Table of Contents

 
 
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
FORM 10-Q
     
þ   Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the quarterly period ended February 12, 2011,

or
     
o   Transition report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934
For the transition period from                      to                      .
Commission file number 1-10714
(AUTOZONE LOGO)
AUTOZONE, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
     
Nevada   62-1482048
(State or other jurisdiction of   (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
incorporation or organization)    
     
123 South Front Street, Memphis, Tennessee   38103
(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)
(901) 495-6500
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter periods that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes þ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act. (Check one):
             
Large accelerated filer þ   Accelerated filer o   Non-accelerated filer o   Smaller reporting company o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No þ
Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.
Common Stock, $.01 Par Value — 42,209,933 shares outstanding as of March 11, 2011.
 
 

 

 


 

TABLE OF CONTENTS
         
     
 
       
    3  
 
       
    3  
 
       
    4  
 
       
    5  
 
       
    6  
 
       
    12  
 
       
    13  
 
       
    19  
 
       
    19  
 
       
    19  
 
       
     
 
       
    20  
 
       
    20  
 
       
    21  
 
       
    21  
 
       
    21  
 
       
    21  
 
       
    22  
 
       
    23  
 
       
    24  
 
       
  Exhibit 10.1
  Exhibit 10.2
  Exhibit 10.3
  Exhibit 10.4
  Exhibit 12.1
  Exhibit 15.1
  Exhibit 31.1
  Exhibit 31.2
  Exhibit 32.1
  Exhibit 32.2
  EX-101 INSTANCE DOCUMENT
  EX-101 SCHEMA DOCUMENT
  EX-101 CALCULATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT
  EX-101 LABELS LINKBASE DOCUMENT
  EX-101 PRESENTATION LINKBASE DOCUMENT
  EX-101 DEFINITION LINKBASE DOCUMENT

 

2


Table of Contents

PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION
Item 1.   Financial Statements.
AUTOZONE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Unaudited)
                 
    February 12,     August 28,  
(in thousands)   2011     2010  
 
               
Assets
               
Current assets:
               
Cash and cash equivalents
  $ 107,881     $ 98,280  
Accounts receivable
    140,227       125,802  
Merchandise inventories
    2,418,751       2,304,579  
Other current assets
    71,256       83,160  
 
           
Total current assets
    2,738,115       2,611,821  
 
               
Property and equipment:
               
Property and equipment
    4,173,972       4,067,261  
Less: Accumulated depreciation and amortization
    (1,619,108 )     (1,547,315 )
 
           
 
    2,554,864       2,519,946  
 
               
Goodwill
    302,645       302,645  
Deferred income taxes
    59,634       46,223  
Other long-term assets
    110,345       90,959  
 
           
 
    472,624       439,827  
 
           
 
  $ 5,765,603     $ 5,571,594  
 
           
 
               
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Deficit
               
Current liabilities:
               
Accounts payable
  $ 2,524,539     $ 2,433,050  
Accrued expenses and other
    414,502       432,368  
Income taxes payable
    85,356       25,385  
Deferred income taxes
    159,809       146,971  
Short-term borrowings
    40,930       26,186  
 
           
Total current liabilities
    3,225,136       3,063,960  
 
               
Long-term debt
    3,208,300       2,882,300  
Other long-term liabilities
    370,579       364,099  
 
               
Commitments and contingencies
           
 
               
Stockholders’ deficit:
               
Preferred stock, authorized 1,000 shares; no shares issued
           
Common stock, par value $.01 per share, authorized 200,000 shares; 43,819 shares issued and 42,611 shares outstanding as of February 12, 2011; 50,061 shares issued and 45,107 shares outstanding as of August 28, 2010
    438       501  
Additional paid-in capital
    535,945       557,955  
Retained deficit
    (1,172,935 )     (245,344 )
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
    (92,338 )     (106,468 )
Treasury stock, at cost
    (309,522 )     (945,409 )
 
           
Total stockholders’ deficit
    (1,038,412 )     (738,765 )
 
           
 
  $ 5,765,603     $ 5,571,594  
 
           
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

3


Table of Contents

AUTOZONE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
                                 
    Twelve Weeks Ended     Twenty-Four Weeks Ended  
    February 12,     February 13,     February 12,     February 13,  
(in thousands, except per share data)   2011     2010     2011     2010  
 
                               
Net sales
  $ 1,660,946     $ 1,506,225     $ 3,452,608     $ 3,095,469  
Cost of sales, including warehouse and delivery expenses
    815,335       752,489       1,699,249       1,541,809  
 
                       
Gross profit
    845,611       753,736       1,753,359       1,553,660  
Operating, selling, general and administrative expenses
    573,863       523,355       1,175,491       1,062,850  
 
                       
Operating profit
    271,748       230,381       577,868       490,810  
Interest expense, net
    39,576       36,309       76,829       72,650  
 
                       
Income before income taxes
    232,172       194,072       501,039       418,160  
Income taxes
    84,116       70,739       180,908       151,527  
 
                       
Net income
  $ 148,056     $ 123,333     $ 320,131     $ 266,633  
 
                       
 
                               
Weighted average shares for basic earnings per share
    43,399       49,436       44,034       49,775  
Effect of dilutive stock equivalents
    979       750       972       730  
 
                       
Adjusted weighted average shares for diluted earnings per share
    44,378       50,186       45,006       50,505  
 
                               
Basic earnings per share
  $ 3.41     $ 2.49     $ 7.27     $ 5.36  
 
                       
Diluted earnings per share
  $ 3.34     $ 2.46     $ 7.11     $ 5.28  
 
                       
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

4


Table of Contents

AUTOZONE, INC.
CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
                 
    Twenty-Four Weeks Ended  
    February 12,     February 13,  
(in thousands)   2011     2010  
 
               
Cash flows from operating activities:
               
Net income
  $ 320,131     $ 266,633  
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities:
               
Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment
    88,417       87,099  
Amortization of debt origination fees
    3,898       2,999  
Income tax benefit from exercise of stock options
    (15,847 )     (7,061 )
Deferred income taxes
    (1,955 )     (2,145 )
Share-based compensation expense
    12,119       8,867  
Changes in operating assets and liabilities:
               
Accounts receivable
    (13,903 )     (20,849 )
Merchandise inventories
    (104,770 )     (52,560 )
Accounts payable and accrued expenses
    65,957       9,965  
Income taxes payable
    75,513       46,532  
Other, net
    11,549       9,428  
 
           
Net cash provided by operating activities
    441,109       348,908  
 
           
 
               
Cash flows from investing activities:
               
Capital expenditures
    (108,357 )     (111,128 )
Purchase of marketable securities
    (22,581 )     (10,467 )
Proceeds from sale of marketable securities
    19,454       8,015  
Disposal of capital assets
    2,158       4,231  
 
           
Net cash used in investing activities
    (109,326 )     (109,349 )
 
           
 
               
Cash flows from financing activities:
               
Net proceeds from commercial paper
    25,300       47,800  
Net proceeds from short-term borrowings
    12,493        
Proceeds from issuance of debt
    500,000        
Repayment of debt
    (199,300 )      
Net proceeds from sale of common stock
    33,249       18,726  
Purchase of treasury stock
    (694,050 )     (291,888 )
Income tax benefit from exercise of stock options
    15,847       7,061  
Payments of capital lease obligations
    (10,903 )     (9,084 )
Other, net
    (5,450 )      
 
           
Net cash used in financing activities
    (322,814 )     (227,385 )
 
               
Effect of exchange rate changes on cash
    632       281  
 
           
 
               
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents
    9,601       12,455  
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period
    98,280       92,706  
 
           
Cash and cash equivalents at end of period
  $ 107,881     $ 105,161  
 
           
See Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

5


Table of Contents

AUTOZONE, INC.
NOTES TO CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)
Note A — General
The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X of the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) rules and regulations. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, including normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and related notes included in the AutoZone, Inc. (“AutoZone” or the “Company”) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010.
Operating results for the twelve and twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending August 27, 2011. Each of the first three quarters of AutoZone’s fiscal year consists of 12 weeks, and the fourth quarter consists of 16 or 17 weeks. The fourth quarters for fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 each have 16 weeks. Additionally, the Company’s business is somewhat seasonal in nature, with the highest sales generally occurring during the months of February through September and the lowest sales generally occurring in the months of December and January.
Note B — Share-Based Payments
AutoZone recognizes compensation expense for share-based payments based on the fair value of the awards at the grant date. Share-based payments include stock option grants, restricted stock grants, restricted stock unit grants and the discount on shares sold to employees under share purchase plans. Additionally, directors’ fees are paid in restricted stock units with value equivalent to the value of shares of common stock as of the grant date. The change in fair value of liability-based stock awards is also recognized in share-based compensation expense.
Total share-based compensation expense (a component of operating, selling, general and administrative expenses) was $7.0 million for the twelve week period ended February 12, 2011, and was $4.6 million for the comparable prior year period. Share-based compensation expense was $12.1 million for the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, and was $8.9 million for the comparable prior year period.
During the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, 339,370 shares of stock options were exercised at a weighted average exercise price of $101.44. In the comparable prior year period, 262,059 shares of stock options were exercised at a weighted average exercise price of $72.30. The Company made stock option grants of 424,780 shares during the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, and granted options to purchase 496,580 shares during the comparable prior year period. The weighted average fair value of the stock option awards granted during the twenty-four week periods ended February 12, 2011 and February 13, 2010, using the Black-Scholes-Merton multiple-option pricing valuation model, was $58.58 and $40.75 per share, respectively, using the following weighted average key assumptions:
                 
    Twenty-Four Weeks Ended  
    February 12,     February 13,  
    2011     2010  
 
               
Expected price volatility
    31 %     31 %
Risk-free interest rate
    1.0 %     1.8 %
Weighted average expected lives (in years)
    4.3       4.3  
Forfeiture rate
    10.0 %     10.0 %
Dividend yield
    0.0 %     0.0 %
See AutoZone’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010 for a discussion of the methodology used in developing AutoZone’s assumptions to determine the fair value of the option awards.
For the twelve week period ended February 12, 2011, there were 1,260 anti-dilutive stock options excluded from the diluted earnings per share computation. For the comparable prior year period, 24,900 anti-dilutive shares were excluded. There were 1,260 anti-dilutive shares excluded from the diluted earnings per share computation for the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, and 25,500 anti-dilutive shares excluded for the comparable prior year.
On December 15, 2010, the Company’s stockholders approved the 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan (the “Plan”), allowing the Company to provide equity-based compensation to non-employee directors and employees for their service to AutoZone or its subsidiaries or affiliates. Under the Plan, participants may receive equity-based compensation in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights, restricted stock, restricted stock units, dividend equivalents, deferred stock, stock payments, performance share awards and other incentive awards structured by the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) and the Compensation Committee of the Board.

 

6


Table of Contents

On December 15, 2010, the Company adopted the 2011 Director Compensation Program (the “Program”), which states that non-employee directors will receive their compensation in awards of restricted stock units under the Plan. The Program replaces the former 2003 Director Compensation Plan and the 2003 Director Stock Option Plan. Under the Program, restricted stock units are granted the first day of each calendar quarter. The number of restricted stock units granted each quarter is determined by dividing one-fourth of the amount of the annual retainer by the fair market value of the shares of common stock as of the grant date. The restricted stock units are fully vested on the date they are issued and are paid in shares of the Company’s common stock subsequent to the non-employee director ceasing to be a member of the Board. For the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, the Company recognized $466 thousand in share-based compensation expense related to the Program.
Note C — Fair Value Measurements
The Company defines fair value as the price received to transfer an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. The Company uses a hierarchy of valuation inputs to measure fair value.
The hierarchy prioritizes the inputs into three broad levels:
Level 1 inputs —unadjusted quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities that the Company has the ability to access. An active market for the asset or liability is one in which transactions for the asset or liability occur with sufficient frequency and volume to provide ongoing pricing information.
Level 2 inputs —inputs other than quoted market prices included in Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, for the asset or liability. Level 2 inputs include, but are not limited to, quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities in an active market, quoted prices for identical or similar assets or liabilities in markets that are not active and inputs other than quoted market prices that are observable for the asset or liability, such as interest rate curves and yield curves observable at commonly quoted intervals, volatilities, credit risk and default rates.
Level 3 inputs —unobservable inputs for the asset or liability.
The Company’s assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis were as follows:
                                 
    February 12, 2011  
(in thousands)   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Fair Value  
 
                               
Other current assets
  $ 5,955     $ 60     $     $ 6,015  
Other long-term assets
    62,812       6,385             69,197  
 
                       
 
  $ 68,767     $ 6,445     $     $ 75,212  
 
                       
                                 
    August 28, 2010  
(in thousands)   Level 1     Level 2     Level 3     Fair Value  
 
                               
Other current assets
  $ 11,307     $ 4,996     $     $ 16,303  
Other long-term assets
    47,725       8,673             56,398  
Accrued expenses and other
          (9,979 )           (9,979 )
 
                       
 
  $ 59,032     $ 3,690     $     $ 62,722  
 
                       
At February 12, 2011, the fair value measurement amounts for assets and liabilities recorded in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet consisted of short-term marketable securities of $6.0 million, which are included within other current assets and long-term marketable securities of $69.2 million, which are included in other long-term assets. The Company’s marketable securities are typically valued at the closing price in the principal active market as of the last business day of the quarter or through the use of other market inputs relating to the securities, including benchmark yields and reported trades. The fair values of the marketable securities, by asset class, are described in “Note D — Marketable Securities”.
The carrying value of certain of the Company’s financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, prepaid assets and accounts payable, approximate fair value because of their short maturities. A discussion of the carrying values and fair values of the Company’s debt is included in “Note H — Financing”.

