AutoZone Q4 profit up 12%

Memphis -- AutoZone reported Tuesday that profit for the quarter ended Aug. 27 rose 12% to $301.5 million, compared with $268.9 million in the year-ago period. Sales rose 8.1% to $2.64 billion from $2.45 billion, topping Wall Street expectations of $2.61 billion in sales. Same-store sales in the U.S. rose 4.5%. During the quarter, AutoZone opened 68 new stores, replaced five stores, and closed one store in the United States and opened 18 new stores in Mexico. For the full fiscal year, AutoZone earned $849 million, compared with $738.3 million last year. Sales rose to $8.07 billion from $7.36