZone has achieved record sales for 35 consecutive years, with fiscal 2024 revenues of $18.5 billion, representing a 5.7% year-over-year increase. The company anticipates continued growth in fiscal 2025, driven by strong DIY and commercial business performance, with same-store sales growth expected to be 1.3% in the fiscal third quarter [3][5]. - The expansion of mega hubs is enhancing AutoZone's market penetration, with 111 mega hub locations established by the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2025. The company plans to open at least 19 more locations in the latter half of fiscal 2025 and around 100 international stores [4]. Earnings Expectations - The company's earnings model suggests a potential earnings beat for the upcoming quarter, supported by a positive Earnings ESP of +0.28% and a Zacks Rank of 3 (Hold) [6][7].

Economic Outlook - Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, expressed concerns about U.S. stagflation, highlighting the challenges of high inflation coupled with economic recession, which limits policymakers' options to improve the economy [2] - Dimon indicated that U.S. stocks are overvalued and may face a potential decline of 10%, attributing this to high forward price-to-earnings ratios and overly optimistic earnings estimates amid deteriorating economic conditions [3] Investment Opportunities - Autozone has outperformed the S&P 500 with over 250% return in the last five years, despite only a 2% increase in net sales for the first half of fiscal 2025, due to its strong return on invested capital (ROIC) averaging over 50% [7][9][11] - Casella Waste Systems has seen nearly 2,000% growth in shares over the past decade, benefiting from low competition and the necessity of its services regardless of economic conditions, with a recent acquisition adding approximately $90 million in annualized revenue [12][15][16] - Copart, while generating 18% of its fiscal 2024 revenue internationally, remains primarily U.S.-focused and boasts a remarkable net profit margin of 32% for the first half of fiscal 2025, with revenue growth driven by the adoption of additional services [17][18][19] Valuation Insights - All three highlighted stocks—Autozone, Casella Waste Systems, and Copart—are trading at the higher end of their historical valuations, yet are considered reliable investments in uncertain times [20] - Casella Waste Systems is noted as potentially the best bargain among the three, trading at roughly 4 times sales and only about 10% above its five-year average [21]

BofA Securities analyst Robert F. Ohmes upgraded AutoZone, Inc. AZO from Neutral to Buy, raising the price forecast from $3900 to $4800.The analyst writes that the upgrade stems from growing confidence in AutoZone’s ability to perform well during economic downturns, continued market share gains across both DIY and professional customer segments, and the “potential inflation benefit” from price increases.Ohmes also cited improving dynamics in the used versus new car market, ongoing momentum in the Pro busine ...

智通财经5月21日电，美国银行全球研究将汽车零件零售商AutoZone公司的评级从中性上调至买入。 ...

The latest trading session saw AutoZone (AZO) ending at $3,880.15, denoting no adjustment from its last day's close. The stock exceeded the S&P 500, which registered a loss of 0.39% for the day. Meanwhile, the Dow experienced a drop of 0.27%, and the technology-dominated Nasdaq saw a decrease of 0.38%.Prior to today's trading, shares of the auto parts retailer had gained 8.71% over the past month. This has lagged the Retail-Wholesale sector's gain of 12.4% and the S&P 500's gain of 13.07% in that time.The u ...

On CNBC's “Mad Money Lightning Round,” Jim Cramer said no to O’Reilly Automotive, Inc. ORLY. “You want to buy the one that's not going to stock split, which is AutoZone AZO,” he added.Adding support to his view, O’Reilly Automotive posted first-quarter earnings of $9.35 per share on April 23, missing market estimates of $9.94 per share. The company's quarterly sales came in at $4.14 billion versus expectations of $4.17 billion.AutoZone has outperformed the market over the past 15 years by 10.81% on an annua ...

The stocks on this list are not high-flying tech names, shoot-for-the-moon startups, or even high-growth names, but they are quietly crushing it for investors. Kroger NYSE: KR, Casey’s General Stores NASDAQ: CASY, and Autozone NYSE: AZO are all well-established businesses growing at steady and sustainable paces, driving reliable cash flow in good times and bad. The quality of their operations is clearly seen in their share prices, which are trending upward and outperforming the broad market in 2025. The out ...

Group 1: Berkshire Hathaway and Warren Buffett - Warren Buffett, after 60 years of leadership, announced that Greg Abel will become CEO of Berkshire Hathaway by the end of the year [1] - Buffett has significantly outperformed the S&P 500, essentially doubling its annual return over his career [2] - Berkshire Hathaway is known for its stability and has outperformed the S&P 500 during recent market volatility [5] Group 2: Altria - Altria has a strong historical performance, particularly in down markets, and is currently the domestic seller of Marlboro and other cigarette brands [8] - The company benefits from a recession-resistant business model, with a high-yield dividend and a record of raising dividends 59 times in the last 55 years [9] - Altria's stock is up 16.6% this year, outperforming both Berkshire and the S&P 500, and has shown resilience during past bear markets [10][12] Group 3: AutoZone - AutoZone operates in the aftermarket auto parts sector, which tends to perform well during recessions as consumers prioritize repairs over new vehicle purchases [17] - The stock is up 17.8% year to date and has historically thrived during bear markets, gaining 22% during the financial crisis [18][19] - AutoZone has a pattern of accelerating sales towards the end of recessions, indicating strong potential for future performance [21][23] Group 4: Investment Considerations - Despite a recent 5% decline in Berkshire stock following Buffett's retirement announcement, the company remains a strong long-term investment due to its cash reserves of nearly $350 billion [24] - Investors looking to capitalize on potential bear markets may find Altria and AutoZone to be more attractive options based on their historical performance and business models [25]