 

7


Table of Contents

Note D — Marketable Securities
The Company’s basis for determining the cost of a security sold is the “Specific Identification Model”. Unrealized gains (losses) on marketable securities are recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The Company’s available-for-sale marketable securities consisted of the following:
                                 
    February 12, 2011  
    Amortized     Gross     Gross        
    Cost     Unrealized     Unrealized        
(in thousands)   Basis     Gains     Losses     Fair Value  
 
                               
Corporate securities
  $ 24,394     $ 232     $ (27 )   $ 24,599  
Government bonds
    30,709       36       (104 )     30,641  
Mortgage-backed securities
    5,625       106             5,731  
Asset-backed securities and other
    14,099       158       (16 )     14,241  
 
                       
 
  $ 74,827     $ 532     $ (147 )   $ 75,212  
 
                       
                                 
    August 28, 2010  
    Amortized     Gross     Gross        
    Cost     Unrealized     Unrealized        
(in thousands)   Basis     Gains     Losses     Fair Value  
 
                               
Corporate securities
  $ 28,707     $ 490     $ (1 )   $ 29,196  
Government bonds
    24,560       283             24,843  
Mortgage-backed securities
    8,603       192             8,795  
Asset-backed securities and other
    9,831       47       (11 )     9,867  
 
                       
 
  $ 71,701     $ 1,012     $ (12 )   $ 72,701  
 
                       
The marketable securities held at February 12, 2011 are primarily debt securities and have effective maturities ranging from less than one year to approximately 3 years. The Company did not realize any material gains or losses on its marketable securities during the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011.
The Company holds twenty-four securities that are in an unrealized loss position of approximately $147 thousand at February 12, 2011. The Company has the intent and ability to hold these investments until recovery of fair value or maturity, and does not deem the investments to be impaired on an other than temporary basis. In evaluating whether the securities are deemed to be impaired on an other than temporary basis, the Company considers factors such as the duration and severity of the loss position, the credit worthiness of the investee, the term to maturity and our intent and ability to hold the investments until maturity or until recovery of fair value.
Note E — Derivative Financial Instruments
During the first quarter of fiscal 2011, the Company was party to three forward starting swaps. These agreements were designated as cash flow hedges and were used to hedge the exposure to variability in future cash flows resulting from changes in variable interest rates related to the $500 million Senior Note debt issuance during the first quarter of fiscal 2011. The swaps had notional amounts of $150 million, $150 million and $100 million with associated fixed rates of 3.15%, 3.13%, and 2.57%, respectively. The swaps were benchmarked based on the 3-month London InterBank Offered Rate. These swaps expired in November 2010 and resulted in a loss of $7.4 million, net of tax, that will be deferred in accumulated other comprehensive loss and reclassified to interest expense over the life of the underlying debt. The hedges remained highly effective until they expired; therefore, no ineffectiveness was recognized in earnings.
At February 12, 2011, the Company had $8.0 million recorded in accumulated other comprehensive loss related to net realized losses associated with terminated interest derivatives which were designated as hedges. Net losses are amortized into interest expense over the remaining life of the associated debt. During the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, the Company reclassified $453 thousand of net losses from accumulated other comprehensive loss to interest expense. In the comparable prior year period, the Company reclassified $282 thousand of net gains from accumulated other comprehensive loss to interest expense.
Note F — Merchandise Inventories
Inventories are stated at the lower of cost or market using the last-in, first-out (“LIFO”) method for domestic inventories and the first-in, first-out (“FIFO”) method for Mexico inventories. Included in inventories are related purchasing, storage and handling costs. Due to price deflation on the Company’s merchandise purchases, the Company’s domestic inventory balances are effectively maintained under the FIFO method. The Company’s policy is not to write up inventory in excess of replacement cost. The cumulative balance of this unrecorded adjustment, which will be reduced upon experiencing price inflation on the Company’s merchandise purchases, was $255.6 million at February 12, 2011, and $247.3 million at August 28, 2010.

 

8


Table of Contents

Note G — Pension and Savings Plans
The components of net periodic pension expense related to the Company’s pension plans consisted of the following:
                                 
    Twelve Weeks Ended     Twenty-Four Weeks Ended  
    February 12,     February 13,     February 12,     February 13,  
(in thousands)   2011     2010     2011     2010  
 
                               
Interest cost
  $ 2,570     $ 2,611     $ 5,139     $ 5,222  
Expected return on plan assets
    (2,152 )     (2,087 )     (4,304 )     (4,175 )
Amortization of net loss
    2,170       1,877       4,341       3,755  
 
                       
Net periodic pension expense
  $ 2,588     $ 2,401     $ 5,176     $ 4,802  
 
                       
The Company makes contributions in amounts at least equal to the minimum funding requirements of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended by the Pension Protection Act of 2006. During the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, the Company made contributions to its funded plan in the amount of $3.2 million. The Company expects to contribute approximately $2.6 million to the plan during the remainder of fiscal 2011; however, a change to the expected cash funding may be impacted by a change in interest rates or a change in the actual or expected return on plan assets.
Note H — Financing
The Company’s long-term debt consisted of the following:
                 
    February 12,     August 28,  
(in thousands)   2011     2010  
 
               
4.75% Senior Notes due November 2010, effective interest rate of 4.17%
  $     $ 199,300  
5.875% Senior Notes due October 2012, effective interest rate of 6.33%
    300,000       300,000  
4.375% Senior Notes due June 2013, effective interest rate of 5.65%
    200,000       200,000  
6.5% Senior Notes due January 2014, effective interest rate of 6.63%
    500,000       500,000  
5.75% Senior Notes due January 2015, effective interest rate of 5.89%
    500,000       500,000  
5.5% Senior Notes due November 2015, effective interest rate of 4.86%
    300,000       300,000  
6.95% Senior Notes due June 2016, effective interest rate of 7.09%
    200,000       200,000  
7.125% Senior Notes due August 2018, effective interest rate of 7.28%
    250,000       250,000  
4.000% Senior Notes due November 2020, effective interest rate of 4.43%
    500,000        
Commercial paper, weighted average interest rate of 0.37% and 0.41% at February 12, 2011 and August 28, 2010, respectively
    458,300       433,000  
 
           
 
  $ 3,208,300     $ 2,882,300  
 
           
As of February 12, 2011, the commercial paper borrowings mature in the next twelve months, but are classified as long-term in the accompanying Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets as the Company has the ability and intent to refinance them on a long-term basis. Before considering the effect of commercial paper borrowings, the Company had $796.0 million of availability under its $800 million revolving credit facility, expiring in July 2012, which would allow it to replace these short-term obligations with long-term financing.
In addition to the long-term debt discussed above, as of February 12, 2011, the Company has $40.9 million of short-term borrowings that are scheduled to mature in the next 12 months. The short-term borrowings are unsecured, peso-denominated borrowings and accrue interest at 5.1% as of February 12, 2011.
On November 15, 2010, the Company issued $500 million in 4.000% Senior Notes due 2020 under the Company’s shelf registration statement filed with the SEC on July 29, 2008 (the “Shelf Registration”). The Shelf Registration allows the Company to sell an indeterminate amount in debt securities to fund general corporate purposes, including repaying, redeeming or repurchasing outstanding debt and for working capital, capital expenditures, new store openings, stock repurchases and acquisitions. The Company used the proceeds from the issuance of debt to repay the principal due relating to the 4.75% Senior Notes that matured on November 15, 2010, to repay a portion of the commercial paper borrowings and for general corporate purposes.
The fair value of the Company’s debt was estimated at $3.425 billion as of February 12, 2011, and $3.182 billion as of August 28, 2010, based on the quoted market prices for the same or similar issues or on the current rates available to the Company for debt of the same terms. Such fair value is greater than the carrying value of debt by $175.5 million at February 12, 2011, and $273.5 million at August 28, 2010.
Note I — Stock Repurchase Program
From January 1, 1998 to February 12, 2011, the Company has repurchased a total of 124.6 million shares at an aggregate cost of $9.4 billion, including 2,831,300 shares of its common stock at an aggregate cost of $694.1 million during the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011. On December 15, 2010, the Board voted to increase the authorization by $500 million to raise the cumulative share repurchase authorization from $9.4 billion to $9.9 billion. Considering cumulative repurchases as of February 12, 2011, the Company had $491.4 million remaining under the Board’s authorization to repurchase its common stock. Subsequent to February 12, 2011, the Company has repurchased 525,119 shares of its common stock at an aggregate cost of $136.7 million.

 

9


Table of Contents

During the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, the Company retired 6.6 million shares of treasury stock which had previously been repurchased under the Company’s share repurchase program. The retirement increased retained deficit by $1,247.7 million and decreased additional paid-in capital by $82.2 million.
Note J — Comprehensive Income
Comprehensive income includes foreign currency translation adjustments; the impact from certain derivative financial instruments designated and effective as cash flow hedges, including changes in fair value, as applicable; the reclassification of gains and/or losses from accumulated other comprehensive loss to net income to offset the earnings impact of the underlying items being hedged; pension liability adjustments and changes in the fair value of certain investments classified as available-for-sale.
Comprehensive income consisted of the following:
                                 
    Twelve Weeks Ended     Twenty-Four Weeks Ended  
    February 12,     February 13,     February 12,     February 13,  
(in thousands)   2011     2010     2011     2010  
 
                               
Net income
  $ 148,056     $ 123,333     $ 320,131     $ 266,633  
Foreign currency translation adjustments
    3,614       (1,554 )     16,282       (66 )
Net impact from derivative instruments
    (3,939 )     (141 )     (4,998 )     (282 )
Pension liability adjustments
    1,620       2,461       3,243       2,461  
Unrealized (losses) gains from marketable securities
    (327 )     (84 )     (400 )     99  
 
