Risk Intelligence
Core Model
C
64 / 100
Fundamentally Qualified
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Suggestions
AZO · NYSE
AUTOZONE INC
Private betaSector unavailable · Industry unavailable
$2,877
-0.16%
Close on Sep 11, 2026
Defensively Qualified
Updated 6/30/2026
Long-term research evidence only. No price targets, no trading signals, no recommendations.
Investment Report Card
AUTOZONE INC
Sector unavailable · Data confidence good
36 / 100
Rank #539 of 1,152 qualified companies
Top 78% · Not Currently Suggested
Long-Term Potential
Research Model
C−
58 / 100
Weak Compounder
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Around the middle of the covered universe.
Fundamental Momentum
Research Model
F
32 / 100
Deteriorating
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Ownership Intelligence
Supplemental Intelligence
D
40 / 100
Positive disclosed activity
What are important owners actually doing?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
Valuation Intelligence
Research Model
F
39 / 100
Elevated
Is today's price reasonable?
Weaker than most covered companies on this measure — and valuation is researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Capital Returns Intelligence
Research Model
C+
68 / 100
Favorable Capital Returns
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Around the middle of the covered universe — and capital returns are researched separately from the Suggested Investment Score.
Why it stands out
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
What holds it back
- The Fundamental Momentum research model shows deterioration.
- Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 39 out of 100, Elevated).
Long-term view
AUTOZONE INC scores 58 on Long-Term Potential (C−), described by the research model as weak compounder. This describes business characteristics only — it is not a forecast of future returns.
Ownership view
Disclosed ownership evidence reads 40 (D): Positive disclosed activity. 5 tracked managers disclosed a position in the latest reporting period. Ownership filings are historical disclosures, not signals.
Valuation view
AUTOZONE INC reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
Capital returns view
AUTOZONE INC reads 68 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 5.6% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What changed
No meaningful recorded changes in the stored history.
Risk Intelligence is a core model, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence are research models, and Ownership Intelligence is supplemental descriptive evidence. Valuation Intelligence and Capital Returns Intelligence each contribute 0% to the Suggested Investment Score. Nothing here is a recommendation.
Compare AZO with other companiesResearch Collections
This company does not currently satisfy any collection rule. That is a stored research result, not a judgement about the business.
Browse collectionsAbout a minute to read
The 60-Second Investment Brief
Written from stored research readings only. No hype. No trading signals. Just better evidence.
Why it's interesting
AUTOZONE INC (AZO) scores 36 out of 100 and ranks #539 of 1,152 qualified companies today. That places it in the top 78% of ranked companies. The stored tier for that score is not currently suggested.
Business strength
Risk Intelligence reads 64 out of 100 (C), recorded as fundamentally qualified. Around the middle of the covered universe.
Long-term opportunity
Long-Term Potential reads 58 out of 100 (C−), recorded as weak compounder. Around the middle of the covered universe.
What's improving or weakening
Fundamental Momentum reads 32 out of 100 (F), recorded as deteriorating. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What important owners are doing
Ownership Intelligence reads 40 out of 100 (D), recorded as positive disclosed activity. Weaker than most covered companies on this measure.
What kind of price you'd be paying
Valuation is currently the main point of caution: Valuation Intelligence reads 39 out of 100 (F), recorded as Elevated. AUTOZONE INC reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value. Valuation Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
How the company rewards shareholders
Capital Returns Intelligence reads 68 out of 100 (C+), recorded as Favorable Capital Returns. AUTOZONE INC reads 68 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 5.6% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash. Capital Returns Intelligence is a research model and contributes nothing to the Suggested Investment Score or the daily ranking.
What could go wrong
The Fundamental Momentum research model shows deterioration. Elevated valuation: the current market price reflects a premium to this company's historical valuation and comparable companies (Valuation Intelligence 39 out of 100, Elevated). Data confidence for this company is good.
Bottom line
No individual layer reaches the strongest band today. Long-Term Potential and Fundamental Momentum and Ownership Intelligence remain the main area to watch. Separately from the score, valuation reads elevated at today's price.
