AZO vs. LOW: AutoZone vs. Lowe's Stock Comparison

November 11, 2026

How do AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW) stack up? This page sets them side by side across company profile, performance and risk, profitability, growth, financial strength, dividends, and valuation, with selected fundamentals also measured against each stock's industry-group peers.

Company Profile

AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW) both belong to the Specialty Retail industry, though AZO is classified under Automotive Retail while LOW falls under Home Improvement Retail.

Company profile comparison for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Profile Item	AZO	LOW
Name	AutoZone, Inc.	Lowe's Companies, Inc.
Country/Region	United States	United States
GICS Sector	Consumer Discretionary	Consumer Discretionary
GICS Industry Group	Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail	Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail
GICS Industry	Specialty Retail	Specialty Retail
GICS Sub-Industry	Automotive Retail	Home Improvement Retail
Market Capitalization	51.77 billion USD	125.98 billion USD
Currency	USD	USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	April 2, 1991	March 17, 1980
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Price Performance

Cumulative Growth

AZO

LOW

GSPC

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past five years. Adjusted for dividends and splits.

Trailing Returns

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Trailing total returns for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW). Returns over one year are annualized.

Calendar-Year Returns

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Calendar-year total returns for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW). Each bar is that year's total return, measured year-end to year-end.

Performance Metrics

Price performance metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
Total Return (1Y)	-12.81%	1.84%
Total Return (3Y, Annualized)	6.56%	9.02%
Total Return (5Y, Annualized)	11.68%	1.87%

Risk Profile

Drawdown History

AZO

LOW

GSPC

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW), with S&P 500 (GSPC) for reference: Drawdown from the running peak over the past five years. Each line shows the decline from its prior peak; 0% marks a new high.

Return Distribution

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Distribution of monthly total returns for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW). Each bar is the share of months whose return fell in that 5% bucket.

Risk Metrics

Risk profile metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
Volatility (1Y, Annualized)	30.55%	30.08%
Beta (5Y)	0.37	0.78
Max Drawdown (5Y)	-35.88%	-36.85%
Avg. Volume (3M)	268.95K	3.23M

Risk-Adjusted Performance

Risk-Return Positioning

AZO and LOW are plotted by 1-year volatility (risk) and 1-year return. The dashed Capital Allocation Line runs from the risk-free rate through the shared industry median.

Risk-Adjusted Metrics

Risk-adjusted metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)	-0.56	-0.08
Sortino Ratio (1Y)	-0.74	-0.13

Profitability

ROE (TTM)

Neither AutoZone (AZO) nor Lowe's (LOW) reports a ROE value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

Max: 62.17%
Q3: 29.44%
Median: 15.69%
Q1: 6.73%
Min: -12.16%
AZO: --

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

Max: 62.17%
Q3: 29.44%
Median: 15.69%
Q1: 6.73%
Min: -12.16%
LOW: --

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): Neither stock reports ROE, so the chart shows available benchmark boxes without value markers.

Net Margin (TTM)

AutoZone (AZO) at 12.65% retains a top-quartile share of revenue as profit, ahead of Lowe's (LOW) at 7.35%, which keeps about the industry-typical share.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

12.65%

Max: 16.94%
AZO: 12.65%
Q3: 8.69%
Median: 3.55%
Q1: 1.14%
Min: -9.41%

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

7.35%

Max: 16.94%
Q3: 8.69%
LOW: 7.35%
Median: 3.55%
Q1: 1.14%
Min: -9.41%

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their net margin against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Operating Margin (TTM)

Both AutoZone (AZO) at 18.03% and Lowe's (LOW) at 13.37% convert sales into operating profit at a top-quartile rate, pointing to tighter cost discipline before financing and tax.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

18.03%

Max: 21.45%
AZO: 18.03%
Q3: 10.89%
Median: 5.57%
Q1: 2.28%
Min: -7.12%

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

13.37%

Max: 21.45%
LOW: 13.37%
Q3: 10.89%
Median: 5.57%
Q1: 2.28%
Min: -7.12%

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their operating margin against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Profitability Metrics

Profitability metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
ROE (TTM)	--	--
ROA (TTM)	10.97%	12.52%
Net Margin (TTM)	12.65%	7.35%
Operating Margin (TTM)	18.03%	13.37%
Gross Margin (TTM)	51.71%	32.99%

Growth

Revenue Growth

Both AutoZone (AZO) at 7.39% and Lowe's (LOW) at 3.12% land near their industries' usual revenue growth ranges, so top-line momentum looks broadly in line with peers on both sides.

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their Revenue Growth across different time periods.

