AEO vs AZO Stock Comparison
Compare AEO vs AZO on performance, valuation, growth, fundamentals, momentum and risk; the current AIQ evidence does not show a clear headline leader.
What is the main difference between AEO and AZO?
AEO and AZO are close on the current AIQ evidence, so the better fit depends more on objective, risk tolerance and valuation preference than on a single headline score.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. vs AutoZone, Inc.
AEO and AZO are effectively level
AEO and AZO are effectively level on the AIQ Score; the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
American Eagle Outfitters, Inc.
AutoZone, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score does not currently separate AEO and AZO as of Oct 21, 2026. Both names are scored on the same 0–100 scale across Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience, and the factor table below shows where each one holds its advantage.
Compare American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. and AutoZone, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Total return with distributions reinvested, from daily closes.
Total return comparison
Growth of $10,000, distributions reinvested
Split-adjusted closes; each distribution is reinvested at the close on its ex-dividend date. Taxes and trading costs are not modeled.
Compare AEO and AZO against another ticker
Open a multi-ticker workspace without changing this focused pair page.
AIQ Factor Divergence
Where the two separate, on the four dimensions behind the AIQ Score. Bars read outward from a shared zero: further from the centre is a wider gap.
- Momentum55 vs 88AZO +33
- Value68 vs 37AEO +31
- Risk Resilience50 vs 40AEO +10
- Quality46 vs 53AZO +7
Neither name separates cleanly on the covered dimensions.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
Largest factor move: Momentum +3, not enough on its own to move the overall score.
New signals
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
Largest factor move: Momentum +2
New signals
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
AEO's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — AEO and AZO both carry a full feed there.
Which one fits your objective
The same two names rank differently depending on what you are optimizing for. All six reads are shown at once — none of them is hidden behind a toggle.
Balanced
EvenNeither separates on the overall score.
Growth
AZOAZO on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
AEOAEO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 31 points.
Momentum
AZOAZO on the Momentum factor, by 33 points.
Lower downside
AEOAEO on Risk Resilience, by 10 points.
Analyst upside
AZOAZO on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
Where the systematic read and the analyst consensus line up — and where they do not.
| Measure | AEO | AZO | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | +10.8% | +15.2% | AZO has more room |
| Target dispersion | +62.3% | +33.8% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Hold | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 6 | 16 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
How each independent group of evidence reads the pair.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | Even | 55 vs 55 |
| Fundamentals | AZOon balance | revenue growth -32.1% vs 13.3%; EPS growth -73.1% vs 37.7%; TTM ROE 17.2% vs -80.4%; gross margin 34.8% vs 51.8%; operating margin 7.6% vs 18% — AZO takes 4 of 5 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | AEO | Value 68 vs 37 |
| Technicals | AZO | Price vs 50-day 3.6% vs 7.3%; vs 200-day -4.7% vs -4.7% |
| Risk Resilience | AEO | Risk Resilience 50 vs 40 |
| Analyst expectations | AZO | Target upside 10.8% vs 15.2% |
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion is sensitive to small changes. Treat the lead as provisional and watch the flip conditions below.
- The AIQ gap is narrow at 0 points. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Only 0 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- The leader's advantage has been narrowing. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20AEO lead: Weakening — the AIQ differential moved from 9 to 0 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- Level
- 55 vs 55
- 7 sessions ago
- AEO +4
- 58 vs 54
- 30 sessions ago
- AEO +9
- 56 vs 47
- 90 sessions ago
- AEO +6
- 48 vs 42
The lead changed hands 7 times in this window, most recently on Aug 20 when AEO moved ahead of AZO.
AIQ Signal Divergence
Only the signals that bear on the head-to-head. A conflicted name is carrying bullish and bearish rules at the same time — the technical evidence is not pointing one way.
0 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral
Only AEO
- Bollinger Band Squeeze — neutral, volatility, short horizon
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.54%)
- MACD Bearish Crossover — bearish, momentum, short horizon
2 bullish / 3 bearish, conflicted
Only AZO
- BB Upper Band Breach — bearish, volatility, short horizon
- Keltner Channel Breakout — bullish, volatility, short horizon
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
- MACD Bullish Crossover — bullish, momentum, short horizon
Both carry 1 more signal that do not separate them: Death Cross Active.
