AutoZone Q4 EPS Jumps 15% to $56.05 on Tariff Refunds and Buybacks
AZO is trading near its 52-week low of $2,796.85 (1.0% above the low) on elevated volume (2.0× avg).
Summary
AutoZone reported Q4 FY2026 EPS of $56.05, up 15% year-over-year, on 5.6% sales growth. Gross margin expanded 182 basis points on tariff refunds and LIFO benefits, and the company repurchased $697.5 million of stock during the quarter.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · AZO
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Q4 EPS Beats on Margin Expansion
Diluted EPS of $56.05, up 15% from $48.71 a year ago, driven by a 182-basis-point gross margin increase to 53.3% from tariff refunds and a favorable non-cash LIFO impact.
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Full-Year Sales Top $20 Billion
Fiscal 2026 net sales reached $20.34 billion, up 7.4%, with full-year diluted EPS of $152.55 versus $144.87 in fiscal 2025.
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Aggressive Buyback Continues
Repurchased 223,000 shares for $697.5 million in Q4 at an average price of $3,125; $1.6 billion remains under the current authorization.
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Store Expansion Accelerates
Opened 175 new stores in Q4 (97 U.S., 68 Mexico, 10 Brazil), bringing total store count to 8,031; full-year openings totaled 374.
Analysis · AZO · Trade & Services
A strong fiscal fourth quarter saw diluted EPS climb 15% year-over-year to $56.05, helped by a 182-basis-point gross margin expansion from tariff refunds and a favorable non-cash LIFO impact. Full-year EPS rose 5.3% to $152.55 on $20.3 billion in sales. During the quarter, the company repurchased $697.5 million of stock at an average price of $3,125 per share, leaving $1.6 billion under its authorization. Management noted sales strengthened in the last eight weeks of the quarter and expects acceleration in all three operating countries in fiscal 2027. With the stock trading near its 52-week low, the buyback and earnings beat are notable for investors assessing whether the recent weakness is overdone.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Oct 1, 2026, 30.2% of the 1644 measured filings Wiseek scored 7 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.49%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
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At the time of this filing, AZO was trading at $2,823.99 on NYSE in the Trade & Services sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $45.8B. The 52-week trading range was $2,796.85 to $4,332.68. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10.