                       
Comprehensive income
  $ 149,024     $ 124,015     $ 334,258     $ 268,845  
 
                       
Note K — Litigation
AutoZone, Inc. is a defendant in a lawsuit entitled “Coalition for a Level Playing Field, L.L.C., et al., v. AutoZone, Inc. et al.,” filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in October 2004. The case was filed by more than 200 plaintiffs, which are principally automotive aftermarket warehouse distributors and jobbers, against a number of defendants, including automotive aftermarket retailers and aftermarket automotive parts manufacturers. In the amended complaint, the plaintiffs allege, inter alia , that some or all of the automotive aftermarket retailer defendants have knowingly received, in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act (the “Act”), from various of the manufacturer defendants benefits such as volume discounts, rebates, early buy allowances and other allowances, fees, inventory without payment, sham advertising and promotional payments, a share in the manufacturers’ profits, benefits of pay-on-scan purchases, implementation of radio frequency identification technology, and excessive payments for services purportedly performed for the manufacturers. Additionally, a subset of plaintiffs alleges a claim of fraud against the automotive aftermarket retailer defendants based on discovery issues in a prior litigation involving similar claims under the Act. In the prior litigation, the discovery dispute, as well as the underlying claims, was decided in favor of AutoZone and the other automotive aftermarket retailer defendants who proceeded to trial, pursuant to a unanimous jury verdict which was affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In the current litigation, plaintiffs seek an unspecified amount of damages (including statutory trebling), attorneys’ fees, and a permanent injunction prohibiting the aftermarket retailer defendants from inducing and/or knowingly receiving discriminatory prices from any of the aftermarket manufacturer defendants and from opening up any further stores to compete with plaintiffs as long as defendants allegedly continue to violate the Act.
In an order dated September 7, 2010 and issued on September 16, 2010, the court granted motions to dismiss all claims against AutoZone and its co-defendant competitors and suppliers. Based on the record in the prior litigation, the court dismissed with prejudice all overlapping claims — that is, those covering the same time periods covered by the prior litigation and brought by the judgment plaintiffs in the prior litigation. The court also dismissed with prejudice the plaintiffs’ attempt to revisit discovery disputes from the prior litigation. Further, with respect to the other claims under the Act, the Court found that the factual statements contained in the complaint fall short of what would be necessary to support a plausible inference of unlawful price discrimination. Finally, the court held that the AutoZone pay-on-scan program is a difference in non-price terms that are not governed by the Act. The court ordered the case closed, but also stated that “in an abundance of caution the Court [was] defer[ring] decision on whether to grant leave to amend to allow plaintiff an opportunity to propose curative amendments.” The plaintiffs filed a motion for leave to amend their complaint and attached a proposed Third Amended and Supplemental Complaint (the “Third Amended Complaint”) on behalf of four plaintiffs. The Third Amended Complaint repeats and expands certain allegations from previous complaints, asserting two claims under the Act, but states that all other plaintiffs have withdrawn their claims, and that, inter alia , Chief Auto Parts, Inc. has been dismissed as a defendant. AutoZone and the co-defendants have filed an opposition to the motion seeking leave to amend which is before the court for decision.
The Company believes this suit to be without merit and is vigorously defending against it. The Company is unable to estimate a loss or possible range of loss.
In 2004, the Company acquired a store site in Mount Ephraim, New Jersey that had previously been the site of a gasoline service station and contained evidence of groundwater contamination. Upon acquisition, the Company voluntarily reported the groundwater contamination issue to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and entered into a Voluntary Remediation Agreement providing for the remediation of the contamination associated with the property. The Company has conducted and paid for (at an immaterial cost to the Company) remediation of visible contamination on the property and is investigating and will be addressing potential vapor intrusion impacts in downgradient residences and businesses. Pursuant to the Voluntary Remediation Agreement, upon completion of all remediation required by the agreement, the Company is eligible to be reimbursed up to 75 percent of its remediation costs by the State of New Jersey. Although the aggregate amount of additional costs that the Company may incur pursuant to the Voluntary Remediation Agreement cannot currently be ascertained, the Company does not currently believe that fulfillment of its obligations under the agreement will result in costs that are material to its financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.

 

10


Table of Contents

The Company is involved in various other legal proceedings incidental to the conduct of its business, including several lawsuits containing class-action allegations in which the plaintiffs are current and former hourly and salaried employees who allege various wage and hour violations and unlawful termination practices. The Company does not currently believe that, in the aggregate, these matters will result in liabilities material to the Company’s financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Note L — Segment Reporting
The Company’s two operating segments (Domestic Auto Parts and Mexico) are aggregated as one reportable segment: Auto Parts Stores. The criteria the Company used to identify the reportable segment are primarily the nature of the products the Company sells and the operating results that are regularly reviewed by the Company’s chief operating decision maker to make decisions about the resources to be allocated to the business units and to assess performance. The accounting policies of the Company’s reportable segment are the same as those described in Note A in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010.
The Auto Parts Stores segment is a retailer and distributor of automotive parts and accessories through the Company’s 4,674 stores in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and Mexico. Each store carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products.
The Other category reflects business activities that are not separately reportable, including ALLDATA, which produces, sells and maintains diagnostic and repair information software used in the automotive repair industry, and E-commerce, which includes direct sales to customers through www.autozone.com .
The Company evaluates its reportable segment primarily on the basis of net sales and segment profit, which is defined as gross profit. Segment results for the periods presented were as follows:
                                 
    Twelve Weeks Ended     Twenty-Four Weeks Ended  
    February 12,     February 13,     February 12,     February 13,  
(in thousands)   2011     2010     2011     2010  
 
                               
Net Sales
                               
Auto Parts Stores
  $ 1,623,949     $ 1,472,958     $ 3,378,936     $ 3,029,218  
Other
    36,997       33,267       73,672       66,251  
 
                       
Total
  $ 1,660,946     $ 1,506,225     $ 3,452,608     $ 3,095,469  
 
                       
 
                               
Segment Profit
                               
Auto Parts Stores
  $ 816,692     $ 726,797     $ 1,695,558     $ 1,499,795  
Other
    28,919       26,939       57,801       53,865  
 
                       
Gross profit
    845,611       753,736       1,753,359       1,553,660  
Operating, selling, general and administrative expenses
    (573,863 )     (523,355 )     (1,175,491 )     (1,062,850 )
Interest expense, net
    (39,576 )     (36,309 )     (76,829 )     (72,650 )
 
                       
Income before income taxes
  $ 232,172     $ 194,072     $ 501,039     $ 418,160  
 
                       

 

11


Table of Contents

Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
The Board of Directors and Stockholders
AutoZone, Inc.
We have reviewed the condensed consolidated balance sheet of AutoZone, Inc. as of February 12, 2011, the related condensed consolidated statements of income for the twelve and twenty-four week periods ended February 12, 2011 and February 13, 2010, and the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows for the twenty-four week periods ended February 12, 2011 and February 13, 2010. These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management.
We conducted our review in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States). A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters. It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole. Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.
Based on our review, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the condensed consolidated financial statements referred to above for them to be in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We have previously audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheet of AutoZone, Inc. as of August 28, 2010, and the related consolidated statements of income, stockholders’ (deficit) equity, and cash flows for the year then ended, not presented herein, and, in our report dated October 25, 2010, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements. In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheet as of August 28, 2010 is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Memphis, Tennessee
March 17, 2011

 

12


Table of Contents

Item 2.   Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
Overview
We are the nation’s leading retailer and a leading distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States. We began operations in 1979 and at February 12, 2011, operated 4,425 stores in the United States, including Puerto Rico, and 249 in Mexico. Each of our stores carries an extensive product line for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories and non-automotive products. At February 12, 2011, in 2,521 of our domestic stores, we also have a commercial sales program that provides commercial credit and prompt delivery of parts and other products to local, regional and national repair garages, dealers, service stations and public sector accounts. We also sell the ALLDATA brand automotive diagnostic and repair software through www.alldata.com . Additionally, we sell automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, non-automotive products and subscriptions to the ALLDATAdiy product through www.autozone.com , and our commercial customers can make purchases through www.autozonepro.com . We do not derive revenue from automotive repair or installation services.
Operating results for the twelve and twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the fiscal year ending August 27, 2011. Each of the first three quarters of our fiscal year consists of 12 weeks, and the fourth quarter consists of 16 or 17 weeks. The fourth quarters for fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2011 each have 16 weeks. Our business is somewhat seasonal in nature, with the highest sales generally occurring during the months of February through September and the lowest sales generally occurring in the months of December and January.
Executive Summary
Net sales were up 10.3% for the quarter, driven by domestic same store sales growth of 7.1%. We experienced sales growth from both our retail and commercial customers. Earnings per share increased 35.8% for the quarter.
Recently, various factors have occurred within the economy that affect both our consumer and our industry, including the impact of the recent recession, continued high unemployment and other challenging economic conditions, which we believe have aided our sales growth during the quarter. Given the nature of these macroeconomic factors, we cannot predict whether or for how long these trends will continue, nor can we predict to what degree these trends will impact us in the future. During second quarter, unleaded gas prices increased by $0.25 per gallon. While gas prices have increased, we do not believe the increase has had a significant impact to our results during the quarter. However, given the unpredictability of gas prices, we cannot predict whether gas prices will continue to increase, nor can we predict how any future changes in gas prices will impact our sales in future periods.
Our primary response to fluctuations in the demand for the products we sell are to adjust our product assortment, store staffing, and advertising messages. We continue to believe we are well positioned to help our customers save money and meet their needs in a challenging macro environment.
Historically, the two statistics that we believed had the closest correlation to our market growth over the long-term were miles driven and the number of seven year old or older vehicles on the road. Prior to the recent recession, we had seen a close correlation between our net sales and the number of miles driven; however, recently we have seen minimal correlation in sales performance with miles driven. Sales have grown at an increased rate, while miles driven has either decreased or grown at a slower rate than what we have historically experienced. During this period of minimal correlation between net sales and miles driven, we believe net sales have been positively impacted by other factors, including the number of seven year old or older vehicles on the road. Since the beginning of fiscal year 2010 and through December 2010 (latest publicly available information), miles driven remained relatively flat as compared to the corresponding prior year period, and the average age of the U.S. light vehicle fleet continues to trend in our industry’s favor. We believe that annual miles driven will return to a low single digit growth rate over time and that the number of seven year old or older vehicles will continue to increase; however, we are unable to predict the impact, if any, these indicators will have on future results.
In the second quarter, failure and maintenance related categories continued to represent the largest portion of our sales mix, at approximately 87% of total sales, with failure related categories continuing to be our strongest performers. We have not experienced any fundamental shifts in our category sales mix over recent periods. We remain focused on refining and expanding our product assortment to ensure we have the best merchandise at the right price in each of our categories.
Twelve Weeks Ended February 12, 2011,
Compared with Twelve Weeks Ended February 13, 2010
Net sales for the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, increased $154.7 million to $1.661 billion, or 10.3%, over net sales of $1.506 billion for the comparable prior year period. Total auto parts sales increased by 10.3%, primarily driven by a domestic same store sales (sales for stores open at least one year) increase of 7.1% and net sales of $44.3 million from new stores. The domestic same store sales increase was driven by higher transaction value and, to a lesser extent, higher transaction count trends.
Gross profit for the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, was $845.6 million, or 50.9% of net sales, compared with $753.7 million, or 50.0% of net sales, during the comparable prior year period. The improvement in gross margin was attributable to higher margins on merchandise gross (45 basis points) and lower shrink expense (39 basis points). The increased merchandise gross margins continued to benefit this quarter from increased penetration of Duralast product sales and lower acquisition costs.

 

13


Table of Contents

Operating, selling, general and administrative expenses for the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, were $573.9 million, or 34.6% of net sales, compared with $523.4 million, or 34.7% of net sales, during the comparable prior year period. The decrease in operating expenses, as a percentage of sales, was primarily the result of leverage on store operating expenses due to higher sales volumes, partially offset by increased incentive compensation costs (39 basis points), increased investments in our hub store initiative (23 basis points), higher advertising expenditures (22 basis points), and an unfavorable comparison to last year’s second quarter credit card class action settlement (17 basis points).
Net interest expense for the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, was $39.6 million compared with $36.3 million during the comparable prior year period. This increase was primarily due to the increase in debt over the comparable prior year period, offset by a slight decrease in borrowing rates. Average borrowings for the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, were $3.145 billion, compared with $2.794 billion for the comparable prior year period. Weighted average borrowing rates were 5.0% for the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, and 5.2% for the twelve weeks ended February 13, 2010.
Our effective income tax rate was 36.2% of pretax income for the twelve weeks ended February 12, 2011, and 36.4% for the comparable prior year period.
Net income for the twelve week period ended February 12, 2011, increased by $24.7 million to $148.1 million, and diluted earnings per share increased by 35.8% to $3.34 from $2.46 in the comparable prior year period. The impact on current quarter diluted earnings per share from stock repurchases since the end of the comparable prior year period was an increase of $0.40.
Twenty-Four Weeks Ended February 12, 2011,
Compared with Twenty-Four Weeks Ended February 13, 2010
Net sales for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, increased $357.1 million to $3.453 billion, or 11.5% over net sales of $3.095 billion for the comparable prior year period. Total auto parts sales increased by 11.5%, primarily driven by an increase in domestic comparable store sales of 8.4% and net sales of $93.5 million from new stores. The domestic same store sales increase was driven by higher transaction value and, to a lesser extent, higher transaction count trends.
Gross profit for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, was $1.753 billion, or 50.8% of net sales, compared with $1.554 billion, or 50.2% of net sales, during the comparable prior year period. The improvement in gross margin was primarily attributable to higher margins on merchandise gross (36 basis points) and lower shrink expense (18 basis points). The increased merchandise gross margins were largely due to increased penetration of Duralast product offerings and lower acquisition costs.
Operating, selling, general and administrative expenses for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, were $1.175 billion, or 34.0% of net sales, compared with $1.063 billion, or 34.3% of net sales, during the comparable prior year period. The decrease in operating expenses, as a percent of sales, was primarily the result of leverage on store operating expenses due to higher sales volumes, partially offset by increased incentive compensation costs (37 basis points), increased investments in our hub store initiative (20 basis points) and higher advertising expenditures (12 basis points).
Net interest expense for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, was $76.8 million compared with $72.7 million during the comparable prior year period. This increase was primarily due to higher average borrowing levels, partially offset by a decline in borrowing rates. Average borrowings for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, were $3.003 billion, compared with $2.764 billion for the comparable prior year period. Weighted average borrowing rates were 5.2% for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, and 5.3% for the twenty-four weeks ended February 13, 2010.
Our effective income tax rate was 36.1% of pretax income for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, and 36.2% for the comparable prior year period.
Net income for the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, increased by $53.5 million to $320.1 million, and diluted earnings per share increased by 34.7% to $7.11 from $5.28 in the comparable prior year period. The impact on year to date diluted earnings per share from stock repurchases since the end of the comparable prior year period was an increase of $0.77.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
The primary source of our liquidity is our cash flows realized through the sale of automotive parts, products and accessories. For the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, our net cash flows from operating activities provided $441.1 million as compared with $348.9 million provided during the comparable prior year period. The increase is primarily due to higher net income of $53.5 million and improvements in accounts payable as our cash flows from operating activities continue to benefit from our inventory purchases being financed by our vendors, offset by timing of inventory purchases. Our accounts payable to inventory ratio was approximately 104% at February 12, 2011, and approximately 95% at February 13, 2010.
Our net cash flows from investing activities for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, used $109.3 million as compared with $109.3 million used in the comparable prior year period. Capital expenditures for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, were $108.4 million compared to $111.1 million for the comparable prior year period. During this twenty-four week period, we opened 47 net new stores. In the comparable prior year period, we opened 74 net new stores. Investing cash flows were also impacted by our wholly owned insurance captive, which purchased $22.6 million and sold $19.5 million in marketable securities during the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011. During the comparable prior year period, the captive purchased $10.5 million in marketable securities and sold $8.0 million in marketable securities. Capital asset disposals provided $2.2 million during the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011, and $4.2 million in the comparable prior year period.

