Dow Rises 250 Points; AutoZone Reports Disappointing Earnings
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Sep 23 2025
0mins
Source: Benzinga
Market Performance: U.S. stocks showed mixed results, with the Dow Jones gaining 0.57% while the NASDAQ and S&P 500 fell by 0.33% and 0.01%, respectively. Energy shares rose by 2.2%, but consumer discretionary stocks dropped by 0.6%.
Company Earnings: AutoZone reported fourth-quarter earnings and sales below expectations, with earnings per share of $48.71 against a consensus estimate of $50.91, and quarterly sales of $6.242 billion missing the forecast.
Notable Stock Movements: Super League Enterprise saw a significant increase of 222% after announcing financing, while Boxlight Corporation's shares plummeted by 37% following a new share offering.
Global Market Trends: European shares rose, with the eurozone's STOXX 600 up 0.7%, while Asian markets closed lower. Economic indicators showed a decline in U.S. services and manufacturing PMIs, but the current account deficit decreased by 42.9%.
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Analyst Views on AZO
Wall Street analysts forecast AZO stock price to rise
19 Analyst Rating
16 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 3438.180
Low
3550
Averages
4225
High
4800
Current: 3438.180
Low
3550
Averages
4225
High
4800
About AZO
AutoZone, Inc. is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the Americas. Its Auto Parts Stores segment is a retailer and distributor of automotive parts and accessories through its approximately 7,353 stores in the United States, Mexico and Brazil. Each store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light duty trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products. The Company also sells automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products through www.autozone.com, and its commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com. In addition, the Company sells the ALLDATA brand of automotive diagnostic, repair, collision and shop management software through www.alldata.com. It also provides product information on its Duralast branded products through www.duralastparts.com.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Stock Market Shows Strength Ahead of Holiday Weekend
- Market Recovery: The S&P 500 index reached a record high above 7,500 in May after recovering from March lows, indicating strong market recovery, although it remains just below that record, reflecting optimistic investor sentiment.
- Declining Cash Holdings: A Bank of America Securities survey shows professional investors' cash levels dropped from 4.3% to 3.9%, nearing the 4.0% sell signal, indicating that investors are chasing the market rally but may soon face capital shortages.
- Increased Inflation Pressure: The upcoming personal consumption expenditures price index is expected to show core PCE rising to 3.4% year-over-year in April, up from 3.2% in March, potentially increasing pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, which could affect market sentiment.
- Economic Data Impact: Next week will see several economic data releases and earnings reports from key tech companies that could significantly impact the markets, particularly consumer commentary from Costco and Dollar Tree, which may trigger market volatility.
See More
AutoZone Set to Release Q3 Earnings on May 26
- Earnings Announcement: AutoZone is scheduled to announce its Q3 earnings on May 26 before market open, with consensus EPS estimate at $36.22, reflecting a 2.4% year-over-year increase, which could directly impact the stock price.
- Revenue Growth Expectations: The revenue estimate for Q3 stands at $4.86 billion, representing a 9.0% year-over-year growth, and achieving this would further solidify AutoZone's leadership in the automotive parts market, indicating sustained consumer demand for vehicle maintenance.
- Earnings Forecast Revisions: Over the past three months, AutoZone's EPS estimates have seen 10 upward revisions and 6 downward adjustments, reflecting analysts' mixed views on the company's profitability, which may influence investor confidence.
- New Store Expansion Plans: AutoZone targets to open 350 to 360 new stores by 2026, despite navigating LIFO impacts and accelerated SG&A investments, a strategy aimed at increasing market share and addressing demand fluctuations.
See More
Advance Auto Parts Q1 Earnings Analysis
- Sales Performance Overview: Advance Auto Parts reported flat net sales of $2.6 billion for Q1, exceeding the $2 billion consensus, although adjusted EPS of $0.77 fell short of the $0.83 expectation, indicating challenges in sales growth.
- Future Guidance: The company guided adjusted EPS for 2026 between $2.40 and $3.10, with revenue expectations ranging from $8.49 billion to $8.58 billion, reflecting a midpoint below the market estimates of $2.86 and $8.56 billion, indicating cautious sentiment regarding long-term growth.
- Analyst Rating Dynamics: According to Koyfin data, 19 out of 25 analysts rated the stock as ‘Hold’, with 3 ‘Buy’ and 3 ‘Sell’ or lower, showcasing a cautiously optimistic outlook on the company's turnaround, despite some analysts raising their price targets.
