AZO vs. CAVA: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison

Updated on July 7, 2025

Here’s a clear look at AZO and CAVA, comparing key factors like historical performance, profitability, financial strength, growth, dividend, and valuation.

Company Overview

AZO’s market capitalization of 63.05 billion USD is substantially larger than CAVA’s 10.01 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

CAVA carries a higher beta at 2.79, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AZO (beta: 0.40) exhibits greater stability.

Symbol	AZO	CAVA
Company Name	AutoZone, Inc.	CAVA Group, Inc.
Country	US	US
Sector	Consumer Cyclical	Consumer Cyclical
Industry	Specialty Retail	Restaurants
CEO	Philip B. Daniele III	Brett Schulman
Price	3,769.26 USD	86.52 USD
Market Cap	63.05 billion USD	10.01 billion USD
Beta	0.40	2.79
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
IPO Date	April 2, 1991	June 16, 2023
ADR	No	No

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AZO and CAVA by tracking the growth of an initial $10,000 investment in each. Use the tabs to select the desired time period.

Data is adjusted for dividends and splits.

AZO vs. CAVA: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Profitability

Return on Equity

AZO

-57.43%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 70.52%
Q3: 29.03%
Median: 10.90%
Q1: -7.86%
Min: -57.43%

AZO has a negative Return on Equity of -57.43%. This indicates the company is generating a loss for its shareholders, which can be a result of unprofitability or negative shareholder equity and is often a sign of financial distress.

CAVA

21.57%

Restaurants Industry

Max: 83.01%
Q3: 24.17%
Median: 4.72%
Q1: -17.91%
Min: -41.05%

CAVA’s Return on Equity of 21.57% is on par with the norm for the Restaurants industry, indicating its profitability relative to shareholder equity is typical for the sector.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Return on Invested Capital

AZO

15.20%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 29.46%
Q3: 13.75%
Median: 8.05%
Q1: 0.80%
Min: -17.95%

In the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, AZO’s Return on Invested Capital of 15.20% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

CAVA

10.16%

Restaurants Industry

Max: 38.20%
Q3: 18.01%
Median: 7.53%
Q1: 3.71%
Min: -16.20%

CAVA’s Return on Invested Capital of 10.16% is in line with the norm for the Restaurants industry, reflecting a standard level of efficiency in generating profits from its capital base.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin

AZO

13.56%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 19.78%
Q3: 8.49%
Median: 3.43%
Q1: -0.69%
Min: -9.88%

A Net Profit Margin of 13.56% places AZO in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

CAVA

13.70%

Restaurants Industry

Max: 18.42%
Q3: 9.58%
Median: 4.33%
Q1: 1.40%
Min: -4.06%

A Net Profit Margin of 13.70% places CAVA in the upper quartile for the Restaurants industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin

AZO

19.63%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 24.47%
Q3: 11.10%
Median: 5.85%
Q1: 0.66%
Min: -12.62%

An Operating Profit Margin of 19.63% places AZO in the upper quartile for the Specialty Retail industry. This signals a strong ability to translate revenue into operating profit, outperforming most of its competitors in core business efficiency.

CAVA

5.19%

Restaurants Industry

Max: 25.80%
Q3: 13.59%
Median: 8.04%
Q1: 2.94%
Min: -4.23%

CAVA’s Operating Profit Margin of 5.19% is around the midpoint for the Restaurants industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	CAVA
Return on Equity (TTM)	-57.43%	21.57%
Return on Assets (TTM)	13.77%	11.56%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)	15.20%	10.16%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	13.56%	13.70%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	19.63%	5.19%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	52.95%	23.81%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio

AZO

0.75

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 3.24
Q3: 1.99
Median: 1.42
Q1: 1.02
Min: 0.54

AZO’s Current Ratio of 0.75 falls into the lower quartile for the Specialty Retail industry. This indicates a tighter liquidity situation and a more constrained capacity to handle short-term debt than many of its competitors.

CAVA

3.00

Restaurants Industry

Max: 3.56
Q3: 1.94
Median: 0.97
Q1: 0.49
Min: 0.25

CAVA’s Current Ratio of 3.00 is in the upper quartile for the Restaurants industry. This signifies a strong liquidity position, suggesting the company is well-equipped to cover its immediate liabilities compared to its peers.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio

AZO

-2.99

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 2.72
Q3: 1.42
Median: 0.87
Q1: 0.35
Min: 0.01

AZO has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -2.99, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.