EPS Growth

Only one side can be read here: Lowe's (LOW) reports EPS growth of -3.11%, ranked against its industry; AutoZone (AZO) has no EPS growth figure this period.

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their EPS Growth across different time periods.

Growth Metrics

Growth metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
Revenue Growth (YoY)	7.39%	3.12%
Revenue Growth (3Y CAGR)	5.22%	-3.85%
EPS Growth (YoY)	--	-3.11%
EPS Growth (3Y CAGR)	--	5.23%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

Lowe's (LOW) at 1.11 keeps current ratio within its industry’s typical mid-range, while AutoZone (AZO) at 0.90 runs in the tighter-liquidity quartile — a thinner cushion against current liabilities for AZO.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.90

Max: 2.62
Q3: 1.75
Median: 1.35
Q1: 1.00
AZO: 0.90
Min: 0.48

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

1.11

Max: 2.62
Q3: 1.75
Median: 1.35
LOW: 1.11
Q1: 1.00
Min: 0.48

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their current ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Debt / Equity (MRQ)

Neither AutoZone (AZO) nor Lowe's (LOW) reports a debt-to-equity ratio value for this period, so a direct comparison isn’t possible.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

Max: 3.93
Q3: 2.14
Median: 1.25
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.01
AZO: --

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

Max: 3.93
Q3: 2.14
Median: 1.25
Q1: 0.73
Min: 0.01
LOW: --

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): Neither stock reports debt-to-equity ratio, so the chart shows available benchmark boxes without value markers.

Financial Strength Metrics

Financial strength metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.90	1.11
Debt / Equity (MRQ)	--	--
Net Debt / EBITDA	3.00	3.05

Dividends

Dividend Yield (TTM)

AutoZone (AZO) pays no dividend (yield 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Lowe's (LOW) reports a yield of 2.13%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.00%

Max: 5.84%
Q3: 2.50%
AZO: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

2.13%

Max: 5.84%
Q3: 2.50%
LOW: 2.13%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their dividend yield against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AutoZone (AZO) pays no dividend (payout 0.00%) — it may be reinvesting, using buybacks, or simply not returning cash through dividends. Meanwhile Lowe's (LOW) reports a payout of 41.00%, ranking against industry peers normally.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

0.00%

Max: 72.73%
Q3: 32.44%
AZO: 0.00%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

41.00%

Max: 72.73%
LOW: 41.00%
Q3: 32.44%
Median: 0.00%
Q1: 0.00%
Min: 0.00%

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their payout ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Dividend Metrics

Dividend metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	2.13%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	41.00%

Valuation

P/E Ratio (TTM)

Both AutoZone (AZO) at 21.08 and Lowe's (LOW) at 18.98 land around their industries’ usual P/E ratio levels — neither is getting a clear earnings-multiple discount or premium versus peers.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

21.08

Max: 40.50
Q3: 24.26
AZO: 21.08
Median: 19.23
Q1: 12.64
Min: 4.67

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

18.98

Max: 40.50
Q3: 24.26
Median: 19.23
LOW: 18.98
Q1: 12.64
Min: 4.67

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their P/E ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

P/S Ratio (TTM)

Lowe's (LOW) at 1.39 is priced about in line with its industry on P/S ratio, while AutoZone (AZO) at 2.55 sits in the pricier quartile — AZO costs more per dollar of sales.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

2.55

Max: 4.32
AZO: 2.55
Q3: 1.99
Median: 0.70
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.03

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

1.39

Max: 4.32
Q3: 1.99
LOW: 1.39
Median: 0.70
Q1: 0.26
Min: 0.03

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their P/S ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

P/B Ratio (MRQ)

Both AutoZone (AZO) at -20.79 and Lowe's (LOW) at -16.94 report negative P/B ratio values, meaning both companies have negative book equity — neither multiple is meaningful for valuation.

AZO

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

-20.79

Max: 10.96
Q3: 5.26
Median: 2.16
Q1: 1.08
Min: -4.45
AZO: -20.79

LOW

Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group

-16.94

Max: 10.96
Q3: 5.26
Median: 2.16
Q1: 1.08
Min: -4.45
LOW: -16.94

AutoZone (AZO) vs. Lowe's (LOW): A comparison of their P/B ratio against the Consumer Discretionary Distribution & Retail industry group benchmark.

Valuation Metrics

Valuation metrics for AutoZone (AZO) and Lowe's (LOW)
Metric	AZO	LOW
P/E Ratio (TTM)	21.08	18.98
P/S Ratio (TTM)	2.55	1.39
P/B Ratio (MRQ)	-20.79	-16.94
Free Cash Flow Yield (TTM)	2.31%	3.66%