Composite discovery model
Suggested Investment Score
Suggested Investment Score
36 / 100
Not Currently Suggested
A 0–100 composite discovery score combining Risk Intelligence, Long-Term Potential, Fundamental Momentum, and Ownership Intelligence. It helps rank qualified companies for further research and does not predict future returns.
- Rank
- #539 of 694
- Percentile
- Top 78%
- Ranking updated
- September 12, 2026
289Rank weakened by 289 positions. Rank weakened by 289 positions.
- Risk Intelligence
- 64
- Long-Term Potential
- 58
- Fundamental Momentum
- 32
- Ownership Intelligence
- 40
30% contribution
30% contribution
20% contribution
20% contribution
Ownership Intelligence
40 / 100 · Mixed · 20% of the Suggested Investment Score
SUPPLEMENTAL / DESCRIPTIVE INTELLIGENCE
Coverage: Good
- Elite Investor Activity
- 20 · Weak
- Institutional Activity
- 90 · Strong
- Insider Activity
- Insufficient Data
- Strategic Ownership
- Insufficient Data
50% of Ownership Intelligence · 10% of the total score
Tracked professional-manager activity is weak.
20% of Ownership Intelligence · 4% of the total score
Broad institutional evidence from resolved filings is strong.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No discretionary insider transactions are stored for this company, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
15% of Ownership Intelligence · 3% of the total score
No qualifying major-holder filings are stored, so this evidence is unavailable rather than neutral.
Ownership Intelligence summarizes publicly disclosed activity among professional investment managers, broader institutions, company insiders, and significant strategic owners. It adds context to investment research but is not a validated predictor of future performance. Ownership information is publicly reported with a delay; the latest applicable reporting period is 2026-06-30, publicly disclosed 9/11/2026. Congressional activity is unavailable pending legal review and contributes nothing to this reading.
Why it ranks here
No component ranks in the top quartile of the qualified universe.
What holds it back
Risk Intelligence is less favourable
Defensive characteristics rank below the middle of the qualified universe.
Fundamental Momentum is softer
Reported business trends rank below the qualified median.
Ownership evidence is not uniformly supportive
Disclosed elite investor activity evidence is weak or neutral. Ownership evidence is supplemental and never automatically positive.
Ownership evidence disagrees
Different owner groups point in different directions, so the combined reading is best read as mixed rather than uniformly favourable.
COMPOSITE DISCOVERY MODEL — RESEARCH STAGE · Data coverage Excellent. Rankings are recalculated daily using the latest available information. Individual components may update at different frequencies based on when new financial and ownership data becomes available.
Researched separately
Valuation Intelligence 39 · Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
Researched separately
Capital Returns Intelligence 68 · Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
Score explanation
Why this company scores the way it does
Four research areas carry fixed weights. Each area is compared against every other eligible company, then weighted. The four contributions below add to 35.9 of the stored score (35.9).
Risk Intelligence
30% of the score · contributes 14.0 points
How strong and defensively sound is the company?
Stands at the 47 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 64 · 39% of this company’s total score
How financially sturdy the company has been when conditions turned against it.
How this area is measured
Risk Intelligence reads stored balance-sheet strength, historical downside behaviour and the company's price-risk grouping. A stronger reading describes past resilience; it does not protect against future losses.
Full methodologyLong-Term Potential
30% of the score · contributes 18.2 points
Does the business have the characteristics needed to create value over many years?
Stands at the 61 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 58 · 51% of this company’s total score
Whether the business has the durable characteristics long-term owners look for.
How this area is measured
Long-Term Potential reads durability characteristics such as profitability consistency, cash generation and reinvestment capability over multiple reported periods.
Full methodologyFundamental Momentum
20% of the score · contributes 3.1 points
Is the underlying business getting stronger or weaker?
Stands at the 15 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 32 · 9% of this company’s total score
Whether the reported business results have been getting stronger or weaker.