 

14


Table of Contents

Our net cash flows from financing activities for the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, used $322.8 million compared to $227.4 million used in the comparable prior year period. Proceeds from the issuance of debt were $500.0 million for the current twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011. Those proceeds were used for the repayment of debt of $199.3 million, a portion of our commercial paper borrowings, and general corporate purposes. For the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, net proceeds from commercial paper and short-term borrowings were $37.8 million as compared with $47.8 million in the comparable prior year period. Stock repurchases were $694.1 million in the current twenty-four week period as compared with $291.9 million in the comparable prior year period. For the twenty-four weeks ended February 12, 2011, proceeds from the sale of common stock and exercises of stock options provided $49.1 million, including $15.8 million in related tax benefits. In the comparable prior year period, proceeds from the sale of common stock and exercises of stock options provided $25.8 million, including $7.1 million in related tax benefits.
We expect to invest in our business at increased rates during fiscal 2011, with our investments being directed primarily to our new-store development program, our hub store initiative, and enhancements to existing stores and infrastructure. The amount of our investments in our new-store program are impacted by different factors, including such factors as whether the building and land are purchased (requiring higher investment) or leased (generally lower investment), located in the United States or Mexico, or located in urban or rural areas. During fiscal 2010 and fiscal 2009, our capital expenditures increased by approximately 16% and 12%, respectively, as compared to the prior year, and we expect our capital expenditures for fiscal 2011 to increase by 15% to 20% as compared to fiscal 2010. Our mix of store openings has moved away from build-to-suit leases (lower initial capital investment) to ground leases and land purchases (higher initial capital investment), resulting in increased capital expenditures during recent years, and we expect this trend to continue during the fiscal year ending August 27, 2011.
In addition to the building and land costs, our new-store development program requires working capital, predominantly for inventories. Historically, we have negotiated extended payment terms from suppliers, reducing the working capital required and resulting in a high accounts payable to inventory ratio. We plan to continue leveraging our inventory purchases; however, our ability to do so may be limited by our vendors’ capacity to factor their receivables from us. Certain vendors participate in financing arrangements with financial institutions whereby they factor their receivables from us, allowing them to receive payment on our invoices at a discounted rate.
Depending on the timing and magnitude of our future investments (either in the form of leased or purchased properties or acquisitions), we anticipate that we will rely primarily on internally generated funds and available borrowing capacity to support a majority of our capital expenditures, working capital requirements and stock repurchases. The balance may be funded through new borrowings. We anticipate that we will be able to obtain such financing in view of our current credit ratings and favorable experiences in the debt markets in the past.
For the trailing four quarters ended February 12, 2011, our after-tax return on invested capital (“ROIC”) was 29.3% as compared to 25.2% for the comparable prior year period. ROIC is calculated as after-tax operating profit (excluding rent charges) divided by average invested capital (which includes a factor to capitalize operating leases). ROIC increased primarily due to increased after-tax operating profit. We use ROIC to evaluate whether we are effectively using our capital resources and believe it is an important indicator of our overall operating performance.
Debt Facilities
We maintain an $800 million revolving credit facility with a group of banks to primarily support commercial paper borrowings, letters of credit and other short-term unsecured bank loans. The credit facility may be increased to $1.0 billion at our election and subject to bank credit capacity and approval, may include up to $200 million in letters of credit, and may include up to $100 million in capital leases each fiscal year. As the available balance is reduced by commercial paper borrowings and certain outstanding letters of credit, we had $309.4 million in available capacity under this facility at February 12, 2011. Under the revolving credit facility, we may borrow funds consisting of Eurodollar loans or base rate loans. Interest accrues on Eurodollar loans at a defined Eurodollar rate, defined as the London InterBank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) plus the applicable percentage, which could range from 150 basis points to 450 basis points, depending upon our senior unsecured (non-credit enhanced) long-term debt rating. Interest accrues on base rate loans at the prime rate. We also have the option to borrow funds under the terms of a swingline loan subfacility. The revolving credit facility expires in July 2012.
We also maintain a letter of credit facility that allows us to request the participating bank to issue letters of credit on our behalf up to an aggregate amount of $100 million. The letter of credit facility is in addition to the letters of credit that may be issued under the revolving credit facility. As of February 12, 2011, we have $92.3 million in letters of credit outstanding under the letter of credit facility, which expires in June 2013.
On November 15, 2010, we issued $500 million in 4.000% Senior Notes due 2020 under our shelf registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on July 29, 2008 (the “Shelf Registration”). The Shelf Registration allows us to sell an indeterminate amount in debt securities to fund general corporate purposes, including repaying, redeeming or repurchasing outstanding debt and for working capital, capital expenditures, new store openings, stock repurchases and acquisitions. During the quarter ended November 20, 2010, we used the proceeds from the issuance of debt to repay the principal due relating to the 4.75% Senior Notes that matured on November 15, 2010, to repay a portion of the commercial paper borrowings and for general corporate purposes.

 

15


Table of Contents

The 6.50% and 7.125% Senior Notes issued during August 2008, and the 5.75% Senior Notes issued in July 2009, are subject to an interest rate adjustment if the debt ratings assigned to the notes are downgraded. These notes, along with the 4.000% Senior Notes issued in November 2010, also contain a provision that repayment of the notes may be accelerated if AutoZone experiences a change in control (as defined in the agreements). Our borrowings under our other senior notes contain minimal covenants, primarily restrictions on liens. Under our other borrowing arrangements, covenants include limitations on total indebtedness, restrictions on liens, a minimum fixed charge coverage ratio and a change of control provision that may require acceleration of the repayment obligations under certain circumstances. All of the repayment obligations under our borrowing arrangements may be accelerated and come due prior to the scheduled payment date if covenants are breached or an event of default occurs. As of February 12, 2011, we were in compliance with all covenants and expect to remain in compliance with all covenants.
Our adjusted debt to earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, rent and share-based expense (“EBITDAR”) ratio was 2.5:1 as of February 12, 2011, and was 2.5:1 as of February 13, 2010. We calculate adjusted debt as the sum of total debt, capital lease obligations and rent times six; and we calculate EBITDAR by adding interest, taxes, depreciation, amortization, rent and share-based expenses to net income. Adjusted debt to EBITDAR is calculated on a trailing four quarter basis. We target our debt levels to a ratio of adjusted debt to EBITDAR in order to maintain our investment grade credit ratings. We believe this is important information for the management of our debt levels.
Stock Repurchases
From January 1, 1998 to February 12, 2011, we have repurchased a total of 124.6 million shares at an aggregate cost of $9.4 billion, including 2,831,300 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of $694.1 million during the twenty-four week period ended February 12, 2011. On December 15, 2010, the Board of Directors (the “Board”) voted to increase the authorization by $500 million to raise the cumulative share repurchase authorization from $9.4 billion to $9.9 billion. Considering cumulative repurchases as of February 12, 2011, we have $491.4 million remaining under the Board’s authorization to repurchase our common stock. Subsequent to February 12, 2011, we have repurchased 525,119 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of $136.7 million.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Since our fiscal year end, we have cancelled, issued and modified stand-by letters of credit that are primarily renewed on an annual basis to cover deductible payments to our casualty insurance carriers. Our total stand-by letters of credit commitment at February 12, 2011, was $96.6 million compared with $107.6 million at August 28, 2010, and our total surety bonds commitment at February 12, 2011, was $25.7 million compared with $23.7 million at August 28, 2010.
Financial Commitments
Except for the previously discussed debt issuance and retirement, as of February 12, 2011, there were no significant changes to our contractual obligations as described in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010.
Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations include certain financial measures not derived in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). These non-GAAP financial measures provide additional information for determining our optimum capital structure and are used to assist management in evaluating performance and in making appropriate business decisions to maximize stockholders’ value.
Non-GAAP financial measures should not be used as a substitute for GAAP financial measures, or considered in isolation, for the purpose of analyzing our operating performance, financial position or cash flows. However, we have presented the non-GAAP financial measures, as we believe they provide additional information that is useful to investors. Furthermore, our management and the Compensation Committee of the Board use the above mentioned non-GAAP financial measures to analyze and compare our underlying operating results and to determine payments of performance-based compensation. We have included a reconciliation of this information to the most comparable GAAP measures in the following reconciliation tables.

 

16


Table of Contents

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure: After-Tax Return on Invested Capital “ROIC”
The following tables reconcile the percentages of ROIC for the trailing four quarters ended February 12, 2011 and February 13, 2010.
                                         
    A     B     A-B=C     D     C+D  
 
                             
                                    Trailing Four  
    Fiscal Year     Twenty-Four     Twenty-Eight     Twenty-Four     Quarters  
    Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Ended  
    August 28,     February 13,     August 28,     February 12,     February 12,  
(in thousands, except percentage)   2010     2010     2010     2011     2011  
Net income
  $ 738,311     $ 266,633     $ 471,678     $ 320,131     $ 791,809  
Adjustments:
                                       
Interest expense
    158,909       72,650       86,259       76,829       163,088  
Rent expense
    195,632       88,106       107,526       96,692       204,218  
Tax effect (1)
    (128,983 )     (58,355 )     (70,628 )     (62,987 )     (133,615 )
 
                             
After-tax return
  $ 963,869     $ 369,034     $ 594,835     $ 430,665     $ 1,025,500  
 
                             
Average debt (2)
                                  $ 2,902,027  
Average deficit (3)
                                    (695,593 )
Rent x 6 (4)
                                    1,225,308  
Average capital lease obligations (5)
                                    74,039  
 
                                     
Pre-tax invested capital
                                  $ 3,505,781  
 
                                     
ROIC
                                    29.3 %
 
                                     
                                         
    A     B     A-B=C     D     C+D  
 
                             
                                    Trailing Four  
    Fiscal Year     Twenty-Four     Twenty-Eight     Twenty-Four     Quarters  
    Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Ended  
    August 29,     February 14,     August 29,     February 13,     February 13,  
(in thousands, except percentage)   2009     2009     2009     2010     2010  
Net income
  $ 657,049     $ 247,235     $ 409,814     $ 266,633     $ 676,447  
Adjustments:
                                       
Interest expense
    142,316       63,072       79,244       72,650       151,894  
Rent expense
    181,308       81,369       99,939       88,106       188,045  
Tax effect (1)
    (117,929 )     (52,432 )     (65,497 )     (58,355 )     (123,852 )
 
                             
After-tax return
  $ 862,744     $ 339,244     $ 523,500     $ 369,034     $ 892,534  
 
                             
Average debt (2)
                                  $ 2,667,551  
Average deficit (3)
                                    (314,226 )
Rent x 6 (4)
                                    1,128,270  
Average capital lease obligations (5)
                                    55,105  
 
                                     
Pre-tax invested capital
                                  $ 3,536,700  
 
                                     
ROIC
                                    25.2 %
 
                                     
     
(1)   The effective tax rate over the trailing four quarters ended February 12, 2011 and February 13, 2010 is 36.3% in each period.
 
(2)   Average debt is equal to the average of our debt measured as of the previous five quarters.
 
(3)   Average equity is equal to the average of our stockholders’ deficit measured as of the previous five quarters.
 
