ANF vs AZO Stock Comparison
ANF currently leads AZO in this stock comparison, with AIQ scores of 73 vs 55. The clearest difference is quality, while AZO has the stronger momentum profile.
What is the main difference between ANF and AZO?
ANF leads the current stock comparison as Abercrombie & Fitch Co., with the clearest separation coming from quality and the broader AIQ evidence mix.
AlgovestIQ AIQ Comparison
Abercrombie & Fitch Co. vs AutoZone, Inc.
ANF leads
ANF leads by 18 AIQ points, primarily on Quality and Value, and the lead has widened from 13 points over 30 sessions. Wall Street currently favors AZO on target upside.
Stable: 5 of 6 evidence groups support ANF, its lead is widening, and its current signal state is conflicted.
Abercrombie & Fitch Co.
AutoZone, Inc.
The Algovestiq AIQ Score currently favors ANF over AZO, 73 versus 55 as of Oct 21, 2026. ANF's advantage is driven primarily by stronger quality and value, while AZO holds the stronger momentum profile. ANF also shows the stronger technical structure relative to its 50-day moving average, though analyst target upside currently favors AZO. 5 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ANF today, and the comparison is rated Stable on stability: the leader is throwing conflicting signals. ANF lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 13 to 18 points over 30 sessions.
Compare Abercrombie & Fitch Co. and AutoZone, Inc. across the Algovestiq AIQ Score, valuation, quality, momentum, risk, technicals and analyst expectations.
Performance over time
Price return from daily closes; distributions are not included.
Price return comparison
Growth of $10,000, price only
Split-adjusted closes only. Distributions are excluded, which understates the return of any fund or stock that pays them.
Compare ANF and AZO against another ticker
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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.
- Quality84 vs 53ANF +31
- Value60 vs 37ANF +23
- Risk Resilience56 vs 40ANF +16
- Momentum84 vs 88AZO +4
5 of 6 evidence groups favor ANF. ANF’s edge is concentrated in quality and value; AZO keeps a meaningful momentum edge.
What changed since the last close
Latest scored session 2026-10-20, compared against the prior scored session 2026-10-19.
No factor moved materially.
No signal started or stopped since the prior session; its 9 active signals are unchanged.
Largest factor move: Momentum +2
New signals
- RSI Overbought — bearish, momentum, short horizon
ANF's lead narrowed by 1 AIQ point in the latest session.
Deeper signal detail for each name lives on its own signals page — ANF and AZO both carry a full feed there.
The central trade-off
ANF (Abercrombie & Fitch Co.): the stronger current systematic profile, led by quality and value.
AZO (AutoZone, Inc.): the counter-case, on momentum, analyst expectations.
The AIQ Score and Wall Street therefore point in different directions on this pair.
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
ANFANF on the overall AIQ Score, which weights Quality and Value most heavily.
Growth
ANFANF on combined revenue and EPS growth.
Value
ANFANF on the peer-relative Value factor, by 23 points.
Momentum
AZOAZO on the Momentum factor, by 4 points.
Lower downside
ANFANF on Risk Resilience, by 16 points.
Analyst upside
AZOAZO on implied upside to the consensus price target.
AIQ vs Wall Street
The model and the Street disagree here: AIQ favors ANF, analyst targets favor AZO. That disagreement is the most useful thing on this page.
| Measure | ANF | AZO | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Implied upside to target | -15.2% | +15.2% | AZO has more room |
| Target dispersion | +80.5% | +33.8% | Lower is tighter analyst agreement |
| Consensus | Buy | Buy | Context, not a primary driver |
| Analysts covering | 10 | 16 | Higher coverage generally improves confidence |
The two are measuring different things. The AIQ Score reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; analyst targets price forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something already priced in — it is worth resolving before acting on either.
Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions. Dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
AIQ Agreement Matrix
5 of 6 covered evidence groups favor ANF. A wide gap backed by one group is a weaker case than a narrow gap backed by five.
| Evidence group | Favors | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| AIQ Score | ANF | 73 vs 55 |
| Fundamentals | ANFon balance | revenue growth 13.7% vs 13.3%; EPS growth 181.9% vs 37.7%; TTM ROE 39.6% vs -80.4%; gross margin 62.9% vs 51.8%; operating margin 13.7% vs 18% — ANF takes 3 of 4 decided legs, not all of them |
| Valuation | ANF | Value 60 vs 37 |
| Technicals | ANF | Price vs 50-day 18% vs 7.3%; vs 200-day 57.1% vs -4.7% |
| Risk Resilience | ANF | Risk Resilience 56 vs 40 |
| Analyst expectations | AZO | Target upside -15.2% vs 15.2% |
✓ agrees with the overall verdict · ✕ points the other way. Groups marked “not covered” lack data on one or both of ANF and AZO and are excluded from the count.
AIQ Decision Stability
The conclusion rests on a wide gap and broad agreement. It is unlikely to turn on a single session.
- The AIQ gap is wide at 18 points. (supports the conclusion holding)
- 5 of 6 covered evidence groups point the same way. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader's advantage has been widening. (supports the conclusion holding)
- The leader is throwing conflicting signals. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
- Analyst targets on the leader are widely dispersed. (argues the conclusion is provisional)
Stability combines the score gap, how broadly the evidence agrees, how steady the lead has been across daily snapshots, the current signal state on both names, and analyst dispersion on ANF.
How the comparison changed
120 daily snapshots · Jun 21 – Oct 20ANF lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 13 to 18 points over 30 sessions.
- Today
- ANF +18
- 73 vs 55
- 7 sessions ago
- ANF +18
- 72 vs 54
- 30 sessions ago
- ANF +13
- 60 vs 47
- 90 sessions ago
- ANF +23
- 65 vs 42
The lead has not changed hands in this window.
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.
6 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted
Only ANF
- Golden Cross Active — bullish, trend, long horizon (31.48%)
- ATR Expansion - Breakout Mode — neutral, volatility, short horizon (3.50%)
- EMA Ribbon Expansion Bullish — bullish, trend, medium horizon
- 52-Week High Proximity — bullish, risk, long horizon (0.0%)
- Uptrend Structure Active — bullish, trend, long horizon
2 bullish / 3 bearish, conflicted
Only AZO
- Death Cross Active — bearish, trend, long horizon (11.17%)
Both carry 4 more signals that do not separate them: BB Upper Band Breach, Keltner Channel Breakout, RSI Overbought, MACD Bullish Crossover.
ANF leads the comparison while carrying a conflicted signal state, which is one reason the stability rating is not higher.
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 -1.29%, 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).
What would flip this result
A state, not a forecast. These are the specific, observable changes that would reverse the verdict — not a price prediction.
- 1AZO closes the Quality gap — currently 31 points behind, the largest single contributor to ANF's edge.
- 2AZO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it.
- 3ANF's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 6 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once.
- 4A regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
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
ANF leads on balance| Metric | ANF | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue growth (YoY) | 13.7% | 13.3% |
| EPS growth (YoY) | 181.9% | 37.7% |
| Gross margin | 62.9% | 51.8% |
| Operating margin | 13.7% | 18% |
| Return on equity (TTM) | 39.6% | -80.4% |
| Debt to equity | 0.95 | -4.54 |
Performance
ANF leads 5 of 6 windows| Metric | ANF | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| 1 week (5 sessions) | 7.2% | 7.7% |
| 1 month (20 sessions) | 18.7% | 9.2% |
| 3 months (63 sessions) | 68.4% | 5.4% |
| 6 months (126 sessions) | 69.8% | -12.4% |
| Year to date | 28.5% | -6.8% |
| 1 year (252 sessions) | 130.5% | -21.2% |
Technicals
ANF has the stronger structure| Metric | ANF | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| RSI (14) | 89 | 75.4 |
| ADX (14) | 31.5 | 16.4 |
| Price vs 50-day | 18% | 7.3% |
| Price vs 200-day | 57.1% | -4.7% |
| Volatility (1M, annualized) | 31.4% | 29.1% |
Risk
ANF is the more resilient| Metric | ANF | AZO |
|---|---|---|
| Beta | 1.11 | 0.15 |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.48 | -0.78 |
| Sortino ratio | 3.05 | -1.04 |
| Max drawdown | -45.6% | -30.7% |
| Current drawdown | -0.2% | -21.6% |
| Annualized volatility | 71.6% | 30.2% |
| Value at risk (95%) | -4.9% | -3% |
Straight answers
Each answer is regenerated from the current snapshot, not written once and left to age.
