AutoZone, Inc. AZO opened a record 374 stores in fiscal 2026 and ended the year with 8,031 locations globally, while domestic commercial sales rose 10.6% on improved inventory availability and Hub and Mega Hub expansion. The company finished fiscal 2026 with 6,443 domestic commercial programs, 172 Mega Hubs, 1,001 stores in Mexico and 167 in Brazil, and management expects roughly 400 new stores and more than 40 additional Mega Hubs in fiscal 2027. Gross margin declined 29 basis points in fiscal 2026 to 52.3%, partly on inventory cost dynamics and LIFO charges, and management guides fiscal 2027 gross margin to be flat to up 25 basis points on a GAAP basis with approximately $85 million to $90 million of LIFO charges. Domestic DIY same-store sales fell 0.6% in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, and management expects domestic same-store sales to be flat to up low single digits in fiscal 2027. AutoZone generated approximately $1.8 billion in free cash flow and repurchased $2 billion of stock during fiscal 2026, ending the year with $9.1 billion in debt and leverage of 2.5X EBITDAR, while the Zacks Consensus Estimate implies fiscal 2027 sales and EPS growth of 7.6% and 13.4%.
AutoZone IncRecord 374 new stores opened and domestic commercial sales up 10.6% on improved inventory availability and Hub/Mega Hub expansion.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Oshkosh Corporation
PACCAR Inc