- Market Sentiment Shift: While retail sentiment on AAP shifted from ‘neutral’ to ‘extremely bullish’ in the past 24 hours, Wall Street's overall sentiment remains ‘neutral’, highlighting a divergence in market expectations for the company's future performance.
See More
Surge in Options Trading Volume for UnitedHealth Group
- Surge in Options Volume: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) has seen an options trading volume of 128,091 contracts today, equivalent to approximately 12.8 million shares, reflecting a significant 135.9% increase over its average daily trading volume, indicating strong market interest in its future performance.
- High Demand for Call Options: Notably, the $325 strike call option expiring on April 17, 2026, has traded 9,185 contracts today, representing about 918,500 shares of UNH, suggesting a marked increase in investor expectations for its stock price appreciation.
- Jabil Options Activity: Jabil Inc (JBL) recorded an options trading volume of 14,465 contracts today, equivalent to approximately 1.4 million shares, reaching 132.8% of its average daily trading volume, highlighting active market interest in its stock.
- Active Put Options Trading: The $295 strike put option expiring on April 24, 2026, has seen a trading volume of 2,744 contracts today, representing around 274,400 shares of JBL, indicating investor concerns regarding potential downward price movements.
See More
AutoZone Schedules Q3 Earnings Release and Conference Call
- Earnings Release Schedule: AutoZone will release its third-quarter results for the period ending May 9, 2026, before market open on May 26, 2026, demonstrating the company's commitment to financial transparency.
- Conference Call Details: The company will host a one-hour conference call at 10:00 AM (ET) on the same day to discuss the quarterly results, enhancing interaction and information sharing with investors.
- Webcast Access: Investors can access the live webcast and supporting slides on AutoZone's website, reflecting the company's emphasis on modern communication methods.
- Store Network Scale: As of February 14, 2026, AutoZone operates 7,774 stores across the Americas, showcasing its strong presence and market share in the automotive parts retail sector.
See More
Fair Isaac and AutoZone See Active Options Trading
- Fair Isaac Options Volume: Fair Isaac Corp (FICO) saw options trading volume of 2,657 contracts today, representing approximately 265,700 shares, which is about 74.3% of its average daily trading volume of 357,690 shares over the past month, indicating strong market interest in its future performance.
- High Demand for Puts: Among FICO's options, the $1000 strike put option expiring on April 17, 2026, has seen particularly high volume with 221 contracts traded today, representing approximately 22,100 underlying shares, reflecting investor expectations of potential downside risk.
- AutoZone Options Activity: AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) has recorded an options trading volume of 842 contracts today, equating to approximately 84,200 shares, which constitutes 66.1% of its average daily trading volume of 127,445 shares over the past month, showcasing active investor interest in its stock.
- High Demand for Calls: The $4000 strike call option for AZO, expiring on May 15, 2026, has seen a trading volume of 309 contracts today, representing about 30,900 underlying shares, indicating a bullish outlook on the stock's future price potential.
See More
Stock Market Shows Strength Ahead of Holiday Weekend
- Market Recovery: The S&P 500 index reached a record high above 7,500 in May after recovering from March lows, indicating strong market recovery, although it remains just below that record, reflecting optimistic investor sentiment.
- Declining Cash Holdings: A Bank of America Securities survey shows professional investors' cash levels dropped from 4.3% to 3.9%, nearing the 4.0% sell signal, indicating that investors are chasing the market rally but may soon face capital shortages.
- Increased Inflation Pressure: The upcoming personal consumption expenditures price index is expected to show core PCE rising to 3.4% year-over-year in April, up from 3.2% in March, potentially increasing pressure on the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates, which could affect market sentiment.
- Economic Data Impact: Next week will see several economic data releases and earnings reports from key tech companies that could significantly impact the markets, particularly consumer commentary from Costco and Dollar Tree, which may trigger market volatility.
See More
AutoZone Set to Release Q3 Earnings on May 26
- Earnings Announcement: AutoZone is scheduled to announce its Q3 earnings on May 26 before market open, with consensus EPS estimate at $36.22, reflecting a 2.4% year-over-year increase, which could directly impact the stock price.
- Revenue Growth Expectations: The revenue estimate for Q3 stands at $4.86 billion, representing a 9.0% year-over-year growth, and achieving this would further solidify AutoZone's leadership in the automotive parts market, indicating sustained consumer demand for vehicle maintenance.
