Q1 Earnings Estimate for AutoZone Issued By Zacks Research

Key Points

• Zacks Research has revised its Q1 2026 earnings estimate for AutoZone down to $31.76 per share from a previous $36.26, maintaining a "Strong Sell" rating on the stock.
• AutoZone reported Q4 earnings of $48.71 per share, missing the consensus estimate of $50.52, while revenue slightly increased by 0.6% year-over-year.
• Multiple analysts have adjusted their target prices for AutoZone, with a consensus price target currently at $4,544.68 and an overall rating of "Moderate Buy."

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) - Equities research analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q1 2026 earnings per share estimates for AutoZone in a research report issued on Tuesday, October 7th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will post earnings of $31.76 per share for the quarter, down from their prior forecast of $36.26. Zacks Research currently has a "Strong Sell" rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for AutoZone's current full-year earnings is $152.94 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for AutoZone's Q2 2026 earnings at $26.70 EPS, Q3 2026 earnings at $35.26 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $52.88 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $146.61 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $34.91 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $33.82 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $38.81 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $57.42 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $164.95 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $194.88 EPS.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, September 23rd. The company reported $48.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $50.52 by ($1.81). The firm had revenue of $6.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.26 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 13.19% and a negative return on equity of 60.49%. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company posted $51.58 EPS.

AZO has been the topic of several other research reports. UBS Group dropped their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,925.00 to $4,800.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 24th. Guggenheim boosted their price objective on AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,600.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Wells Fargo & Company cut their target price on AutoZone from $4,800.00 to $4,700.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 24th. Jefferies Financial Group lifted their target price on AutoZone from $4,255.00 to $4,750.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 24th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on AutoZone from $4,200.00 to $4,850.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, September 15th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoZone currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $4,544.68.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE:AZO opened at $3,965.64 on Friday. AutoZone has a 52 week low of $2,980.10 and a 52 week high of $4,388.11. The firm's fifty day moving average is $4,145.37 and its 200-day moving average is $3,853.27. The firm has a market cap of $66.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 27.37, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.40.

AutoZone announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Wednesday, October 8th that authorizes the company to repurchase $0.00 in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to repurchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are often a sign that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at AutoZone

In related news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 3,000 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Thursday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,875.90, for a total value of $11,627,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 2,925 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $11,337,007.50. This trade represents a 50.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP John Scott Murphy sold 2,860 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4,175.70, for a total transaction of $11,942,502.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 1,244 shares of the company's stock, valued at $5,194,570.80. This trade represents a 69.69% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoZone

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its stake in AutoZone by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company's stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 186.8% in the first quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 195 shares of the company's stock valued at $744,000 after purchasing an additional 127 shares in the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 2.2% during the first quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 141 shares of the company's stock valued at $538,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 14.1% during the first quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 202 shares of the company's stock valued at $770,000 after buying an additional 25 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Simplicity Wealth LLC bought a new stake in AutoZone during the first quarter worth $648,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

AutoZone Company Profile

AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.

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