(4)   Rent is multiplied by a factor of six to capitalize operating leases in the determination of pre-tax invested capital.
 
(5)   Average capital lease obligations are equal to the average of our capital lease obligations measured as of the previous five quarters.

 

17


Table of Contents

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measure: Adjusted Debt to Earnings before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, Rent and Share-Based Expense “EBITDAR”
The following tables reconcile the ratio of adjusted debt to EBITDAR for the trailing four quarters ended February 12, 2011 and February 13, 2010.
                                         
    A     B     A-B=C     D     C+D  
 
                             
                                    Trailing Four  
    Fiscal Year     Twenty-Four     Twenty-Eight     Twenty-Four     Quarters  
    Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Ended  
    August 28,     February 13,     August 28,     February 12,     February 12,  
(in thousands, except ratio)   2010     2010     2010     2011     2011  
Net income
  $ 738,311     $ 266,633     $ 471,678     $ 320,131     $ 791,809  
Add: Interest expense
    158,909       72,650       86,259       76,829       163,088  
Income tax expense
    422,194       151,527       270,667       180,908       451,575  
 
                             
EBIT
    1,319,414       490,810       828,604       577,868       1,406,472  
Add: Depreciation expense
    192,084       87,099       104,985       88,417       193,402  
Rent expense
    195,632       88,106       107,526       96,692       204,218  
Share-based expense
    19,120       8,867       10,253       12,119       22,372  
 
                             
EBITDAR
  $ 1,726,250     $ 674,882     $ 1,051,368     $ 775,096     $ 1,826,464  
 
                             
Debt
                                  $ 3,249,230  
Capital lease obligations
                                    81,848  
Add: Rent x 6 (1)
                                    1,225,308  
 
                                     
Adjusted debt
                                  $ 4,556,386  
 
                                     
Adjusted debt / EDITDAR
                                    2.5  
 
                                     
                                         
    A     B     A-B=C     D     C+D  
 
                             
                                    Trailing Four  
    Fiscal Year     Twenty-Four     Twenty-Eight     Twenty-Four     Quarters  
    Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Weeks Ended     Ended  
    August 29,     February 14,     August 29,     February 13,     February 13,  
(in thousands, except ratio)   2009     2009     2009     2010     2010  
Net income
  $ 657,049     $ 247,235     $ 409,814     $ 266,633     $ 676,447  
Add: Interest expense
    142,316       63,072       79,244       72,650       151,894  
Income tax expense
    376,697       142,927       233,770       151,527       385,297  
 
                             
EBIT
    1,176,062       453,234       722,828       490,810       1,213,638  
Add: Depreciation expense
    180,433       81,964       98,469       87,099       185,568  
Rent expense
    181,308       81,369       99,939       88,106       188,045  
Share-based expense
    19,135       9,307       9,828       8,867       18,695  
 
                             
EBITDAR
  $ 1,556,938     $ 625,874     $ 931,064     $ 674,882     $ 1,605,946  
 
                             
Debt
                                  $ 2,774,700  
Capital lease obligations
                                    51,713  
Add: Rent x 6 (1)
                                    1,128,270  
 
                                     
Adjusted debt
                                  $ 3,954,683  
 
                                     
Adjusted debt / EDITDAR
                                    2.5  
 
                                     
     
(1)   Rent is multiplied by a factor of six to capitalize operating leases in the determination of adjusted debt.

 

18


Table of Contents

Critical Accounting Policies
Preparation of our consolidated financial statements requires us to make estimates and assumptions affecting the reported amounts of assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting period and related disclosures of contingent liabilities. Our policies are evaluated on an ongoing basis, and our significant judgments and estimates are drawn from historical experience and other assumptions that we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Actual results could differ under different assumptions or conditions.
Our critical accounting policies are described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010. Our critical accounting policies have not changed since the filing of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010.
Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements typically use words such as “believe,” “anticipate,” “should,” “intend,” “plan,” “will,” “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “positioned,” “strategy” and similar expressions. These are based on assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors that we believe to be appropriate. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including without limitation: credit market conditions; the impact of recessionary conditions; competition; product demand; the ability to hire and retain qualified employees; consumer debt levels; inflation; weather; raw material costs of our suppliers; energy prices; war and the prospect of war, including terrorist activity; construction delays; access to available and feasible financing; and changes in laws or regulations. Certain of these risks are discussed in more detail in the “Risk Factors” section contained in Item 1A under Part 1 of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010, and these Risk Factors should be read carefully. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results; developments and business decisions may differ from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements, and events described above and in the “Risk Factors” could materially and adversely affect our business. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date made. Except as required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Actual results may materially differ from anticipated results.
Item 3.   Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.
At February 12, 2011, there have been no material changes to our instruments and positions that are sensitive to market risk since the disclosures in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended August 28, 2010, except as described below.
The fair value of our debt was estimated at $3.425 billion as of February 12, 2011, and $3.182 billion as of August 28, 2010, based on the quoted market prices for the same or similar debt issues or on the current rates available to AutoZone for debt of the same terms. Such fair value is greater than the carrying value of debt by $175.5 million at February 12, 2011 and $273.5 million at August 28, 2010. We had $499.2 million of variable rate debt outstanding at February 12, 2011, and $459.2 million of variable rate debt outstanding at August 28, 2010. At these borrowing levels for variable rate debt, a one percentage point increase in interest rates would have had an unfavorable annual impact on our pre-tax earnings and cash flows of $5.0 million in fiscal 2011. The primary interest rate exposure on variable rate debt is based on LIBOR. We had outstanding fixed rate debt of $2.750 billion at February 12, 2011, and $2.449 billion at August 28, 2010. A one percentage point increase in interest rates would reduce the fair value of our fixed rate debt by $116.9 million at February 12, 2011.
Item 4.   Controls and Procedures.
As of February 12, 2011, an evaluation was performed under the supervision and with the participation of our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of our disclosure controls and procedures, as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act, as amended. Based on that evaluation, our management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of February 12, 2011. During or subsequent to the quarter ended February 12, 2011, there were no changes in our internal controls that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect, internal controls over financial reporting.
Item 4T.   Controls and Procedures.
Not applicable.

 

19


Table of Contents

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION
Item 1.   Legal Proceedings.
We are a defendant in a lawsuit entitled “Coalition for a Level Playing Field, L.L.C., et al., v. AutoZone, Inc. et al.,” filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in October 2004. The case was filed by more than 200 plaintiffs, which are principally automotive aftermarket warehouse distributors and jobbers, against a number of defendants, including automotive aftermarket retailers and aftermarket automotive parts manufacturers. In the amended complaint, the plaintiffs allege, inter alia , that some or all of the automotive aftermarket retailer defendants have knowingly received, in violation of the Robinson-Patman Act (the “Act”), from various of the manufacturer defendants benefits such as volume discounts, rebates, early buy allowances and other allowances, fees, inventory without payment, sham advertising and promotional payments, a share in the manufacturers’ profits, benefits of pay-on-scan purchases, implementation of radio frequency identification technology, and excessive payments for services purportedly performed for the manufacturers. Additionally, a subset of plaintiffs alleges a claim of fraud against the automotive aftermarket retailer defendants based on discovery issues in a prior litigation involving similar claims under the Act. In the prior litigation, the discovery dispute, as well as the underlying claims, was decided in favor of AutoZone and the other automotive aftermarket retailer defendants who proceeded to trial, pursuant to a unanimous jury verdict which was affirmed by the Second Circuit Court of Appeals. In the current litigation, the plaintiffs seek an unspecified amount of damages (including statutory trebling), attorneys’ fees, and a permanent injunction prohibiting the aftermarket retailer defendants from inducing and/or knowingly receiving discriminatory prices from any of the aftermarket manufacturer defendants and from opening up any further stores to compete with the plaintiffs as long as the defendants allegedly continue to violate the Act.
In an order dated September 7, 2010 and issued on September 16, 2010, the court granted motions to dismiss all claims against AutoZone and its co-defendant competitors and suppliers. Based on the record in the prior litigation, the court dismissed with prejudice all overlapping claims — that is, those covering the same time periods covered by the prior litigation and brought by the judgment plaintiffs in the prior litigation. The court also dismissed with prejudice the plaintiffs’ attempt to revisit discovery disputes from the prior litigation. Further, with respect to the other claims under the Act, the court found that the factual statements contained in the complaint fall short of what would be necessary to support a plausible inference of unlawful price discrimination. Finally, the court held that the AutoZone pay-on-scan program is a difference in non-price terms that are not governed by the Act. The court ordered the case closed, but also stated that “in an abundance of caution the Court [was] defer[ring] decision on whether to grant leave to amend to allow plaintiff an opportunity to propose curative amendments.” The Plaintiffs filed a motion for leave to amend their complaint and attached a proposed Third Amended and Supplemental Complaint (the “Third Amended Complaint”) on behalf of four plaintiffs. The Third Amended Complaint repeats and expands certain allegations from previous complaints, asserting two claims under the Act, but states that all other plaintiffs have withdrawn their claims, and that, inter alia , Chief Auto Parts, Inc. has been dismissed as a defendant. AutoZone and the co-defendants have filed an opposition to the motion seeking leave to amend which is before the court for decision.
We believe this suit to be without merit and are vigorously defending against it. We are unable to estimate a loss or possible range of loss.
In 2004, we acquired a store site in Mount Ephraim, New Jersey that had previously been the site of a gasoline service station and contained evidence of groundwater contamination. Upon acquisition, we voluntarily reported the groundwater contamination issue to the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and entered into a Voluntary Remediation Agreement providing for the remediation of the contamination associated with the property. We have conducted and paid for (at an immaterial cost to us) remediation of visible contamination on the property and are investigating and will be addressing potential vapor intrusion impacts in downgradient residences and businesses. Pursuant to the Voluntary Remediation Agreement, upon our completion of all remediation required by the agreement, we are eligible to be reimbursed up to 75 percent of our remediation costs by the State of New Jersey. Although the aggregate amount of additional costs that we may incur pursuant to the Voluntary Remediation Agreement cannot currently be ascertained, we do not currently believe that fulfillment of our obligations under the agreement will result in costs that are material to our financial condition, results of operations or cash flow.
We are involved in various other legal proceedings incidental to the conduct of our business, including several lawsuits containing class-action allegations in which the plaintiffs are current and former hourly and salaried employees who allege various wage and hour violations and unlawful termination practices. We do not currently believe that, in the aggregate, these matters will result in liabilities material to our financial condition, results of operations, or cash flows.
Item 1A.   Risk Factors.
As of the date of this filing, there have been no material changes in our risk factors from those disclosed in Part I, Item 1A, of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended August 28, 2010.

 

20


Table of Contents

Item 2.   Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds.
Shares of common stock repurchased by the Company during the quarter ended February 12, 2011, were as follows:
Issuer Repurchases of Equity Securities
                                 
                    Total Number of     Maximum Dollar  
                    Shares Purchased as     Value that May Yet  
    Total Number     Average     Part of Publicly     Be Purchased Under  
    of Shares     Price Paid     Announced Plans or     the Plans or  
Period   Purchased     per Share     Programs     Programs  
November 21, 2010 to December 18, 2010
    327,900     $ 258.55       327,900     $ 800,994,423  
December 19, 2010 to January 15, 2011
    652,700       260.04       652,700       631,268,708  
January 16, 2011 to February 12, 2011
    555,400       251.87       555,400       491,378,008  
 
                       
Total
    1,536,000     $ 256.77       1,536,000     $ 491,378,008  
 
                       
All of the above repurchases were part of publicly announced plans that were authorized by the Company’s Board of Directors for the purchase of a maximum of $9.9 billion in common shares as of February 12, 2011. The program was initially announced in January 1998, and was most recently amended on December 15, 2010, to increase the repurchase authorization to $9.9 billion from $9.4 billion. The program does not have an expiration date. Subsequent to February 12, 2011, we have repurchased 525,119 shares of our common stock at an aggregate cost of $136.7 million.
Item 3.   Defaults Upon Senior Securities.
Not applicable.
Item 4.   Removed and Reserved.
Not applicable.
Item 5.   Other Information.
Not applicable.

 

21


Table of Contents

Item 6.   Exhibits.
The following exhibits are filed as part of this report:
         
  3.1    
Restated Articles of Incorporation of AutoZone, Inc. incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended February 13, 1999.
       
 
  3.2    
Fourth Amended and Restated By-laws of AutoZone, Inc. incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Form 8-K dated September 28, 2007.
       
 
  *10.1    
Restricted Stock Award Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Award Agreement between AutoZone, Inc. and Robert D. Olsen dated January 25, 2011.
       
 
  *10.2    
Form of Stock Option Agreement under the 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan.
       