How this area is measured
Fundamental Momentum compares recent reported fundamentals with the company's own earlier periods, so improvement or deterioration is measured against its history rather than against a forecast.
Full methodologyOwnership Intelligence
20% of the score · contributes 0.7 points
What are important owners actually doing?
Stands at the 3 percentile of eligible companies · stored reading 40 · 2% of this company’s total score
What large reporting owners have actually been doing with their positions.
How this area is measured
Ownership Intelligence reads public ownership filings: how many tracked reporting owners hold the company, and whether they were adding, holding, reducing or exiting in the latest disclosed period.
Full methodology
What is helping the score
- Long-Term Potential — 61 percentile, adding 18.2 points.
What deserves attention
- Ownership Intelligence — 3 percentile, adding only 0.7 of a possible 20 points.
- Fundamental Momentum — 15 percentile, adding only 3.1 of a possible 20 points.
Outside the score
Additional research — not currently included in the primary Suggested Investment Score.
- Valuation Intelligence — AUTOZONE INC reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
- Capital Returns Intelligence — AUTOZONE INC reads 68 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 5.6% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash.
Stored snapshots only
What changed
Research-score history available since September 2026.
Stored research history does not yet cover a full 30 days comparison for this company.
A change is reported as meaningful at 8 score points, 5 rank places, or any change of research classification. Nothing here is a recommendation to buy or sell.
Learn the metrics on this page
Plain-English definitions, with the formula and the limitations of each measure.
Fifth research lens · outside the score
Valuation Intelligence
Valuation Intelligence
Is today's price reasonable?
Valuation Intelligence is currently researched separately and does not affect the Suggested Investment Score or daily ranking.
39/ 100
Elevated
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Compared with its history
30
Expensive
Is this company expensive or inexpensive compared with its own history?
Compared with peers
29
Expensive
How expensive is this stock compared with similar companies?
Earnings & cash flow
57
Reasonable
How much financial output does an investor receive relative to the price paid?
Growth-adjusted
40
Elevated
Does the company's growth help justify the valuation investors are paying?
AUTOZONE INC reads 39 out of 100 on Valuation Intelligence, recorded as Elevated. The stock currently trades above most of its own recent valuation history and above comparable companies. This describes the price being paid relative to the company's financials — it is not a forecast and not a fair value.
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended May 9, 2026
Valuation history
Stored readings only. The dashed line is this company's own median for the selected measure.
Only one stored valuation reading exists so far, so there is nothing to chart yet. Valuation history builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Current P/E 19.0x · own median 17.1x · peer median 21.7x
Valuation is inherently uncertain. A stock that appears inexpensive can continue falling, and a stock that appears expensive can continue rising. Valuation Intelligence provides context about the price investors are paying — it does not predict short-term market movements, and it never produces a fair value, a price target or a buy or sell range. Model VALUATION_INTELLIGENCE_V1.
Sixth research lens · outside the score
Capital Returns Intelligence
Capital Returns Intelligence
How effectively does the company reward shareholders?
Capital Returns Intelligence is researched separately and contributes 0% to the Suggested Investment Score, the daily rank or any ranking event.
68/ 100
Favorable Capital Returns
RESEARCH MODEL
Excellent coverage
Dividend Quality
—
Not Applicable — No Dividend
Dividend reliability
This company currently retains rather than distributes cash through dividends. Capital Returns Intelligence therefore places more emphasis on its other measurable shareholder-return behaviors according to the frozen V1 methodology.
Buyback Effectiveness
71
Strong Capital Returns
Do buybacks actually reduce shares?
Dilution Control
93
Exceptional Capital Returns
Is your ownership share protected?
Capital Return Sustainability
32
Limited Capital Returns
Can the cash flow support it?
Shareholder Yield
82
Exceptional Capital Returns
Cash returned versus company value
AUTOZONE INC reads 68 out of 100 on Capital Returns Intelligence (Favorable Capital Returns), reflecting a share count falling about 5.6% a year. Direct capital returns are limited because the company continues reinvesting most of its cash.
