AutoZone [AZO] - Last Close: $2,165.65
AutoZone is trending after a strong earnings report.
The auto parts store posted stronger-than-expected sales, earnings, and growth in its fiscal Q4 earnings release.
Autozone reported earnings of $40.51 per share, beating the Street's $38.47 target and marking substantial growth from last Q4's $35.72 EPS.
Revenues of $5.35 billion also beat the $5.16 billion estimate and were up substantially from the year-earlier quarter's $4.91 billion.
The report also showed same-store sales growth of 6.2%.
AZO is one of the top S&P 500 stocks with a 2.3% gain.
My Take: Autozone has a reputation for being a good "recession stock." The thought is, more people will fix their car themselves when money is tight. It's unclear if that will be the case this time around, but the company has shown it can still deliver when the economic chips are down.
Knowbe4 [KNBE] - Last Close: $17.30
Knowbe4 is soaring on news of a potential buyout deal.
This morning, the SaaS company confirmed it had received a non-binding proposal from Vista Equity Partners to acquire all outstanding shares of the company.
Under the terms of the deal, Knowbe4 shareholders would receive $24 per share in cash for their holdings.
Knowbe4's board is considering the proposal, but a formal decision has yet to be announced.
KNBE is one of this morning's top performers with a 22.5% gain.
My Take: There's still some upside left between this stock's current price point, and it's proposed acquisition price. If the deal is accepted, the stock could easily close the gap. However, there's no telling how far it could fall if the sale falls through.