 
  *10.3    
Form of Stock Option Agreement under the 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan for certain executive officers.
       
 
  *10.4    
First Amended and Restated AutoZone, Inc. Enhanced Severance Pay Plan.
       
 
  12.1    
Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
       
 
  15.1    
Letter Regarding Unaudited Interim Financial Statements.
       
 
  31.1    
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
  31.2    
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
  32.1    
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
  32.2    
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
**101.INS  
XBRL Instance Document
       
 
**101.SCH  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
       
 
**101.CAL  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Document
       
 
**101.LAB  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Document
       
 
**101.PRE  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Document
       
 
**101.DEF  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Document
     
*   Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
 
**   In accordance with Regulation S-T, the Interactive Data Files in Exhibit 101 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q shall be deemed “furnished” and not “filed.”

 

22


Table of Contents

SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
         
  AUTOZONE, INC.
 
 
  By:   /s/ WILLIAM T. GILES    
    William T. Giles   
    Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President,
Finance, Information Technology and Store Development
(Principal Financial Officer) 
 
     
  By:   /s/ CHARLIE PLEAS, III    
    Charlie Pleas, III   
    Senior Vice President, Controller
(Principal Accounting Officer) 
 
Dated: March 17, 2011

 

23


Table of Contents

EXHIBIT INDEX
The following exhibits are filed as part of this report:
         
  3.1    
Restated Articles of Incorporation of AutoZone, Inc. incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 to the Form 10-Q for the quarter ended February 13, 1999.
       
 
  3.2    
Fourth Amended and Restated By-laws of AutoZone, Inc. incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 to the Form 8-K dated September 28, 2007.
       
 
  *10.1    
Restricted Stock Award Grant Notice and Restricted Stock Award Agreement between AutoZone, Inc. and Robert D. Olsen dated January 25, 2011.
       
 
  *10.2    
Form of Stock Option Agreement under the 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan.
       
 
  *10.3    
Form of Stock Option Agreement under the 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan for certain executive officers.
       
 
  *10.4    
First Amended and Restated AutoZone, Inc. Enhanced Severance Pay Plan.
       
 
  12.1    
Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges.
       
 
  15.1    
Letter Regarding Unaudited Interim Financial Statements.
       
 
  31.1    
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
  31.2    
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Rules 13a-14(a) and 15d-14(a) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as adopted pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
  32.1    
Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
  32.2    
Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002.
       
 
**101.INS  
XBRL Instance Document
       
 
**101.SCH  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
       
 
**101.CAL  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Document
       
 
**101.LAB  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Labels Document
       
 
**101.PRE  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Document
       
 
**101.DEF  
XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Document
     
*   Management contract or compensatory plan or arrangement.
 
**   In accordance with Regulation S-T, the Interactive Data Files in Exhibit 101 to the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q shall be deemed “furnished” and not “filed.”

 

24

Exhibit 10.1
AUTOZONE, INC. 2011 EQUITY INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN
RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD GRANT NOTICE AND
RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT
AutoZone, Inc., a Nevada corporation, (the “ Company ”), pursuant to its 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan (the “ Plan ”), hereby grants to the individual listed below (the “ Participant ”), in consideration of the mutual agreements set forth herein and for other good and valuable consideration, the receipt and sufficiency of which are hereby acknowledged, the number of shares of the Company’s Common Stock set forth below (the “ Shares ”). This Restricted Stock award is subject to all of the terms and conditions as set forth herein and in the Restricted Stock Award Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “ Restricted Stock Agreement ”) (including without limitation the Restrictions on the Shares set forth in the Restricted Stock Agreement) and the Plan, each of which are incorporated herein by reference. Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same defined meanings in this Restricted Stock Award Grant Notice (the “ Grant Notice ”) and the Restricted Stock Agreement.
     
Participant:
  Robert D. Olsen
 
   
Grant Date:
 
January 25, 2011
 
   
Total Number of Shares of Restricted Stock:
 
4,800 Shares
 
   
Vesting Commencement Date:
 
December 15, 2012
 
   
Vesting Schedule:
 
The Shares shall vest, and the Restrictions thereon shall lapse, with respect to one-half (50%) of the Shares on each of the Vesting Commencement Date and the first anniversary of the Vesting Commencement Date, subject to the Participant’s continued service through the applicable vesting date.

Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if the Participant experiences a Termination of Service (i) by the Company without Cause (as defined below) or (ii) by reason of the Participant’s death or Disability (as defined below), then all of the Shares subject to this Award shall vest, and the Restrictions thereon shall lapse, on the date of such Termination of Service.
By his or her signature and the Company’s signature below, the Participant agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Restricted Stock Agreement and this Grant Notice. The Participant has reviewed the Restricted Stock Agreement, the Plan and this Grant Notice in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of this Grant Notice, the Restricted Stock Agreement and the Plan. The Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator of the Plan upon any questions arising under the Plan, this Grant Notice and/or the Restricted Stock Agreement.
                     
AUTOZONE, INC.:   PARTICIPANT:
 
                   
By:
  /s/ Tim Briggs       By:   /s/ Robert D. Olsen    
 
                   
Print Name:
  Tim Briggs       Print Name:   Robert Olsen    
Title:
  Sr. VP, HR       Address:  
P.O. Box 384
Pickwick Dam, TN 38365
   
By:
  /s/ Harry L. Goldsmith                
 
                   
Print Name:
  Harry L. Goldsmith                
Title:
 
Executive Vice President,
General Counsel and Secretary
               

 


 

EXHIBIT A
TO RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD GRANT NOTICE
AUTOZONE, INC. RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT
Pursuant to the Restricted Stock Award Grant Notice (the “ Grant Notice ”) to which this Restricted Stock Award Agreement (the “ Agreement ”) is attached, AutoZone, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”) has granted to the Participant the number of shares of Restricted Stock (the “ Shares ”) under the AutoZone, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan, as amended from time to time (the “ Plan ”), as set forth in the Grant Notice.
ARTICLE I.
GENERAL
1.1 Incorporation of Terms of Plan . The Award is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall control.
1.2 Definitions .
(a) “ Cause ” shall mean the willful engagement by Participant in conduct which is demonstrably or materially injurious to the Company, monetarily or otherwise. For this purpose, no act or failure to act by the Participant shall be considered “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant not in good faith and without reasonable belief that his action or omission was in the best interest of the Company.
(b) “ Disability ” shall mean a determination by the Company that the Participant is “totally disabled,” within its meaning in the Company’s long term disability plan as in effect from time to time.
ARTICLE II.
AWARD OF RESTRICTED STOCK
2.1 Award of Restricted Stock .
(a)  Award . In consideration of the Participant’s past and/or continued employment with or service to the Company or its Affiliates, and for other good and valuable consideration which the Administrator has determined exceeds the aggregate par value of the Common Stock subject to the Award (as defined below), as of the Grant Date, the Company issues to the Participant the Award described in this Agreement (the “ Award ”). The number of Shares subject to the Award is set forth in the Grant Notice. The Participant is an Employee or Director of the Company or one of its Affiliates.
(b)  Book Entry Form; Certificates . At the sole discretion of the Administrator, the Shares will be issued in either (i) uncertificated form, with the Shares recorded in the name of the Participant in the books and records of the Company’s transfer agent with appropriate notations regarding the restrictions on transfer imposed pursuant to this Agreement, and upon vesting and the satisfaction of all conditions set forth in Sections 2.2(a) and 2.2(e) hereof, the Company shall remove such notations on any such vested Shares in accordance with Section 2.2(f) below; or (ii) certificated form pursuant to the terms of Sections 2.1(c), (d) and (e) below.

 

A-1


 

(c)  Legend . Certificates representing Shares issued pursuant to this Agreement shall, until all Restrictions (as defined below) imposed pursuant to this Agreement lapse or shall have been removed and the Shares shall thereby have become vested or the Shares represented thereby have been forfeited hereunder, bear the following legend (or such other legend as shall be determined by the Administrator):
“THE SECURITIES REPRESENTED BY THIS CERTIFICATE ARE SUBJECT TO CERTAIN VESTING REQUIREMENTS AND MAY BE SUBJECT TO FORFEITURE UNDER THE TERMS OF A RESTRICTED STOCK AWARD AGREEMENT, BY AND BETWEEN AUTOZONE, INC. AND THE REGISTERED OWNER OF SUCH SHARES, AND SUCH SHARES MAY NOT BE, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OFFERED, TRANSFERRED, SOLD, ASSIGNED, PLEDGED, HYPOTHECATED OR OTHERWISE DISPOSED OF UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES, EXCEPT PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF SUCH AGREEMENT.”
(d)  Escrow . The Secretary of the Company, or such other escrow holder as the Administrator may appoint, may retain physical custody of any certificates representing the Shares until all of the Restrictions on transfer imposed pursuant to this Agreement lapse or shall have been removed; in such event, the Participant shall not retain physical custody of any certificates representing unvested Shares issued to him or her. The Participant, by acceptance of the Award, shall be deemed to appoint, and does so appoint, the Company and each of its authorized representatives as the Participant’s attorney(s)-in-fact to effect any transfer of unvested forfeited Shares (or Shares otherwise reacquired by the Company hereunder) to the Company as may be required pursuant to the Plan or this Agreement and to execute such documents as the Company or such representatives deem necessary or advisable in connection with any such transfer.
(e)  Removal of Notations; Delivery of Certificates Upon Vesting . As soon as administratively practicable after the vesting of any Shares subject to the Award pursuant to Section 2.2(b) or Section 2.2(c) hereof, as applicable, the Company shall, as applicable, either remove the notations on any Shares subject to the Award issued in book entry form which have vested or deliver to the Participant a certificate or certificates evidencing the number of Shares subject to the Award which have vested (or, in either case, such lesser number of Shares as may be permitted pursuant to Section 11.2 of the Plan). The Participant (or the beneficiary or personal representative of the Participant in the event of the Participant’s death or incapacity, as the case may be) shall deliver to the Company any representations or other documents or assurances required by the Company. The Shares so delivered shall no longer be subject to the Restrictions hereunder.
2.2 Restrictions .
(a)  Forfeiture . Any Award which is not vested as of the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service (after taking into consideration any accelerated vesting and lapsing of Restrictions which may occur in connection with such Termination of Service as set forth in the Grant Notice (if any)) shall thereupon be forfeited immediately and without any further action by the Company. For purposes of this Agreement, in the event that the Participant is both an Employee and a Director, the Participant shall not be deemed to have incurred a Termination of Service unless and until his or her status as both an Employee and Director has terminated. For purposes of this Agreement, “ Restrictions ” shall mean the restrictions on sale or other transfer set forth in Section 3.2 hereof and the exposure to forfeiture set forth in this Section 2.2(a).

 

A-2


 

(b)  Vesting and Lapse of Restrictions . Subject to Section 2.2(a), the Award shall vest and Restrictions shall lapse in accordance with the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice (rounding down to the nearest whole Share).
(c)  Acceleration of Vesting . Notwithstanding Sections 2.2(a) and 2.2(b) hereof, the vesting of the Award and lapsing of Restrictions may be accelerated pursuant to Sections 13.2 of the Plan, as provided therein. In addition, the Company and Participant acknowledge that the vesting of the Award and lapsing of the Restrictions may be subject to acceleration in the event of a Termination of Service under certain circumstances as set forth in the Grant Notice.
(d)  Tax Withholding . The Company or its Affiliates shall be entitled to require a cash payment (or to elect, or permit the Participant to elect, such other form of payment determined in accordance with Section 11.2 of the Plan) by or on behalf of the Participant and/or to deduct from other compensation payable to the Participant any sums required by federal, state or local tax law to be withheld with respect to the grant or vesting of the Award or the lapse of the Restrictions hereunder. In satisfaction of the foregoing requirement with respect to the grant or vesting of the Award or the lapse of the Restrictions hereunder, unless otherwise determined by the Company, the Company or its Affiliates shall withhold Shares otherwise issuable under the Award having a fair market value equal to the sums required to be withheld by federal, state and/or local tax law. The number of Shares which shall be so withheld in order to satisfy such federal, state and/or local withholding tax liabilities shall be limited to the number of shares which have a fair market value on the date of withholding equal to the aggregate amount of such liabilities based on the minimum statutory withholding rates for federal, state and/or local tax purposes that are applicable to such supplemental taxable income. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement (including without limitation Section 2.1(b) hereof), the Company shall not be obligated to deliver any new certificate representing Shares to the Participant or the Participant’s legal representative or to enter any such Shares in book entry form unless and until the Participant or the Participant’s legal representative shall have paid or otherwise satisfied in full the amount of all federal, state and local taxes applicable to the taxable income of the Participant resulting from the grant or vesting of the Award or the issuance of Shares hereunder.
(e)  Conditions to Delivery of Shares . Subject to Section 2.1 above, the Shares deliverable under this Award may be either previously authorized but unissued Shares, treasury Shares or Shares purchased on the open market. Such Shares shall be fully paid and nonassessable. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any Shares under this Award prior to fulfillment of all of the following conditions:
(i) The admission of such Shares to listing on all stock exchanges on which the Common Stock is then listed;
(ii) The completion of any registration or other qualification of such Shares under any state or federal law or under rulings or regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission or of any other governmental regulatory body, which the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, deem necessary or advisable;
(iii) The obtaining of any approval or other clearance from any state or federal governmental agency which the Administrator shall, in its absolute discretion, determine to be necessary or advisable;
(iv) The receipt by the Company or its Affiliates of full payment of any applicable withholding tax;