This company currently retains rather than distributes cash through dividends. Capital Returns Intelligence therefore places more emphasis on its other measurable shareholder-return behaviors according to the frozen V1 methodology.
How returned cash was used
Dividends $0.00 · net repurchases $1.64B · total returned $1.64B · 100% of free cash flow
Price data through September 11, 2026 · Financial data through the quarter ended May 9, 2026
Capital returns history
Stored readings only. History builds forward from activation rather than being reconstructed.
Only one stored reading exists for this measure so far, so there is nothing to chart yet.
Why higher yield isn't always better
A very high dividend yield may reflect a falling share price or an unsustainable payout. Capital Returns Intelligence emphasizes consistency and sustainability rather than simply rewarding the highest yield.
Why buybacks can be misleading
Announced or gross buyback spending does not always mean shareholders are gaining ownership. Companies can simultaneously issue shares through employee compensation or acquisitions. Suggested Investments therefore considers actual share-count changes alongside repurchase spending.
What these terms mean
- Dividend Yield
- The annual dividend relative to the current share price.
- Payout Ratio
- The share of company earnings used to pay dividends.
- Free Cash Flow Payout
- How much of the company's available cash is being used for dividends.
- Share Repurchases
- When a company buys back its own stock.
- Dilution
- When the number of shares increases, reducing each existing share's percentage ownership of the company.
- Shareholder Yield
- A combined view of dividends and net share repurchases relative to the company's market value.
Capital Returns Intelligence describes how a company returns capital to shareholders. It is not a measure of stock-price performance, it does not predict future returns, and a strong reading is never a recommendation to buy. Dividends and repurchases can be reduced or stopped at any time. Model CAPITAL_RETURNS_INTELLIGENCE_V1, contributing 0% to the Suggested Investment Score.
Stored daily snapshots only
Ranking history
| Today | #539 | Score 36 |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| 90 days ago | Not ranked | No stored score |
| First suggested | Not yet suggested | |
| Highest rank | #539 | |
In the company’s own words
What this company does
Although we believe we compete effectively, our competitors may have greater financial resources allowing them to invest more in their business, greater sourcing capabilities allowing them to sell merchandise at lower prices, larger stores with more merchandise, longer operating histories with deeper customer relationships, more frequent customer visits, more effective advertising and more successful utilization of data analytics, artificial intelligence and other new and emerging technologies. Online and multi-channel retailers often have lower operating costs and focus on delivery services, thereby offering customers faster, guaranteed delivery times and low-price or free shipping. In addition, because our business strategy is based on offering superior levels of customer service to complement the products we offer, our cost structure is higher than some of our competitors, which also puts pressure on our margins.
With the increasing use of digital tools, our customers often begin their shopping experience online and are quickly able to compare prices, product assortment, product availability and feedback from other customers before purchasing products. We may be unable to differentiate ourselves or unable to anticipate and adapt to new or enhanced digital experiences offered by other retailers.
If we are unable to continue to manage in-stock inventory and costs, provide competitive delivery options, develop successful competitive strategies, including the maintenance of effective promotions, advertising and loyalty programs, develop and execute effective digital and omni-channel strategies or otherwise compete effectively, or if our competitors develop more effective strategies, we could lose customers and our sales and profits may decline.
We have increased annual revenues in the past five fiscal years from $12.6 billion in fiscal 2020 to $18.9 billion in fiscal 2025, with a compounded annual growth rate of approximately eight percent. Annual revenue growth is driven by increases in same store sales, the opening of new stores and the development of new commercial programs. Same store sales are impacted both by customer demand levels and by the prices we are able to charge for our products, which can also be negatively impacted by economic pressures. See "Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" for further discussion of same store sales.
