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AutoZone (AZO) Increases Despite Market Slip: Here's What You Need to Know

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AutoZone (AZO - Free Report) closed the most recent trading day at $3,250, moving +1.5% from the previous trading session. The stock's performance was ahead of the S&P 500's daily loss of 0.22%. Elsewhere, the Dow lost 0.36%, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq lost 0.16%.

Prior to today's trading, shares of the auto parts retailer had gained 0.38% over the past month. This has outpaced the Retail-Wholesale sector's loss of 1.69% and the S&P 500's loss of 2.36% in that time.

Investors will be eagerly watching for the performance of AutoZone in its upcoming earnings disclosure. In that report, analysts expect AutoZone to post earnings of $29.16 per share. This would mark year-over-year growth of 0.93%. Our most recent consensus estimate is calling for quarterly revenue of $3.98 billion, up 3.13% from the year-ago period.

Regarding the entire year, the Zacks Consensus Estimates forecast earnings of $153.09 per share and revenue of $18.79 billion, indicating changes of +4.76% and +1.63%, respectively, compared to the previous year.

It is also important to note the recent changes to analyst estimates for AutoZone. These recent revisions tend to reflect the evolving nature of short-term business trends. As such, positive estimate revisions reflect analyst optimism about the company's business and profitability.

Our research shows that these estimate changes are directly correlated with near-term stock prices. To capitalize on this, we've crafted the Zacks Rank, a unique model that incorporates these estimate changes and offers a practical rating system.

The Zacks Rank system ranges from #1 (Strong Buy) to #5 (Strong Sell). It has a remarkable, outside-audited track record of success, with #1 stocks delivering an average annual return of +25% since 1988. Over the past month, the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate has moved 1.85% lower. AutoZone presently features a Zacks Rank of #3 (Hold).

With respect to valuation, AutoZone is currently being traded at a Forward P/E ratio of 20.92. This signifies a discount in comparison to the average Forward P/E of 23.94 for its industry.

Meanwhile, AZO's PEG ratio is currently 1.77. Comparable to the widely accepted P/E ratio, the PEG ratio also accounts for the company's projected earnings growth. As of the close of trade yesterday, the Automotive - Retail and Wholesale - Parts industry held an average PEG ratio of 1.77.

The Automotive - Retail and Wholesale - Parts industry is part of the Retail-Wholesale sector. At present, this industry carries a Zacks Industry Rank of 183, placing it within the bottom 28% of over 250 industries.

The Zacks Industry Rank assesses the strength of our separate industry groups by calculating the average Zacks Rank of the individual stocks contained within the groups. Our research shows that the top 50% rated industries outperform the bottom half by a factor of 2 to 1.

Remember to apply Zacks.com to follow these and more stock-moving metrics during the upcoming trading sessions.


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