 

A-3


 

(v) The lapse of such reasonable period of time following the grant of this Award as the Administrator may from time to time establish for reasons of administrative convenience; and
(vi) The lapse of all Restrictions with respect to the Shares.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, the issuance of such Shares shall not be delayed if and to the extent that such delay would result in a violation of Section 409A of the Code. In the event that the Company delays the issuance of such Shares because it reasonably determines that the issuance of such Shares will violate federal securities laws or other applicable law, such issuance shall be made at the earliest date at which the Company reasonably determines that issuing such Shares will not cause such violation, as required by Treasury Regulation Section 1.409A-2(b)(7)(ii).
(f) To ensure compliance with the Restrictions, the provisions of the charter documents of the Company, and/or state and federal securities and other laws and for other proper purposes, the Company may issue appropriate “stop transfer” and other instructions to its transfer agent with respect to the Restricted Stock. The Company shall notify the transfer agent as the Restrictions lapse.
2.3 Consideration to the Company . In consideration of the grant of the Award by the Company, the Participant agrees to render faithful and efficient services to the Company or its Affiliates.
ARTICLE III.
OTHER PROVISIONS
3.1 Section 83(b) Election . If the Participant makes an election under Section 83(b) of the Code to be taxed with respect to the Restricted Stock as of the date of transfer of the Restricted Stock rather than as of the date or dates upon which the Participant would otherwise be taxable under Section 83(a) of the Code, the Participant hereby agrees to deliver a copy of such election to the Company promptly after filing such election with the Internal Revenue Service.
3.2 Restricted Stock Not Transferable . Until the Restrictions hereunder lapse or expire pursuant to this Agreement and the Shares vest, the Restricted Stock (including any Shares received by holders thereof with respect to Restricted Stock as a result of stock dividends, stock splits or any other form of recapitalization) shall be subject to the restrictions on transferability set forth in Section 11.3 of the Plan.
3.3 Rights as Stockholder . Except as otherwise provided herein, upon the Grant Date, the Participant shall have all the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Shares, subject to the Restrictions herein, including the right to vote the Shares and the right to receive any cash or stock dividends paid to or made with respect to the Shares.
3.4 Not a Contract of Service . Nothing in this Agreement or in the Plan shall confer upon the Participant any right to continue to serve as an employee or other service provider of the Company or any of its Affiliates or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company and its Affiliates, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of the Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or an Affiliate and the Participant.

 

A-4


 

3.5 Governing Law . The laws of the State of Nevada shall govern the interpretation, validity, administration, enforcement and performance of the terms of this Agreement regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflicts of laws.
3.6 Conformity to Securities Laws . The Participant acknowledges that the Plan and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act, and any and all regulations and rules promulgated thereunder by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan shall be administered, and the Award is granted, only in such a manner as to conform to such laws, rules and regulations. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Plan and this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such laws, rules and regulations.
3.7 Amendment, Suspension and Termination . To the extent permitted by the Plan, this Agreement may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Committee or the Board, provided, however , that, except as may otherwise be provided by the Plan, no amendment, modification, suspension or termination of this Agreement shall adversely affect the Award in any material way without the prior written consent of the Participant.
3.8 Notices . Any notice to be given by the Participant under the terms of this Agreement shall be addressed to the Secretary of the Company (or, in the event that the Participant is the Secretary of the Company, then to the Company’s non-executive Chairman of the Board or Lead Director). Any notice to be given to the Participant shall be addressed to him at his home address on record with the Company. By a notice given pursuant to this Section 3.8, either party may hereafter designate a different address for notices to be given to him. Any notice which is required to be given to the Participant shall, if Participant is then deceased, be given to the Participant’s personal representative if such representative has previously informed the Company of his or her status and address by written notice under this Section 3.8. Any notice required or permitted hereunder shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the United States mail by certified mail, with postage and fees prepaid, addressed as set forth above or upon confirmation of delivery by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service.
3.9 Successors and Assigns . The Company or any Affiliate may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company and its Affiliates. Subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth, this Agreement shall be binding upon the Participant and his or her heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.
3.10 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if the Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Award and this Agreement shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by applicable law, this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.

 

A-5


 

3.11 Entire Agreement . The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and its Affiliates and the Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.
3.12 Limitation on the Participant’s Rights . Participation in the Plan confers no rights or interests other than as herein provided. This Agreement creates only a contractual obligation on the part of the Company as to amounts payable and shall not be construed as creating a trust. The Plan, in and of itself, has no assets. The Participant shall have only the rights of a general unsecured creditor of the Company and its Affiliates with respect to amounts credited and benefits payable, if any, with respect to the Shares issuable hereunder.

 

A-6

Exhibit 10.2
AUTOZONE, INC.
2011 EQUITY INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN
STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE AND
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
AutoZone, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”), pursuant to its 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan, as amended from time to time (the “ Plan ”), hereby grants to the individual listed below (the “ Participant ”), an option to purchase the number of shares of the common stock of the Company (“ Common Stock ”), set forth below (the “ Option ”). This Option is subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “ Stock Option Agreement ”) and the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same defined meanings in this Grant Notice and the Stock Option Agreement.
         
Participant:
       
 
       
Grant Date:
       
 
       
Exercise Price per Share:
  $[       ] /Share    
 
       
Total Exercise Price:
     
 
       
Total Number of Shares Subject to the Option:
  shares    
 
       
 
       
Expiration Date:
       
 
       
 
       
Type of Option:   o Incentive Stock Option       o Non-Qualified Stock Option
 
       
Vesting Schedule:   [To be set forth in individual agreement]
 
       
Termination   The Option shall terminate on the Expiration Date set forth above or, if earlier, in accordance with the terms of the Stock Option Agreement.
By his or her signature, the Participant agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Stock Option Agreement and this Grant Notice. The Participant has reviewed the Stock Option Agreement, the Plan and this Grant Notice in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of this Grant Notice, the Stock Option Agreement and the Plan. The Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan or relating to the Option.
                     
AUTOZONE, INC.   PARTICIPANT
 
                   
By:
          By:        
 
                   
Print Name:
          Print Name:        
 
                   
Title:
                   
 
                   
Address:
  c/o Stock Administration Dept.       Address:        
 
                   
 
  123 South Front Street                
 
                   
 
  Memphis, TN 38103                

 

 


 

EXHIBIT A
TO STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
Pursuant to the Stock Option Grant Notice (the “ Grant Notice ”) to which this Stock Option Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is attached, AutoZone, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”), has granted to the Participant an option under the Company’s 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan, as amended from time to time (the “ Plan ”) to purchase the number of shares of Common Stock indicated in the Grant Notice.
ARTICLE I.
GENERAL
1.1 Incorporation of Terms of Plan . The Option is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan which are incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall control.
1.2 Definitions .
(a) “Cause” shall mean the willful engagement by Participant in conduct which is demonstrably or materially injurious to the Company, monetarily or otherwise. For this purpose, no act or failure to act by the Participant shall be considered “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant not in good faith and without reasonable belief that his action or omission was in the best interest of the Company.
(b) “Disability” shall mean a determination by the Company that Participant is “totally disabled,” within its meaning in the Company’s long term disability plan as in effect from time to time.
(c) “Retirement” shall mean Participant’s retirement at normal retirement age, as determined under the AutoZone, Inc. Associate’s Pension Plan, as it may be amended from time to time (or, if such plan ceases to exist or be applicable, as determined in the sole discretion of the Administrator).
ARTICLE II.
GRANT OF OPTION
2.1 Grant of Option . In consideration of the Participant’s past and/or continued employment with or service to the Company or any of its Affiliates and for other good and valuable consideration, effective as of the Grant Date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “ Grant Date ”), the Company irrevocably grants to the Participant the Option to purchase any part or all of an aggregate of the number of shares of Common Stock set forth in the Grant Notice, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan and this Agreement. Unless designated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option in the Grant Notice, the Option shall be an Incentive Stock Option to the maximum extent permitted by law.

 

A-1


 

2.2 Exercise Price . The exercise price of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall be as set forth in the Grant Notice, without commission or other charge; provided , however , that the price per share of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and the Participant is a Greater Than 10% Stockholder as of the Grant Date, the price per share of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Grant Date.
2.3 Consideration to the Company . In consideration of the grant of the Option by the Company, the Participant agrees to render faithful and efficient services to the Company or any of its Affiliates. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any of its Affiliates or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of the Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or any of its Affiliates and the Participant.
ARTICLE III.
PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY
3.1 Commencement of Exercisability .
(a) Subject to Sections 3.2, 3.3, 5.10 and 5.13 hereof, the Option shall become vested and exercisable in such amounts and at such times as are set forth in the Grant Notice.
(b) No portion of the Option which has not become vested and exercisable at the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service shall thereafter become vested and exercisable, except as may be otherwise provided by the Administrator or as set forth in a written agreement between the Company and the Participant.
3.2 Duration of Exercisability . The installments provided for in the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice are cumulative. Each such installment which becomes vested and exercisable pursuant to the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice shall remain vested and exercisable until it becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof.
3.3 Expiration of Option . The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after the first to occur of the following events:
(a) The Expiration Date set forth in the Grant Notice;
(b) If this Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and the Participant is a Greater Than 10% Stockholder as of the Grant Date, the expiration of five (5) years from the Grant Date;
(c) [Except to the extent set forth in an employment agreement between the Company and the Participant,] [t]he expiration of ninety (90) days from the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason other than (i) death or Disability, (ii) Retirement or (iii) for Cause;
(d) The expiration of one (1) year from the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of the Participant’s death or Disability;

 

A-2


 

(e) The expiration of the term stated in the Grant Notice following the Participant’s Termination of Service due to Retirement; or
(f) The commencement of business on the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service by the Company for Cause.
The Participant acknowledges that an Incentive Stock Option exercised more that three (3) months after the Participant’s Termination of Employment, other than by reason of death or Disability, will be taxed as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.
3.4 Special Tax Consequences . The Participant acknowledges that, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time the Option is granted) of all shares of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options, including the Option, are exercisable for the first time by the Participant in any calendar year exceeds $100,000, the Option and such other options shall be Non-Qualified Stock Options to the extent necessary to comply with the limitations imposed by Section 422(d) of the Code. The Participant further acknowledges that the rule set forth in the preceding sentence shall be applied by taking the Option and other “incentive stock options” into account in the order in which they were granted, as determined under Section 422(d) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.
ARTICLE IV.
EXERCISE OF OPTION
4.1 Person Eligible to Exercise . Except as provided in Sections 5.2(c) and 5.2(d) hereof, during the lifetime of the Participant, only the Participant may exercise the Option or any portion thereof. After the death of the Participant, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time when the Option becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof, be exercised by the Participant’s personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Participant’s will or under the then-applicable laws of descent and distribution.
4.2 Partial Exercise . Any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised in whole or in part at any time prior to the time when the Option or portion thereof becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof. However, the Option shall not be exercisable with respect to fractional shares.
4.3 Manner of Exercise . The Option, or any exercisable portion thereof, may be exercised solely by delivery to the Secretary of the Company (or any third party administrator or other person or entity designated by the Company) of all of the following prior to the time when the Option or such portion thereof becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof:
(a) A written or electronic notice complying with the applicable rules established by the Administrator stating that the Option, or a portion thereof, is exercised. The notice shall be signed by the Participant or other person then entitled to exercise the Option or such portion of the Option;
(b) Full payment of the exercise price and applicable withholding taxes to the stock administrator of the Company for the shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option, or portion thereof, is exercised, in a manner permitted by Section 4.4 hereof;
(c) Any other written representations or documents as may be required in the Administrator’s sole discretion to effect compliance with all applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any other federal, state or foreign securities laws or regulations, the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock are listed, quoted or traded or any other applicable law; and

 

A-3


 

(d) In the event the Option or portion thereof shall be exercised pursuant to Section 4.1 hereof by any person or persons other than the Participant, appropriate proof of the right of such person or persons to exercise the Option.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, the Company shall have the right to specify all conditions of the manner of exercise, which conditions may vary by country and which may be subject to change from time to time.
4.4 Method of Payment . Payment of the exercise price shall be by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of the Participant:
(a) Cash;
(b) Check;
(c) With the consent of the Administrator, delivery of a written or electronic notice that the Participant has placed a market sell order with a broker with respect to shares of Common Stock then issuable upon exercise of the Option, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of the aggregate exercise price; provided , that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company upon settlement of such sale;
(d) With the consent of the Administrator, surrender of other shares of Common Stock which have been owned by the Participant for such period of time as may be required by the Administrator in order to avoid adverse accounting consequences and having a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate exercise price of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option or portion thereof is being exercised;
(e) With the consent of the Administrator, surrendered shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Option having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the aggregate exercise price of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option or portion thereof is being exercised; or
(f) With the consent of the Administrator, such other form of legal consideration as may be acceptable to the Administrator.
4.5 Conditions to Issuance of Stock Certificates . The shares of Common Stock deliverable upon the exercise of the Option, or any portion thereof, may be either previously authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock, treasury shares of Common Stock or issued shares of Common Stock which have then been reacquired by the Company. Such shares of Common Stock shall be fully paid and nonassessable. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates or make any book entries evidencing shares of Common Stock purchased upon the exercise of the Option or portion thereof prior to fulfillment of the conditions set forth in Section 11.4 of the Plan.
4.6 Rights as Stockholder . The holder of the Option shall not be, nor have any of the rights or privileges of, a stockholder of the Company in respect of any shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of any part of the Option unless and until such shares of Common Stock shall have been issued by the Company to such holder (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company). No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date the shares of Common Stock are issued, except as provided in Section 13.2 of the Plan.