Price vs model alignment
Whether the latest session's price move confirms what the model did over the same session, or contradicts it.
Neither the price nor the AIQ Score moved enough in the latest session to confirm or contradict the other (price -2.41%, AIQ 0 points).
Price is down while the AIQ Score moved up 1 points over the same session — price and model disagree (price -0.11%, AIQ +1 points).
The full evidence
Every number behind the verdict. The leader is called above each group so you are not left to solve it from the table.
Fundamentals
AZO leads on balance| Metric | AEO | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | -32.1% | 13.3% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | -73.1% | 37.7% |
| Gross margin | 34.8% | 51.8% |
| Operating margin | 7.6% | 18% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 17.2% | -80.4% |
| Debt to equity | 1.14 | -4.54 |
Performance
Split across windows| Metric | AEO | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 0.2% | 7.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 11.9% | 9.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | -0.1% | 5.4% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | -7.8% | -12.4% |
| Year to date | -32.5% | -6.8% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 19.5% | -21.2% |
Technicals
AZO has the stronger structure| Metric | AEO | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 50.5 | 75.4 |
| ADX (14) | 23.4 | 16.4 |
| Price vs 50-day | 3.6% | 7.3% |
| Price vs 200-day | -4.7% | -4.7% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 32.7% | 29.1% |
Risk
AEO is the more resilient| Metric | AEO | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.24 | 0.15 |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.52 | -0.78 |
| Sortino ratio | 0.71 | -1.04 |
| Max drawdown | -48.5% | -30.7% |
| Current drawdown | -36.8% | -21.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 51.7% | 30.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.5% | -3% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which has more analyst upside, AEO or AZO?
Analyst price targets imply +10.8% upside for AEO and +15.2% for AZO, so the Street currently favors AZO. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, AEO or AZO?
AEO is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. AEO on the peer-relative Value factor, by 31 points. The Value factor reads valuation relative to sector peers and to the company's own fundamental quality, so it is not the same as simply having the lower multiple.
Which has stronger growth, AEO or AZO?
AZO on combined revenue and EPS growth. Growth here is measured on reported revenue and earnings, not on forward estimates — it describes what the businesses have delivered, not what the Street expects next.
Which has stronger momentum, AEO or AZO?
AZO on the Momentum factor, by 33 points. Momentum is one of the four weighted factors in the AIQ composite. It has documented persistence over three- to twelve-month horizons, which makes it a timing input rather than a reason to hold something indefinitely.
Which is riskier, AEO or AZO?
AEO is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. AEO on Risk Resilience, by 10 points. Risk Resilience is a weighted factor in the composite; position sizing usually responds to it more usefully than the buy/avoid decision does.
Is AEO more profitable than AZO?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 34.8% vs 51.8%; operating margin 7.6% vs 18%; ttm roe 17.2% vs -80.4%. AEO leads on one measure and AZO on two measures, and there is no single profitability composite that resolves the split — which of the two reads as "more profitable" depends on whether you weight pricing power or operating leverage.
What do the current signals say about AEO and AZO?
AEO: 0 bullish / 2 bearish / 2 neutral. AZO: 2 bullish / 3 bearish, conflicted. A conflicted state means bullish and bearish rules are active on the same name at once — the technical evidence is not pointing one way, and a decision taken on it carries more timing risk. The most decision-relevant rule on AEO is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon). On AZO it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare AEO and AZO with others
Continue your research
This page answers which of the two. These answer the questions on either side of it.
How this comparison is scored
The Algovestiq AIQ Score composites four factors — Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk, each carrying a fixed weight. Sentiment is reported separately as SentimentPulse and is not folded into the composite. Scores refresh every trading day, and this page regenerates from the latest snapshot rather than being written once.
The verdict names a leader, states how broadly six independent evidence groups agree, and rates how durable that conclusion is given the score gap, its recent trajectory and the current signal state on both names.
How to use side-by-side comparison →This comparison is informational and educational, not investment advice. AIQ scores update daily; re-check after earnings, guidance or macro data that materially changes either name’s factor profile.