- Earnings Forecast Revisions: Over the past three months, AutoZone's EPS estimates have seen 10 upward revisions and 6 downward adjustments, reflecting analysts' mixed views on the company's profitability, which may influence investor confidence.
- New Store Expansion Plans: AutoZone targets to open 350 to 360 new stores by 2026, despite navigating LIFO impacts and accelerated SG&A investments, a strategy aimed at increasing market share and addressing demand fluctuations.
See More
Advance Auto Parts Q1 Earnings Analysis
- Sales Performance Overview: Advance Auto Parts reported flat net sales of $2.6 billion for Q1, exceeding the $2 billion consensus, although adjusted EPS of $0.77 fell short of the $0.83 expectation, indicating challenges in sales growth.
- Future Guidance: The company guided adjusted EPS for 2026 between $2.40 and $3.10, with revenue expectations ranging from $8.49 billion to $8.58 billion, reflecting a midpoint below the market estimates of $2.86 and $8.56 billion, indicating cautious sentiment regarding long-term growth.
- Analyst Rating Dynamics: According to Koyfin data, 19 out of 25 analysts rated the stock as ‘Hold’, with 3 ‘Buy’ and 3 ‘Sell’ or lower, showcasing a cautiously optimistic outlook on the company's turnaround, despite some analysts raising their price targets.
- Market Sentiment Shift: While retail sentiment on AAP shifted from ‘neutral’ to ‘extremely bullish’ in the past 24 hours, Wall Street's overall sentiment remains ‘neutral’, highlighting a divergence in market expectations for the company's future performance.
See More
Surge in Options Trading Volume for UnitedHealth Group
- Surge in Options Volume: UnitedHealth Group (UNH) has seen an options trading volume of 128,091 contracts today, equivalent to approximately 12.8 million shares, reflecting a significant 135.9% increase over its average daily trading volume, indicating strong market interest in its future performance.
- High Demand for Call Options: Notably, the $325 strike call option expiring on April 17, 2026, has traded 9,185 contracts today, representing about 918,500 shares of UNH, suggesting a marked increase in investor expectations for its stock price appreciation.
- Jabil Options Activity: Jabil Inc (JBL) recorded an options trading volume of 14,465 contracts today, equivalent to approximately 1.4 million shares, reaching 132.8% of its average daily trading volume, highlighting active market interest in its stock.
- Active Put Options Trading: The $295 strike put option expiring on April 24, 2026, has seen a trading volume of 2,744 contracts today, representing around 274,400 shares of JBL, indicating investor concerns regarding potential downward price movements.
See More
AutoZone Schedules Q3 Earnings Release and Conference Call
- Earnings Release Schedule: AutoZone will release its third-quarter results for the period ending May 9, 2026, before market open on May 26, 2026, demonstrating the company's commitment to financial transparency.
- Conference Call Details: The company will host a one-hour conference call at 10:00 AM (ET) on the same day to discuss the quarterly results, enhancing interaction and information sharing with investors.
- Webcast Access: Investors can access the live webcast and supporting slides on AutoZone's website, reflecting the company's emphasis on modern communication methods.
- Store Network Scale: As of February 14, 2026, AutoZone operates 7,774 stores across the Americas, showcasing its strong presence and market share in the automotive parts retail sector.
See More
Fair Isaac and AutoZone See Active Options Trading
- Fair Isaac Options Volume: Fair Isaac Corp (FICO) saw options trading volume of 2,657 contracts today, representing approximately 265,700 shares, which is about 74.3% of its average daily trading volume of 357,690 shares over the past month, indicating strong market interest in its future performance.
- High Demand for Puts: Among FICO's options, the $1000 strike put option expiring on April 17, 2026, has seen particularly high volume with 221 contracts traded today, representing approximately 22,100 underlying shares, reflecting investor expectations of potential downside risk.
- AutoZone Options Activity: AutoZone, Inc. (AZO) has recorded an options trading volume of 842 contracts today, equating to approximately 84,200 shares, which constitutes 66.1% of its average daily trading volume of 127,445 shares over the past month, showcasing active investor interest in its stock.
- High Demand for Calls: The $4000 strike call option for AZO, expiring on May 15, 2026, has seen a trading volume of 309 contracts today, representing about 30,900 underlying shares, indicating a bullish outlook on the stock's future price potential.
See More
