AZO vs. LULU: A Head-to-Head Stock Comparison
Updated onHere’s a clear look at AZO and LULU, 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 LULU’s 28.42 billion USD, indicating a significant difference in their market valuations.
LULU carries a higher beta at 1.26, indicating it’s more sensitive to market moves, while AZO (beta: 0.40) exhibits greater stability.
| Symbol | AZO | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Company Name | AutoZone, Inc. | Lululemon Athletica Inc. |
| Country | US | CA |
| Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Cyclical |
| Industry | Specialty Retail | Apparel - Retail |
| CEO | Philip B. Daniele III | Calvin R. McDonald |
| Price | 3,769.26 USD | 247.68 USD |
| Market Cap | 63.05 billion USD | 28.42 billion USD |
| Beta | 0.40 | 1.26 |
| Exchange | NYSE | NASDAQ |
| IPO Date | April 2, 1991 | July 27, 2007 |
| ADR | No | No |
Historical Performance
This chart compares the performance of AZO and LULU 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.
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.
LULU
43.48%
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 58.81%
- Q3
- 36.39%
- Median
- 19.21%
- Q1
- 10.67%
- Min
- -12.73%
In the upper quartile for the Apparel - Retail industry, LULU’s Return on Equity of 43.48% signals a highly effective use of shareholder capital to drive profitability compared to most of its peers.
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.
LULU
27.71%
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 27.71%
- Q3
- 16.49%
- Median
- 9.80%
- Q1
- 6.02%
- Min
- -5.03%
In the upper quartile for the Apparel - Retail industry, LULU’s Return on Invested Capital of 27.71% signifies a highly effective use of its capital to generate profits when compared to its peers.
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.
LULU
16.82%
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 16.82%
- Q3
- 9.22%
- Median
- 5.80%
- Q1
- 2.95%
- Min
- -4.54%
A Net Profit Margin of 16.82% places LULU in the upper quartile for the Apparel - Retail industry, signifying strong profitability and more effective cost management than most of its peers.
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.
LULU
23.36%
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 19.76%
- Q3
- 11.93%
- Median
- 7.79%
- Q1
- 5.07%
- Min
- -2.35%
LULU’s Operating Profit Margin of 23.36% is exceptionally high, placing it well above the typical range for the Apparel - Retail industry. This demonstrates outstanding efficiency in managing its core operations, which can be a result of strong pricing power or superior cost control.
Profitability at a Glance
| Symbol | AZO | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Return on Equity (TTM) | -57.43% | 43.48% |
| Return on Assets (TTM) | 13.77% | 26.94% |
| Return on Invested Capital (TTM) | 15.20% | 27.71% |
| Net Profit Margin (TTM) | 13.56% | 16.82% |
| Operating Profit Margin (TTM) | 19.63% | 23.36% |
| Gross Profit Margin (TTM) | 52.95% | 59.34% |
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.
LULU
1.53
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 2.80
- Q3
- 2.02
- Median
- 1.56
- Q1
- 1.38
- Min
- 0.87
LULU’s Current Ratio of 1.53 aligns with the median group of the Apparel - Retail industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.
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.
LULU
0.40
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 2.73
- Q3
- 1.54
- Median
- 0.86
- Q1
- 0.50
- Min
- 0.23
Falling into the lower quartile for the Apparel - Retail industry, LULU’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.40 points to a conservative financing strategy. This results in lower financial risk but potentially limits strategic investments compared to more leveraged competitors.
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.
LULU
--
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 159.89
- Q3
- 84.66
- Median
- 13.82
- Q1
- 5.09
- Min
- -20.67
Interest Coverage Ratio data for LULU is currently unavailable.
Financial Strength at a Glance
| Symbol | AZO | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Current Ratio (TTM) | 0.75 | 1.53 |
| Quick Ratio (TTM) | 0.03 | 0.72 |
| Debt-to-Equity Ratio (TTM) | -2.99 | 0.40 |
| Debt-to-Asset Ratio (TTM) | 0.64 | 0.25 |
| Net Debt-to-EBITDA Ratio (TTM) | 2.33 | 0.13 |
| Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) | 4.36 | -- |
Growth
The following charts compare key year-over-year (YoY) growth metrics for AZO and LULU. These metrics are based on the companies’ annual financial reports.
Revenue Growth
Earnings Per Share (EPS) Growth
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.
LULU
0.00%
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 9.90%
- Q3
- 2.86%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LULU 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.
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.
LULU
0.00%
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 101.19%
- Q3
- 32.81%
- Median
- 0.00%
- Q1
- 0.00%
- Min
- 0.00%
LULU 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.
Dividend at a Glance
| Symbol | AZO | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| 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.
LULU
16.53
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 43.02
- Q3
- 27.98
- Median
- 14.93
- Q1
- 9.08
- Min
- 6.51
LULU’s P/E Ratio of 16.53 is within the middle range for the Apparel - 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.
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.
LULU
1.68
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 3.70
- Q3
- 3.14
- Median
- 1.65
- Q1
- 0.80
- Min
- 0.29
LULU’s Forward PEG Ratio of 1.68 is within the middle range of its peers in the Apparel - Retail industry. This suggests a reasonable balance between the stock’s price and its expected growth, aligning with sector valuation norms.
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.
LULU
2.64
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 2.51
- Q3
- 1.95
- Median
- 0.67
- Q1
- 0.33
- Min
- 0.21
With a P/S Ratio of 2.64, LULU trades at a valuation that eclipses even the highest in the Apparel - Retail industry. This implies the market has priced in exceptionally optimistic scenarios for future revenue growth, posing considerable valuation risk.
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.
LULU
6.97
Apparel - Retail Industry
- Max
- 10.76
- Q3
- 6.61
- Median
- 2.62
- Q1
- 1.29
- Min
- 0.80
LULU’s P/B Ratio of 6.97 is in the upper tier for the Apparel - Retail 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.
Valuation at a Glance
| Symbol | AZO | LULU |
|---|---|---|
| Price-to-Earnings Ratio (P/E, TTM) | 24.62 | 16.53 |
| Forward PEG Ratio (TTM) | 2.12 | 1.68 |
| Price-to-Sales Ratio (P/S, TTM) | 3.34 | 2.64 |
| Price-to-Book Ratio (P/B, TTM) | -15.88 | 6.97 |
| Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (P/FCF, TTM) | 31.49 | 21.60 |
| EV-to-EBITDA (TTM) | 14.99 | 10.02 |
| EV-to-Sales (TTM) | 3.95 | 2.68 |