Which is better, ANF or AZO?
On the Algovestiq AIQ Score, ANF is the stronger of the two as of Oct 21, 2026, scoring 73 against AZO's 55. The edge comes from quality and value. AZO is not without a case — it holds the better momentum profile, which matters more if that is the objective you are optimizing for. This is a systematic score, not a recommendation: it ranks the two on the same evidence, it does not know your holding period or tax position.
Is ANF or AZO the better buy right now?
ANF carries the stronger systematic profile as of Oct 21, 2026, and the comparison is rated Stable — 5 of 6 covered evidence groups agree. A Stable rating means the gap is wide and the evidence is broad, so the conclusion is unlikely to turn on a single session.
Why does the AIQ Score favor ANF over AZO?
The composite weights Quality, Value, Momentum and Risk Resilience. ANF leads Quality by 31 points; ANF leads Value by 23 points; ANF leads Risk Resilience by 16 points. Where the two split, the factor with the larger weight carries the result.
Which has more analyst upside, ANF or AZO?
Analyst price targets imply -15.2% upside for ANF and +15.2% for AZO, so the Street currently favors AZO. That points the opposite way to the AIQ Score, which favors ANF. The two are measuring different things: the model reads current fundamentals, valuation, trend and risk; the Street is pricing forward expectations. A divergence of this kind is either a contrarian opportunity or a sign the model is missing something the analysts have already priced — it is the single most useful row on this page to investigate. Analyst targets are expectations, not predictions, and dispersion matters as much as the midpoint.
Which is better value, ANF or AZO?
ANF is the better-valued of the two on the peer-relative Value factor. ANF on the peer-relative Value factor, by 23 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, ANF or AZO?
ANF 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, ANF or AZO?
AZO on the Momentum factor, by 4 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, ANF or AZO?
ANF is the more resilient of the two, so the other name carries the higher downside risk. ANF on Risk Resilience, by 16 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 ANF more profitable than AZO?
The profitability evidence is mixed: gross margin 62.9% vs 51.8%; operating margin 13.7% vs 18%; ttm roe 39.6% vs -80.4%. ANF leads on two measures and AZO on one measure, 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.
Is ANF's lead over AZO getting stronger or weaker?
ANF lead: Strengthening — the AIQ differential moved from 13 to 18 points over 30 sessions. This is measured from 120 daily comparison snapshots between 2026-06-21 and 2026-10-20. The lead has not changed hands in that window.
What would change the ANF vs AZO verdict?
The result is a state, not a forecast, so it changes when the underlying evidence changes. Concretely: AZO closes the Quality gap — currently 31 points behind, the largest single contributor to ANF's edge; AZO's Death Cross Active resolves — a bearish trend rule currently active against it; ANF's conflicting signal state resolves bearish — it currently carries 6 bullish and 2 bearish rules at once; a regime shift changes factor weighting — Quality and Value carry the heaviest weights in the composite, so a rotation toward either would move the result most.
What do the current signals say about ANF and AZO?
ANF: 6 bullish / 2 bearish / 1 neutral, conflicted. 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 ANF is Golden Cross Active (bullish, long horizon). On AZO it is Death Cross Active (bearish, long horizon).
Compare ANF and AZO with others
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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.