Seek Returns logo

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

Updated on

Here’s a clear look at AZO and IHG, 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 IHG’s 18.46 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.

IHG carries a higher beta at 0.89, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AZO (beta: 0.40) exhibits greater stability.

IHG is an American Depositary Receipt (ADR), allowing U.S. investors direct exposure to its non-U.S. operations. AZO, on the other hand, is a domestic entity.

SymbolAZOIHG
Company NameAutoZone, Inc.InterContinental Hotels Group PLC
CountryUSGB
SectorConsumer CyclicalConsumer Cyclical
IndustrySpecialty RetailTravel Lodging
CEOPhilip B. Daniele IIIElie Wajih Maalouf
Price3,769.26 USD119.66 USD
Market Cap63.05 billion USD18.46 billion USD
Beta0.400.89
ExchangeNYSENYSE
IPO DateApril 2, 1991April 10, 2003
ADRNoYes

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AZO and IHG 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. IHG: 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.

IHG

-27.81%

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
54.87%
Q3
39.53%
Median
21.82%
Q1
-42.75%
Min
-92.80%

IHG has a negative Return on Equity of -27.81%. 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.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their ROE against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

22.47%

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
22.47%
Q3
17.37%
Median
15.46%
Q1
6.72%
Min
-0.59%

In the upper quartile for the Travel Lodging industry, IHG’s Return on Invested Capital of 22.47% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their ROIC against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

12.76%

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
19.75%
Q3
16.41%
Median
12.76%
Q1
11.98%
Min
9.75%

IHG’s Net Profit Margin of 12.76% is aligned with the median group of its peers in the Travel Lodging industry. This indicates its ability to convert revenue into profit is typical for the sector.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

21.15%

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
30.55%
Q3
21.77%
Median
21.15%
Q1
15.15%
Min
15.10%

IHG’s Operating Profit Margin of 21.15% is around the midpoint for the Travel Lodging industry, indicating that its efficiency in managing core business operations is typical for the sector.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their Operating Margin against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

SymbolAZOIHG
Return on Equity (TTM)-57.43%-27.81%
Return on Assets (TTM)13.77%13.23%
Return on Invested Capital (TTM)15.20%22.47%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)13.56%12.76%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)19.63%21.15%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)52.95%29.56%

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.

IHG

0.97

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
0.99
Q3
0.98
Median
0.96
Q1
0.83
Min
0.83

IHG’s Current Ratio of 0.97 aligns with the median group of the Travel Lodging industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their Current Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

-1.60

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
4.37
Q3
3.27
Median
2.12
Q1
1.13
Min
0.53

IHG has a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of -1.60, which indicates negative shareholder equity where liabilities exceed assets. This is a critical sign of financial distress.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their D/E Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

5.13

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
7.05
Q3
7.05
Median
5.31
Q1
4.28
Min
4.07

IHG’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 5.13 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Travel Lodging industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their Interest Coverage against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

SymbolAZOIHG
Current Ratio (TTM)0.750.97
Quick Ratio (TTM)0.030.97
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM)-2.99-1.60
Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM)0.640.78
Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM)2.332.15
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)4.365.13

Growth

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

Revenue Growth

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

Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth

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

Free Cash Flow Growth

AZO vs. IHG: 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.

IHG

0.93%

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
3.94%
Q3
1.93%
Median
0.94%
Q1
0.43%
Min
0.00%

IHG’s Dividend Yield of 0.93% is consistent with its peers in the Travel Lodging industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their Dividend Yield against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

41.24%

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
114.17%
Q3
36.83%
Median
28.47%
Q1
9.43%
Min
0.00%

IHG’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 41.24% is in the upper quartile for the Travel Lodging industry. This indicates a strong commitment to shareholder returns but also suggests that a smaller portion of earnings is retained for reinvestment compared to many peers.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their Payout Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

SymbolAZOIHG
Dividend Yield (TTM)0.00%0.93%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)0.00%41.24%

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.

IHG

30.30

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
40.59
Q3
29.79
Median
22.44
Q1
18.46
Min
2.45

A P/E Ratio of 30.30 places IHG in the upper quartile for the Travel Lodging industry. This high valuation relative to peers suggests the market holds elevated expectations for the company’s future growth.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their P/E Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

2.61

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
2.54
Q3
1.92
Median
1.46
Q1
0.89
Min
0.19

IHG’s Forward PEG Ratio of 2.61 is exceptionally high for the Travel Lodging industry. This suggests its stock price is very high relative to its expected earnings growth, signaling significant overvaluation risk.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their Forward PEG Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

3.70

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
5.59
Q3
4.22
Median
3.60
Q1
2.95
Min
1.17

IHG’s P/S Ratio of 3.70 aligns with the market consensus for the Travel Lodging industry. This suggests its valuation, based on sales, is seen as standard and is on par with its competitors.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their P/S Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging 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.

IHG

-8.23

Travel Lodging Industry

Max
11.01
Q3
10.16
Median
6.87
Q1
3.05
Min
0.61

IHG has a negative P/B Ratio of -8.23, indicating its liabilities exceed its assets and result in negative shareholder equity. This is a critical warning sign of financial distress.

AZO vs. IHG: A comparison of their P/B Ratio against their respective Specialty Retail and Travel Lodging industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

SymbolAZOIHG
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM)24.6230.30
Forward PEG Ratio (TTM)2.122.61
Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM)3.343.70
Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM)-15.88-8.23
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM)31.4928.16
EV-to-EBITDA (TTM)14.9916.77
EV-to-Sales (TTM)3.954.24