Richard Sloan from the University of Michigan was first to document what is referred to as the "accrual anomaly". His 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones.
AutoZone's Sloan Ratio for the quarter that ended in Feb. 2025 was 4.29%.
As of Feb. 2025, AutoZone has a Sloan Ratio of 4.29%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
AutoZone Sloan Ratio % Historical Data
The historical data trend for AutoZone's Sloan Ratio % can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Competitive Comparison of AutoZone's Sloan Ratio %
For the Specialty Retail subindustry, AutoZone's Sloan Ratio %, along with its competitors' market caps and Sloan Ratio % data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
AutoZone's Sloan Ratio % Distribution in the Retail - Cyclical Industry
For the Retail - Cyclical industry and Consumer Cyclical sector, AutoZone's Sloan Ratio % distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where AutoZone's Sloan Ratio % falls into.
Earnings contain a lot of non cash earnings which is called accruals. The Sloan ratio is a way to identify firms with low non-cash or accrual-derived earnings relative to their cash flow.
AutoZone's Sloan Ratio for the fiscal year that ended in Aug. 2024 is calculated as
AutoZone's Net Income for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Feb. 2025 was 651.726 (May. 2024 ) + 902.208 (Aug. 2024 ) + 564.933 (Nov. 2024 ) + 487.923 (Feb. 2025 ) = $2,607 Mil.
AutoZone's Cash Flow from Operations for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Feb. 2025 was 669.48 (May. 2024 ) + 1070.25 (Aug. 2024 ) + 811.803 (Nov. 2024 ) + 583.749 (Feb. 2025 ) = $3,135 Mil.
AutoZone's Cash Flow from Investing for the trailing twelve months (TTM) ended in Feb. 2025 was -372.264 (May. 2024 ) + -370.248 (Aug. 2024 ) + -265.749 (Nov. 2024 ) + -297.67 (Feb. 2025 ) = $-1,306 Mil.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) Sloan Ratio % Explanation
A former University of Michigan researcher, Richard Sloan's 1996 paper found that shares of companies with small or negative accruals vastly outperform (+10%) those of companies with large ones. In fact, for the 40-year period between 1962 and 2001, buying the lowest accrual companies and shorting the highest accrual companies resulted in an average annual compounded return of 18%, more than double the S&P 500's 7.4% annual return over the same period.
If the Sloan Ratio is between -10% and 10%, the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than between -25% and -10% on the negative side, and between 10% and 25% on the positive side, this is a warning stage of accrual build up.
If the Sloan Ratio is less than -25% or greater than 25%, and this ratio is consistent over several quarters or even years, be careful. Earnings are highly likely to be made up of accruals.
As of Feb. 2025, AutoZone has a Sloan Ratio of 4.29%, indicating the company is in the safe zone and there is no funny business with accruals.
AutoZone Sloan Ratio % Related Terms
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AutoZone operates as a leading retailer of aftermarket automotive parts in the United States. The firm operates more than 6,400 stores domestically, serving both the do-it-yourself and commercial (do-it-for-me) end markets. Through its vast store footprint and distribution network, AutoZone manages a wide array of stock-keeping units applicable to numerous vehicle makes and models, providing its consumers with ample product availability. The firm drives traffic by providing superior and convenient customer service as AutoZone's team of knowledgeable staff assists consumers with diagnosing a vehicle's problem, selecting the necessary part for replacement, and occasionally, installation. The company also operates internationally, with 800 stores in Mexico and more than 100 in Brazil.
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