What is Zacks Research's Estimate for AutoZone Q1 Earnings?

Key Points

• Zacks Research lowered AutoZone’s Q1 2027 EPS estimate to $34.65 from $37.78, while forecasting FY2027 EPS of $166.16.
• AutoZone’s latest quarter included $56.05 in EPS and $6.59 billion in revenue; revenue increased 5.6% year over year but fell short of the $6.70 billion consensus estimate.
• The stock opened at $2,851.56, below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, although analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $3,669.12. The company also authorized a $1.5 billion share repurchase program.

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) - Investment analysts at Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2027 EPS estimates for shares of AutoZone in a research note issued on Tuesday, October 6th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the company will post earnings of $34.65 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $37.78. The consensus estimate for AutoZone's current full-year earnings is $172.12 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoZone's Q4 2027 earnings at $58.15 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $166.16 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $41.39 EPS and Q4 2028 earnings at $63.01 EPS.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, September 22nd. The company reported $56.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $55.51. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 90.08% and a net margin of 12.65%.The company had revenue of $6.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $48.71 earnings per share. AutoZone's quarterly revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on AZO. Piper Sandler set a $3,500.00 price objective on AutoZone in a research note on Monday, August 31st. Roth Capital lowered their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,023.00 to $3,850.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Truist Financial decreased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,817.00 to $3,648.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein assumed coverage on AutoZone in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $3,698.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their target price on AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $3,750.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $3,669.12.

AutoZone Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of AZO opened at $2,851.56 on Thursday. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $2,949.26 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3,149.16. AutoZone has a 52 week low of $2,730.65 and a 52 week high of $4,146.42. The stock has a market cap of $46.57 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.66, a PEG ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.40.

AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 16th that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire up to 3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company's board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, VP Dennis LeRiche sold 1,455 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total transaction of $4,510,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president owned 441 shares in the company, valued at $1,367,100. This trade represents a 76.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoZone

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new position in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth $31,000. Edmond DE Rothschild Holding S.A. bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the 2nd quarter worth about $29,000. Asset Dedication LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 150.0% during the 1st quarter. Asset Dedication LLC now owns 10 shares of the company's stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the period. Tacita Capital Inc bought a new position in AutoZone during the 2nd quarter valued at about $32,000. Finally, Burkett Financial Services LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth about $31,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Key AutoZone News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein upgraded AutoZone to “Strong Buy,” signaling increased confidence in the company’s outlook. Bernstein upgrades AutoZone stock to Strong Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q3 2028 EPS estimate to $46.56 from $45.66 and forecasts FY2029 EPS of $220.60, suggesting meaningful long-term earnings growth. Zacks Research Comments on AutoZone's Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: AutoZone’s average analyst price target is reported at $3,669.12, well above the recent $2,851.56 share price. However, the stock remains below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages, indicating continued technical pressure. AutoZone Stock Has Average Price Target of $3,669.12
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research lowered EPS estimates for Q2 2027 to $31.45, Q3 2027 to $41.91, Q2 2028 to $39.11, and FY2028 to $190.08 from $197.32. These revisions may be weighing on the stock because they suggest softer earnings expectations across multiple future periods. Zacks Research Comments on AutoZone's Q2 Earnings

About AutoZone

AutoZone, Inc is a specialty retailer of automotive replacement parts, accessories and maintenance products. The company serves do-it-yourself customers as well as professional automotive repair shops, offering products such as batteries, brakes, filters, engine components, tools, fluids and other vehicle parts.

In addition to its retail stores, AutoZone provides commercial sales and delivery services for professional repair businesses. The company also operates ALLDATA, which offers automotive diagnostic, repair and shop-management software and information services to repair professionals.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, AutoZone operates primarily in the United States, with additional stores and operations in Mexico and Brazil.

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