CAVA

0.57

Restaurants Industry

Max: 5.12
Q3: 2.53
Median: 1.33
Q1: 0.59
Min: 0.08

Falling into the lower quartile for the Restaurants industry, CAVA’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.57 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio

AZO

4.36

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 37.34
Q3: 17.19
Median: 4.28
Q1: 0.11
Min: -23.60

AZO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 4.36 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

CAVA

Restaurants Industry

Max: 11.10
Q3: 7.32
Median: 4.00
Q1: 2.29
Min: 1.00

Interest Coverage Ratio data for CAVA is currently unavailable.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	CAVA
Current Ratio (TTM)	0.75	3.00
Quick Ratio (TTM)	0.03	2.95
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)	-2.99	0.57
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)	0.64	0.34
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)	2.33	0.93
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	4.36	--

Growth

The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AZO and CAVA. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.

Revenue Growth

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Revenue Growth.

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth.

Free Cash Flow Growth

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their annual year-over-year Free Cash Flow Growth.

Dividend

Dividend Yield

AZO

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.54%
Q3: 1.52%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AZO currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

CAVA

0.00%

Restaurants Industry

Max: 10.46%
Q3: 2.49%
Median: 1.37%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CAVA currently does not pay a dividend, resulting in a yield of 0%. This is a common strategy for growth-focused companies that prioritize reinvesting earnings, though it may be less typical in mature, income-oriented sectors.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio

AZO

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 177.64%
Q3: 9.49%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AZO has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

CAVA

0.00%

Restaurants Industry

Max: 110.09%
Q3: 54.11%
Median: 17.30%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

CAVA has a Dividend Payout Ratio of 0%, indicating it does not currently pay a dividend. This is a common strategy for growth-oriented companies that reinvest all profits back into the business.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	CAVA
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	0.00%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio

AZO

24.62

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 81.45
Q3: 42.51
Median: 25.40
Q1: 12.72
Min: 1.88

AZO’s P/E Ratio of 24.62 is within the middle range for the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests its valuation is in line with the sector average, representing neither a significant premium nor a discount compared to its peers.

CAVA

70.37

Restaurants Industry

Max: 80.02
Q3: 47.50
Median: 25.49
Q1: 18.87
Min: 6.59

A P/E Ratio of 70.37 places CAVA in the upper quartile for the Restaurants industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Forward P/E to Growth Ratio

AZO

2.12

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.90
Q3: 2.79
Median: 1.76
Q1: 0.69
Min: 0.00

AZO’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.12 is within the middle range of its peers in the Specialty Retail industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

CAVA

2.13

Restaurants Industry

Max: 5.62
Q3: 3.07
Median: 2.17
Q1: 1.21
Min: 0.01

CAVA’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.13 is within the middle range of its peers in the Restaurants industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio

AZO

3.34

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.26
Q3: 2.60
Median: 1.29
Q1: 0.41
Min: 0.06

AZO’s P/S Ratio of 3.34 is in the upper echelon for the Specialty Retail industry. This means the company is valued richly on its revenue stream compared to its peers, suggesting the stock is priced for a high level of future performance.

CAVA

9.65

Restaurants Industry

Max: 6.46
Q3: 3.53
Median: 2.09
Q1: 0.83
Min: 0.19

With a P/S Ratio of 9.65, CAVA trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Restaurants industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio

AZO

-15.88

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 12.73
Q3: 6.96
Median: 3.28
Q1: 1.42
Min: 0.24

AZO has a negative P/B Ratio of -15.88, indicating its liabilities exceed its assets and result in negative shareholder equity. This is a critical warning sign of financial distress.

CAVA

13.76

Restaurants Industry

Max: 21.36
Q3: 11.74
Median: 4.38
Q1: 1.93
Min: 0.75

CAVA’s P/B Ratio of 13.76 is in the upper tier for the Restaurants industry. This indicates that investors are paying a premium relative to the company’s net assets, a valuation that hinges on its ability to generate superior profits.

AZO vs. CAVA: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Restaurants industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	CAVA
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)	24.62	70.37
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)	2.12	2.13
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)	3.34	9.65
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)	-15.88	13.76
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)	31.49	196.60
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)	14.99	76.77
EV-to-Sales (TTM)	3.95	9.77