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

Updated on August 28, 2025

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

Company Profile

Symbol	AZO	SW
Company Name	AutoZone, Inc.	Smurfit Westrock Plc
Country	United States	Ireland
GICS Sector	Consumer Discretionary	Materials
GICS Industry	Specialty Retail	Containers & Packaging
Market Capitalization	70.35 billion USD	23.84 billion USD
Exchange	NYSE	NYSE
Listing Date	April 2, 1991	June 17, 2008
Security Type	Common Stock	Common Stock

Historical Performance

This chart compares the performance of AZO and SW 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. SW: Growth of a $10,000 investment over the past one year.

Historical Performance at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	SW
5-Day Price Return	1.88%	4.51%
13-Week Price Return	13.79%	2.86%
26-Week Price Return	24.83%	-14.11%
52-Week Price Return	33.20%	-1.13%
Month-to-Date Return	11.60%	2.88%
Year-to-Date Return	31.34%	-15.22%
10-Day Avg. Volume	0.11M	4.68M
3-Month Avg. Volume	0.13M	3.67M
3-Month Volatility	22.04%	33.32%
Beta	0.39	1.10

Profitability

Return on Equity (TTM)

AZO

249.27%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 61.19%
Q3: 37.24%
Median: 18.81%
Q1: 8.92%
Min: -13.03%

AZO’s Return on Equity of 249.27% is exceptionally high, placing it well beyond the typical range for the Specialty Retail industry. This demonstrates a superior ability to generate profit from shareholder investments, though it could also be inflated by high financial leverage.

SW

2.94%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 41.66%
Q3: 20.76%
Median: 14.35%
Q1: 6.55%
Min: 3.64%

A Return on Equity of 2.94% places SW below the typical range for the Containers & Packaging industry. This suggests challenges in efficiently using shareholder capital to generate profit, which could point to operational issues or a conservative capital structure.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Return on Equity (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Net Profit Margin (TTM)

AZO

13.56%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 21.28%
Q3: 10.68%
Median: 6.08%
Q1: 2.43%
Min: -4.54%

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.

SW

1.18%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 11.61%
Q3: 8.17%
Median: 4.91%
Q1: 4.20%
Min: 0.08%

Falling into the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry, SW’s Net Profit Margin of 1.18% indicates weaker profitability. This means the company retains a smaller portion of each dollar in sales as profit compared to its competitors.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Net Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Operating Profit Margin (TTM)

AZO

19.63%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 33.35%
Q3: 15.84%
Median: 9.34%
Q1: 3.83%
Min: -8.97%

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.

SW

4.20%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 22.03%
Q3: 13.17%
Median: 8.87%
Q1: 6.86%
Min: 0.07%

SW’s Operating Profit Margin of 4.20% is in the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry. This indicates weaker profitability from core operations, which may stem from inefficiencies or competitive pressures on pricing.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Operating Profit Margin (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Profitability at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	SW
Return on Equity (TTM)	249.27%	2.94%
Return on Assets (TTM)	14.37%	1.17%
Net Profit Margin (TTM)	13.56%	1.18%
Operating Profit Margin (TTM)	19.63%	4.20%
Gross Profit Margin (TTM)	52.95%	19.46%

Financial Strength

Current Ratio (MRQ)

AZO

0.84

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 2.83
Q3: 1.89
Median: 1.39
Q1: 1.11
Min: 0.64

AZO’s Current Ratio of 0.84 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.

SW

1.45

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 2.13
Q3: 1.57
Median: 1.27
Q1: 1.13
Min: 0.58

SW’s Current Ratio of 1.45 aligns with the median group of the Containers & Packaging industry, indicating that its short-term liquidity is in line with its sector peers.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Current Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)

AZO

37.81

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 3.02
Q3: 1.57
Median: 0.64
Q1: 0.20
Min: 0.00

With a Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 37.81, AZO operates with exceptionally high leverage compared to the Specialty Retail industry norm. This suggests an aggressive reliance on debt financing, which can magnify returns but also significantly elevates financial risk.

