AutoZone Rises 3.3% as Q4 Profit Climbs and Store Openings Reach 374

Key Facts

AutoZone (AZO) rose 3.3% on September 22, 2026, after reporting fourth-quarter results and closed at $2,894.73. The stock traded between $2,844.8 and $2,999.3 during the session, according to EL7's authoritative market data.

Fourth-quarter sales reached $6.6 billion, up 5.6%, while net income increased 11.3% to $931.6 million from $837.0 million. Diluted earnings per share rose 15.1% to $56.05 from $48.71.

Gross margin was 53.3%, up 182 basis points from a year earlier. Tariff refunds added 145 basis points to margin and the non-cash LIFO effect added 105 basis points, partly offset by a higher commercial-sales mix. A wider margin leaves more of each sales dollar after merchandise costs, supporting operating profit and earnings per share.

AutoZone opened 175 stores during the quarter and 374 during the fiscal year, taking its network to 8,031 stores as of August 29, 2026. Fiscal-year sales increased 7.4% to $20.3 billion, showing how network growth expanded the revenue base alongside comparable-store growth.

The company spent $697.5 million on share repurchases in the fourth quarter and $2.0 billion during the year, with $1.6 billion remaining under its authorization. Diluted weighted-average shares fell to 16.620 million from 17.181 million; a smaller share base spreads profit across fewer shares, helping EPS grow faster than net income. In fiscal 2027, investors will watch whether comparable-store growth—1.6% domestically and 1.5% companywide on a constant-currency basis in the quarter—can support continued expansion.