For the full fiscal year, the company posted EPS of $23.48 on revenue of $8.6 billion, compared with the consensus estimates for EPS of $23.37 on sales of $8.64 billion.
Same-store sales rose 2.1% in the quarter, less than half the 4.5% increase in the same period a year ago. The company’s chairman/president/CEO said:
While our same store sales performance was below our expectations for the quarter, we are confident we are well positioned to again deliver strong results for our new fiscal year.
Autozone did not provide guidance, but consensus estimates call for first quarter EPS of $5.45 on revenue of $2.05 billion. For the full 2013 fiscal year, the consensus estimate for EPS is $27.12 and $9.2 billion in revenue.
The company repurchased $1.4 billion worth of its stock during the 2012 fiscal year at an average price of $359 per share. Autozone has $356 million remaining in its current stock repurchase plan.
The weaker same-store sales are weighing on the share price this morning. Autozone’s share price has dropped about 3% in the past week, but it has risen about 10% so far in 2012. The company’s shares are down 4.4% in premarket trading this morning, at $357.84 in a 52-week range of $307.16 to $399.10.
Paul Ausick
Is Your Money Earning the Best Possible Rate? (Sponsor)
Let’s face it: If your money is just sitting in a checking account, you’re losing value every single day. With most checking accounts offering little to no interest, the cash you worked so hard to save is gradually being eroded by inflation.
However, by moving that money into a high-yield savings account, you can put your cash to work, growing steadily with little to no effort on your part. In just a few clicks, you can set up a high-yield savings account and start earning interest immediately.
There are plenty of reputable banks and online platforms that offer competitive rates, and many of them come with zero fees and no minimum balance requirements. Click here to see if you’re earning the best possible rate on your money!
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Latest from 24/7
