What is Zacks Research’s Forecast for AutoZone Q3 Earnings?

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research lifted their Q3 2026 EPS estimates for shares of AutoZone in a note issued to investors on Tuesday, March 17th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the company will earn $36.09 per share for the quarter, up from their prior estimate of $35.85. Zacks Research has a “Hold” 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 Q4 2026 earnings at $54.71 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $37.35 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $40.54 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $196.71 EPS.

Other analysts also recently issued reports about the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,300.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Evercore increased their price objective on AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,125.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Wolfe Research downgraded AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Argus raised shares of AutoZone from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $4,325.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Monday, December 29th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,312.13.

AutoZone Trading Down 0.6%

AutoZone stock opened at $3,342.73 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $55.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.42, a PEG ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.41. AutoZone has a 12 month low of $3,210.72 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $3,659.45 and its 200-day moving average is $3,783.07.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $27.59 by $0.04. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.47% and a negative return on equity of 72.31%. The firm had revenue of $4.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.31 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $28.29 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoZone news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total value of $823,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,102,665. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Michael A. George bought 145 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The shares were bought at an average price of $3,398.13 per share, with a total value of $492,728.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 566 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,923,341.58. This trade represents a 34.44% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold 9,447 shares of company stock valued at $34,179,923 over the last 90 days. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoZone

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Meadowbrook Advisors Group LLC bought a new position in AutoZone in the 4th quarter valued at about $2,991,000. Pure Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC now owns 127 shares of the company’s stock worth $430,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the period. Stenger Family Office LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 15.9% during the 4th quarter. Stenger Family Office LLC now owns 779 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,642,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the period. S Harris Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $298,000. Finally, Reflection Asset Management acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $68,000. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about AutoZone

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks raised its FY2027 earnings view to $174.79 and bumped FY2026 and several quarter estimates (including Q3 and Q4 2026 and Q3/Q4 2027), signaling upside to longer‑term profitability expectations. Zacks still carries a “Hold” rating, so these increases support valuation but aren’t a full bullish re-rating.
• Neutral Sentiment: Macro inflation risks could complicate AutoZone’s cost/revenue dynamics: a wider inflation pickup (e.g., higher oil/fertilizer pushing producer prices) would be a mixed factor — boosting parts demand/prices but squeezing margins if costs rise. Inflation Could Be Coming Back. 2 Stocks To Buy Now
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks cut a few near-term quarter forecasts: modest downgrades to Q1 2028, Q2 2027 and Q2 2028 EPS — these trims suggest some weakening in the nearer-term cadence of earnings that could pressure the stock until visibility improves.
• Negative Sentiment: TD Cowen / market commentary has lowered expectations for AutoZone’s stock price, adding external downward pressure and signaling that at least one broker sees downside to valuation or growth trajectory. TD Cowen Has Lowered Expectations for AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) Stock Price

AutoZone Company Profile

AutoZone, Inc (NYSE: AZO) is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, the company supplies a wide range of aftermarket components, maintenance items and accessories for passenger cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles. Its product assortment includes engine parts, electrical components, batteries, brakes, filters, fluids and interior and exterior accessories, supported by inventory management and logistics systems to serve retail customers and professional service providers.

AutoZone serves both do‑it‑yourself (DIY) consumers and commercial customers such as independent repair shops and service centers.