M. Suhail/iStock Editorial via Getty Images AutoZone, Inc. ( AZO ) may be at an attractive entry point, as short-term volatility has made the stock’s valuation attractive. The automotive replacement part retailer has reported relatively weak earnings due to up-front growth investments, temporary sales pressure from winter storms, and consumer weakness, but the longer-term earnings growth outlook s...
M. Suhail/iStock Editorial via Getty Images AutoZone, Inc. ( AZO ) may be at an attractive entry point, as short-term volatility has made the stock’s valuation attractive. The automotive replacement part retailer has reported relatively weak earnings due to up-front growth investments, temporary sales pressure from winter storms, and consumer weakness, but the longer-term earnings growth outlook should still stand good. AutoZone continues to invest ambitiously in a growing store network with great capital returns. The immediate focus is on fuel prices as the war in Iran looks to weigh on the macroeconomic outlook over the short term. I maintained a Hold rating in my previous September 2025 article on the stock, titled “ AutoZone Q4: Solid Sales Momentum, Weaker Margins, Reiterate Hold. ” The stock has since lost -18% of its value, while the S&P 500 ( SP500 ) has lost -1%. My Rating History on AZO (Seeking Alpha) AutoZone’s Short-Term Outlook Is Turbulent AutoZone’s recent financial momentum has slowed down noticeably. The latest fiscal Q2 report from the late-November to mid-February period showed 3.3% constant currency same-store sales growth, moderating considerably from 4.7% in Q1 and 3.9% in FY2025 . Total 8.1% revenue growth was primarily driven by new store openings across the U.S., Mexico, and Brazil instead of underlying store traffic momentum. The quarter’s U.S. momentum was temporarily weighed down by winter storms in January and February; many of AutoZone’s commercial customers had to close their businesses for several days, according to earnings call remarks . A weaker consumer environment has likely weighed on sales as well; driven miles in the U.S., a key metric for AutoZone, have started to stall in early 2026 after good previous growth. The slowdown in driven miles seems to reflect macroeconomic weakness that could persist in upcoming quarters as well; meanwhile, winter storms are a clearly transitory Q2 headwind. LTM Driven Miles in the U.S. (FRED) ...
The passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz was halted as a consequence of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported. The report followed an overnight ceasefire between the US and Iran that Fars said had resulted in the transit of two oil tankers. The halt to tanker movements happened simultaneously with attacks on Lebanon, it reported. READ: Hormuz Sta...
The passage of oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz was halted as a consequence of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency reported. The report followed an overnight ceasefire between the US and Iran that Fars said had resulted in the transit of two oil tankers. The halt to tanker movements happened simultaneously with attacks on Lebanon, it reported. READ: Hormuz Stays Blocked for Now as Hundreds of Ships Seek Exit (1) The restart of Hormuz is critical for oil and gas prices, which plunged after the ceasefire was announced overnight and pared some of their decline after the Fars report. Even before the report, the Hormuz appeared to remain largely blocked, with shipowners trying to understand if they can safely transit the vital waterway following the ceasefire.
Telecom tycoon Patrick Drahi has shortlisted bidders for a controlling stake in French fiber optic company XpFibre, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Investment firm DigitalBridge Group Inc. and KKR & Co. have been picked to enter the next round of bidding, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. and Vauban Inf...
Telecom tycoon Patrick Drahi has shortlisted bidders for a controlling stake in French fiber optic company XpFibre, according to people with knowledge of the matter. Investment firm DigitalBridge Group Inc. and KKR & Co. have been picked to enter the next round of bidding, said the people, who asked not to be identified as the information is private. Brookfield Asset Management Ltd. and Vauban Infrastructure Partners are also proceeding in the process, the people said. The initial offers from the shortlisted bidders valued the business at around €8 billion ($9.4 billion) including debt, according to one of the people. Drahi owns 50.01% of XpFibre through Altice France SA . The shortlisted suitors are expected to submit the next round of bids in May, the people said. Deliberations are ongoing and the companies could decide against going through with a deal, they said. French newspaper Le Monde reported the bidder shortlist earlier on Wednesday. Representatives for Altice, Brookfield and KKR declined to comment. A spokesperson for DigitalBridge had no immediate comment, while Vauban didn’t immediately respond to queries. XpFibre has previously attracted interest from investors but past talks broke down over valuation. Drahi has put most of his French telecom assets on the block, starting with phone carrier SFR. The carrier attracted an initial €17 billion bid in October from a consortium comprised of Bouygues Telecom, Iliad SA and Orange SA that was immediately rejected as too low. The group in January entered into due diligence for a possible new bid. XpFibre is separate from SFR and consists of fiber-to-the-home infrastructure that delivers high-speed internet access across France. A consortium led by Omers Infrastructure, which also includes Allianz Capital Partners and AXA IM Alts, holds the rest of XpFibre.