Quoted from the business section of this company’s 10-K filed October 27, 2025. Read the filing
Four distinct intelligence areas
The IA view
Risk Intelligence
Production core
64
Fundamentally Qualified
+3.5 vs Jun 30, 2026
Business Quality qualification score from the locked IA Defensive Research Core. Price Risk stays a separate category and is never blended in.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Long-Term Potential
Research model
58
Ordinary Compounder
+12.5 vs Jun 30, 2026
Durable business economics and reinvestment characteristics. Independent external validation is pending.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Fundamental Momentum
Research model
32
Deteriorating
+5.3 vs Jun 30, 2026
Direction and breadth of change in underlying business fundamentals. Not a price-momentum signal.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Elite Investor Activity
Supplemental
20
Bottom range
0 vs Jun 30, 2026
Only 5 tracked managers disclosed a position — treat as limited coverage.
As of Sep 11, 2026
Company intelligence
AZO score history
Each area is measured and reported separately. No combined score exists.
AZO intelligence history from 2023-09-30 to 2026-09-11. Risk Intelligence 63.6 on 2026-09-11, up 3.5 from 60.1 on 2026-06-30. Long-Term Potential 58.2 on 2026-09-11, up 12.5 from 45.7 on 2026-06-30. Fundamental Momentum 31.6 on 2026-09-11, up 5.3 from 26.3 on 2026-06-30. Elite Investor Activity 20 on 2026-09-11, unchanged 0 from 20 on 2026-06-30. Each area is reported separately and is never combined into a single score.
Risk Intelligence 63.6 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+3.5 vs prior period) · Production core
Long-Term Potential 58.2 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+12.5 vs prior period) · Research model
Fundamental Momentum 31.6 as of Sep 11, 2026 (+5.3 vs prior period) · Research model
Elite Investor Activity 20 as of Sep 11, 2026 (0 vs prior period) · Supplemental
Share price
AZO price history
Closing prices adjusted for splits and dividends, through Sep 11, 2026. Past prices do not indicate future results.
- 6M change
- -20.4%
- 1Y change
- -33.9%
- 3Y change
- +13.7%
- 5Y change
- +79.0%
- Max change
- +141.8%
Last stored close $2876.75 · -33.9% over the selected range · 52 sessions shown
Balanced evidence
Why IA likes it
- Business Quality meets the frozen IA Defensive qualification.
- More disclosed holders are new or increasing than reducing or exiting.
Risk and uncertainty
What IA doesn’t like
- The Fundamental Momentum research model shows deterioration.
What would change our view
- Business Quality falling below the frozen qualification threshold.
- Price Risk moving to a less favorable category.
- A sustained reversal in the Fundamental Momentum research evidence.
- New material public ownership disclosures.
Public filings · descriptive only
Elite Investor Activity
Reporting holders
1
New holders
1
Increasing
0
Reducing
0
Exiting
0
Coverage
Excellent
Positive disclosed activity · Report period 2016-12-31 · Public 12/22/2023
| Manager | Change | Portfolio weight | Rank | Disclosed |
|---|
Insufficient high-confidence manager coverage.
Objective stored changes
What changed
- Risk Intelligence
Price Risk category changed
Price Risk moved from Not Available to Normal risk.
- Fundamental Momentum
Fundamental Momentum softened
Fundamental Momentum research score moved from 26.3 to 23.1.
- Risk Intelligence
IA Defensive improved
Business Quality qualification score moved from 53.1 to 60.1.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 40 to 20 for the reporting period ending 2026-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 17 to 40 for the reporting period ending 2026-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 58 to 17 for the reporting period ending 2025-12-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 50 to 58 for the reporting period ending 2025-09-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 67 to 50 for the reporting period ending 2025-06-30.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus strengthened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 58 to 67 for the reporting period ending 2025-03-31.
- Elite Investor Activity
Elite Investor Consensus weakened
Disclosed agreement among tracked managers moved from 100 to 58 for the reporting period ending 2024-12-31.
Ownership timeline
No high-confidence public ownership events are available.
General research only. Not personalized advice. Public filings may be delayed, amended, incomplete, or reflect positions that have changed since the reporting date.