SW

0.79

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 4.50
Q3: 2.23
Median: 1.22
Q1: 0.54
Min: 0.23

SW’s Debt-to-Equity Ratio of 0.79 is typical for the Containers & Packaging industry, indicating its use of leverage is in line with the sector norm. This suggests a balanced approach to its capital structure.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)

AZO

8.39

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 48.12
Q3: 35.95
Median: 14.13
Q1: 3.61
Min: -36.00

AZO’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 8.39 is positioned comfortably within the norm for the Specialty Retail industry, indicating a standard and healthy capacity to cover its interest payments.

SW

2.41

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 13.16
Q3: 8.10
Median: 3.61
Q1: 2.94
Min: 1.06

In the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry, SW’s Interest Coverage Ratio of 2.41 indicates a tighter cushion for servicing debt, suggesting less financial flexibility than many of its competitors.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Financial Strength at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	SW
Current Ratio (MRQ)	0.84	1.45
Quick Ratio (MRQ)	0.12	0.95
Debt-to-Equity Ratio (MRQ)	37.81	0.79
Interest Coverage Ratio (TTM)	8.39	2.41

Growth

Revenue Growth

AZO vs. SW: A side-by-side comparison of their Revenue Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

EPS Growth

AZO vs. SW: A side-by-side comparison of their EPS Growth for the MRQ (YoY), TTM (YoY), 3-Year CAGR, and 5-Year CAGR periods.

Dividend

Dividend Yield (TTM)

AZO

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 6.53%
Q3: 2.69%
Median: 1.08%
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.

SW

3.50%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 7.37%
Q3: 4.07%
Median: 3.33%
Q1: 1.72%
Min: 0.00%

SW’s Dividend Yield of 3.50% is consistent with its peers in the Containers & Packaging industry, providing a dividend return that is standard for its sector.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Dividend Yield (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)

AZO

0.00%

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 165.81%
Q3: 80.94%
Median: 31.61%
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.

SW

85.87%

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 221.20%
Q3: 119.52%
Median: 58.05%
Q1: 28.91%
Min: 0.00%

SW’s Dividend Payout Ratio of 85.87% is within the typical range for the Containers & Packaging industry, suggesting a balanced approach between shareholder payouts and company reinvestment.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Dividend at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	SW
Dividend Yield (TTM)	0.00%	3.50%
Dividend Payout Ratio (TTM)	0.00%	85.87%

Valuation

Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)

AZO

27.06

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 48.56
Q3: 29.15
Median: 22.00
Q1: 15.46
Min: 7.95

AZO’s P/E Ratio of 27.06 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.

SW

41.59

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 35.98
Q3: 27.87
Median: 16.15
Q1: 14.38
Min: 8.20

At 41.59, SW’s P/E Ratio is exceptionally high, exceeding the typical maximum for the Containers & Packaging industry. This suggests the stock may be significantly overvalued compared to its peers and implies high market expectations that could be difficult to meet.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)

AZO

3.67

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 5.08
Q3: 2.69
Median: 1.23
Q1: 0.48
Min: 0.09

AZO’s P/S Ratio of 3.67 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.

SW

0.49

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 2.91
Q3: 1.67
Median: 0.83
Q1: 0.64
Min: 0.30

In the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry, SW’s P/S Ratio of 0.49 indicates its revenue is valued more conservatively than most of its peers. This could present a compelling opportunity if the market has overlooked its sales-generating capabilities.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)

AZO

94.97

Specialty Retail Industry

Max: 16.93
Q3: 7.98
Median: 3.69
Q1: 1.79
Min: 0.21

At 94.97, AZO’s P/B Ratio is at an extreme premium to the Specialty Retail industry. This signifies that the market’s valuation is heavily reliant on future potential rather than its current net asset value, which can be a high-risk proposition.

SW

1.23

Containers & Packaging Industry

Max: 5.28
Q3: 3.30
Median: 2.35
Q1: 1.57
Min: 0.89

SW’s P/B Ratio of 1.23 is in the lower quartile for the Containers & Packaging industry. From a value investing perspective, this is favorable, as it suggests the stock is trading at a discount to its net asset value and may offer a greater margin of safety.

AZO vs. SW: A comparison of their Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ) against their respective Specialty Retail and Containers & Packaging industry benchmarks.

Valuation at a Glance

Symbol	AZO	SW
Price-to-Earnings Ratio (TTM)	27.06	41.59
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM)	3.67	0.49
Price-to-Book Ratio (MRQ)	94.97	1.23
Price-to-Free Cash Flow Ratio (TTM)	34.64	42.07