As Iran and US agree fragile ceasefire, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust and, say opponents, ‘a political disaster’ Middle East crisis – live updates In a war where there have been no winners, Israel’s prime minister looks set to be the biggest loser entering a fragile and vague ceasefire with Iran. After years of Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats against Iran, his stunts at the UN’s gener...
As Iran and US agree fragile ceasefire, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust and, say opponents, ‘a political disaster’ Middle East crisis – live updates In a war where there have been no winners, Israel’s prime minister looks set to be the biggest loser entering a fragile and vague ceasefire with Iran. After years of Benjamin Netanyahu’s threats against Iran, his stunts at the UN’s general assembly, the dodgy dossiers endlessly wafted under the noses of the world’s media, and diplomatic pressure on successive US presidents to agree to a war against Iran, Israel’s conflict has turned out to be a bust. Continue reading...
Seaport Research Partners says Broadcom may need to help finance AI data centers, including an Anthropic project, raising concerns about industry strain.
Seaport Research Partners says Broadcom may need to help finance AI data centers, including an Anthropic project, raising concerns about industry strain.
peterschreiber.media The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( COMP:IND ) climbed 2.7% on Wednesday, buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The agreement, contingent on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a halt to attacks, helped lift investor sentiment and drive risk appetite across growth-oriented equities. Within the Nasdaq 100 ( NDX ), m...
peterschreiber.media The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite ( COMP:IND ) climbed 2.7% on Wednesday, buoyed by easing geopolitical tensions after the United States and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The agreement, contingent on reopening the Strait of Hormuz and a halt to attacks, helped lift investor sentiment and drive risk appetite across growth-oriented equities. Within the Nasdaq 100 ( NDX ), market breadth was notably strong, with 87 of its 100 constituents advancing during the session. Gains were led by several large-cap technology names, whose performance contributed meaningfully to the index’s overall rise. The broad-based rally underscores how sensitive equity markets remain to geopolitical developments. Investors will continue monitoring developments in the region for signs of sustained de-escalation and potential impacts on broader financial markets. In the near term, see the Nasdaq-100’s 10 best-performing stocks in Wednesday’s trading session. Lam Research Corporation ( LRCX ), +10.1% Applied Materials, Inc. ( AMAT ), +8.7% Intel Corporation ( INTC ), +8.6% Western Digital Corporation ( WDC ), +8.4% Micron Technology, Inc. ( MU ), +7.7% Axon Enterprise, Inc. ( AXON ), +7.4% ASML Holding N.V. ( ASML ), +7.4% KLA Corporation ( KLAC ), +7.3% Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. ( MPWR ), +6.5% Airbnb, Inc. ( ABNB ), +6.5% Nasdaq ETFs: ( QQQ ), ( QQQM ), ( SQQQ ), ( TQQQ ), ( QLD ), and ( QID ). More on markets VIX falls below 20 for the first time since the conflict began in the Middle East Why this oil rally isn’t crashing stocks—Deutsche Bank breaks it down Ceasefire uncertainty looms large as prediction markets signal a long road to de-escalation Cantor Fitzgerald calls the market pullback a buying opportunity despite Middle East risks From oil surge to economic slowdown: SA analysts see recession risks rising
(L/R) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 8, 2026. Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images The first vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran and the U.S. reached a two-week ceasefire deal, ship-tracking service MarineTraffic said Wednesday. Bu...
(L/R) US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth looks on as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine speaks during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 8, 2026. Mandel Ngan | Afp | Getty Images The first vessels have passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran and the U.S. reached a two-week ceasefire deal, ship-tracking service MarineTraffic said Wednesday. But more than 12 hours into the ceasefire, traffic through the vital waterway has not picked up beyond the slow trickle it has experienced throughout the war, experts and industry professionals say. Uncertainty and confusion in the maritime industry remain high, despite Iran's assurance that vessels will be able to safely navigate the strait during the ceasefire. That confusion stems in part from Tehran's caveat that passage through the strait is only possible "via coordination with Iran's Armed Forces and with due consideration to technical limitations." The potential for Iran to heavily toll ships is a key sticking point, a marine insurance executive, who did not want to be named on the record, told CNBC. Iran is planning to demand that shipping firms pay tolls in cryptocurrency to let their oil tankers through the strait, the Financial Times reported Wednesday morning. Iran will also be inspecting each ship for weapons, the FT reported, citing a spokesperson for Iran's oil, gas and petrochemical products. U.S. officials, boasting that the ceasefire agreement represents total victory over Iran, insisted Wednesday morning that the path for ships is clear. "The strait is open," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at a press briefing. Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, asked at the same briefing if the strait is open right now, said, "I believe so, based on the diplomatic negotiation." President Donald Trump , meanwhile, said in a Truth Social post overnight that the U.S. "will be helping with the traffic buildup in the Strait of Hormuz." "There will be lots of positive...