 

A-4


 

ARTICLE V.
OTHER PROVISIONS
5.1 Administration . The Administrator shall have the power to interpret the Plan and this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan as are consistent therewith and to interpret, amend or revoke any such rules. All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Administrator in good faith shall be final and binding upon the Participant, the Company and all other interested persons. No member of the Administrator or the Board shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan, this Agreement or the Option.
5.2 Transferability of Option . Except as otherwise set forth in the Plan:
(a) The Option may not be sold, pledged, assigned or transferred in any manner other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, subject to the consent of the Administrator, pursuant to a DRO, unless and until the Option has been exercised and the shares underlying the Option have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such shares have lapsed;
(b) The Option shall not be liable for the debts, contracts or engagements of the Participant or the Participant’s successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy) unless and until the Option has been exercised, and any attempted disposition thereof shall be null and void and of no effect, except to the extent that such disposition is permitted by Section 5.2(a) hereof; and
(c) During the lifetime of the Participant, only the Participant may exercise the Option (or any portion thereof), unless it has been disposed of pursuant to a DRO; after the death of the Participant, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time when such portion becomes unexercisable under the Plan or this Agreement, be exercised by the Participant’s personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Participant’s will or under the then applicable laws of descent and distribution.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the Participant may, in the manner determined by the Administrator, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant and to receive any distribution with respect to the Option upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights pursuant to the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, except to the extent the Plan and this Agreement otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Administrator. If the Participant is married or a domestic partner in a domestic partnership qualified under applicable law and resides in a community property state, a designation of a person other than the Participant’s spouse or domestic partner, as applicable, as his or her beneficiary with respect to more than 50% of the Participant’s interest in the Option shall not be effective without the prior written consent of the Participant’s spouse or domestic partner. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the person entitled thereto pursuant to the Participant’s will or the laws of descent and distribution. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by the Participant at any time provided the change or revocation is filed with the Administrator prior to the Participant’s death.

 

A-5


 

5.3 Tax Consultation . Participant understands that Participant may suffer adverse tax consequences as a result of the grant, vesting and/or exercise of the Option, and/or with the purchase or disposition of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option. Participant represents that Participant has consulted with any tax consultants Participant deems advisable in connection with the purchase or disposition of such shares and that Participant is not relying on the Company for any tax advice.
5.4 Adjustments . The Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and Article 13 of the Plan.
5.5 Notices . Any notice to be given by the Participant under the terms of this Agreement shall be addressed to the Secretary of the Company (or, in the event that the Participant is the Secretary of the Company, then to the Company’s non-executive Chairman of the Board or Lead Director). Any notice to be given to the Participant shall be addressed to him at his home address on record with the Company. By a notice given pursuant to this Section 5.5, either party may hereafter designate a different address for notices to be given to him. Any notice which is required to be given to the Participant shall, if Participant is then deceased, be given to the Participant’s personal representative if such representative has previously informed the Company of his or her status and address by written notice under this Section 5.5. Any notice required or permitted hereunder shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the United States mail by certified mail, with postage and fees prepaid, addressed as set forth above or upon confirmation of delivery by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service.
5.6 Participant’s Representations . If the shares of Common Stock purchasable pursuant to the exercise of this Option have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state laws on an effective registration statement at the time this Option is exercised, the Participant shall, if required by the Company, concurrently with the exercise of all or any portion of this Option, make such written representations as are deemed necessary or appropriate by the Company and/or its counsel.
5.7 Captions . Captions are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.
5.8 Governing Law . The laws of the State of Nevada shall govern the interpretation, validity, administration, enforcement and performance of the terms of this Agreement regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflicts of laws.
5.9 Conformity to Securities Laws . The Participant acknowledges that the Plan and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any and all regulations and rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, and state securities laws and regulations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan shall be administered, and the Option is granted and may be exercised, only in such a manner as to conform to such laws, rules and regulations. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Plan and this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such laws, rules and regulations.
5.10 Amendments, Suspension and Termination . To the extent permitted by the Plan, this Agreement may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Committee or the Board , provided, however , that, except as may otherwise be provided by the Plan, no amendment, modification, suspension or termination of this Agreement shall adversely affect the Option in any material way without the prior written consent of the Participant.

 

A-6


 

5.11 Successors and Assigns . The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth in this Article 5, this Agreement shall be binding upon the Participant and his or her heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.
5.12 Notification of Disposition . If this Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option, the Participant shall give prompt notice to the Company of any disposition or other transfer of any shares of Common Stock acquired under this Agreement if such disposition or transfer is made (a) within two years from the Grant Date with respect to such shares of Common Stock or (b) within one year after the transfer of such shares of Common Stock to the Participant. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the Participant in such disposition or other transfer.
5.13 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if the Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Option and this Agreement shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by applicable law, this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.
5.14 Not a Contract of Service . Nothing in this Agreement or in the Plan shall confer upon the Participant any right to continue to serve as an employee or other service provider of the Company or any of its Affiliates.
5.15 Entire Agreement . The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including all Exhibits thereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and its Affiliates and the Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.
5.16 Section 409A . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, this Agreement or the Grant Notice, the Plan, this Agreement and the Grant Notice shall be interpreted in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (together with any Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the date hereof, “ Section 409A ”). The Administrator may, in its discretion, adopt such amendments to the Plan, this Agreement or the Grant Notice or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, as the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A.

 

A-7

Exhibit 10.3
Executive Committee Members
AUTOZONE, INC.
2011 EQUITY INCENTIVE AWARD PLAN
STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE AND
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
AutoZone, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”), pursuant to its 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan, as amended from time to time (the “ Plan ”), hereby grants to the individual listed below (the “ Participant ”), an option to purchase the number of shares of the common stock of the Company (“ Common Stock ”), set forth below (the “ Option ”). This Option is subject to all of the terms and conditions set forth herein and in the Stock Option Agreement attached hereto as Exhibit A (the “ Stock Option Agreement ”) and the Plan, which are incorporated herein by reference. Unless otherwise defined herein, the terms defined in the Plan shall have the same defined meanings in this Grant Notice and the Stock Option Agreement.
         
Participant:
       
 
       
Grant Date:
       
 
       
Exercise Price per Share:
  $[       ] /Share    
 
       
Total Exercise Price:
  $    
 
       
Total Number of Shares Subject to the Option:
  shares    
 
       
 
       
Expiration Date:
       
 
       
 
       
Type of Option:   o Incentive Stock Option       o Non-Qualified Stock Option
 
       
Vesting Schedule:   [To be set forth in individual agreement]
 
       
Termination   The Option shall terminate on the Expiration Date set forth above or, if earlier, in accordance with the terms of the Stock Option Agreement.
By his or her signature, the Participant agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of the Plan, the Stock Option Agreement and this Grant Notice. The Participant has reviewed the Stock Option Agreement, the Plan and this Grant Notice in their entirety, has had an opportunity to obtain the advice of counsel prior to executing this Grant Notice and fully understands all provisions of this Grant Notice, the Stock Option Agreement and the Plan. The Participant hereby agrees to accept as binding, conclusive and final all decisions or interpretations of the Administrator upon any questions arising under the Plan or relating to the Option.
                     
AUTOZONE, INC.   PARTICIPANT
 
                   
By:
          By:        
 
                   
Print Name:
          Print Name:        
 
                   
Title:
                   
 
                   
Address:
  c/o Stock Administration Dept.       Address:        
 
                   
 
  123 South Front Street                
 
                   
 
  Memphis, TN 38103                

 

 


 

EXHIBIT A
TO STOCK OPTION GRANT NOTICE
STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
Pursuant to the Stock Option Grant Notice (the “ Grant Notice ”) to which this Stock Option Agreement (this “ Agreement ”) is attached, AutoZone, Inc., a Nevada corporation (the “ Company ”), has granted to the Participant an option under the Company’s 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan, as amended from time to time (the “ Plan ”) to purchase the number of shares of Common Stock indicated in the Grant Notice.
ARTICLE I.
GENERAL
1.1 Incorporation of Terms of Plan . The Option is subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan which are incorporated herein by reference. In the event of any inconsistency between the Plan and this Agreement, the terms of the Plan shall control.
1.2 Definitions .
(a) “Cause” shall mean the willful engagement by Participant in conduct which is demonstrably or materially injurious to the Company, monetarily or otherwise. For this purpose, no act or failure to act by the Participant shall be considered “willful” unless done, or omitted to be done, by the Participant not in good faith and without reasonable belief that his action or omission was in the best interest of the Company.
(b) “Disability” shall mean a determination by the Company that Participant is “totally disabled,” within its meaning in the Company’s long term disability plan as in effect from time to time.
(c) “Retirement” shall mean Participant’s retirement at normal retirement age, as determined under the AutoZone, Inc. Associate’s Pension Plan, as it may be amended from time to time (or, if such plan ceases to exist or be applicable, as determined in the sole discretion of the Administrator).
ARTICLE II.
GRANT OF OPTION
2.1 Grant of Option . In consideration of the Participant’s past and/or continued employment with or service to the Company or any of its Affiliates and for other good and valuable consideration, effective as of the Grant Date set forth in the Grant Notice (the “ Grant Date ”), the Company irrevocably grants to the Participant the Option to purchase any part or all of an aggregate of the number of shares of Common Stock set forth in the Grant Notice, upon the terms and conditions set forth in the Plan and this Agreement. Unless designated as a Non-Qualified Stock Option in the Grant Notice, the Option shall be an Incentive Stock Option to the maximum extent permitted by law.
2.2 Exercise Price . The exercise price of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall be as set forth in the Grant Notice, without commission or other charge; provided , however , that the price per share of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall not be less than 100% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the foregoing, if this Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and the Participant is a Greater Than 10% Stockholder as of the Grant Date, the price per share of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option shall not be less than 110% of the Fair Market Value of a share of Common Stock on the Grant Date.

 

A-1


 

2.3 Consideration to the Company . In consideration of the grant of the Option by the Company, the Participant agrees to render faithful and efficient services to the Company or any of its Affiliates. Nothing in the Plan or this Agreement shall confer upon the Participant any right to continue in the employ or service of the Company or any of its Affiliates or shall interfere with or restrict in any way the rights of the Company and its Subsidiaries, which rights are hereby expressly reserved, to discharge or terminate the services of the Participant at any time for any reason whatsoever, with or without Cause, except to the extent expressly provided otherwise in a written agreement between the Company or any of its Affiliates and the Participant.
ARTICLE III.
PERIOD OF EXERCISABILITY
3.1 Commencement of Exercisability .
(a) Subject to Sections 3.2, 3.3, 5.10 and 5.13 hereof, the Option shall become vested and exercisable in such amounts and at such times as are set forth in the Grant Notice.
(b) No portion of the Option which has not become vested and exercisable at the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service shall thereafter become vested and exercisable, except as may be otherwise provided by the Administrator or as set forth in a written agreement between the Company and the Participant.
3.2 Duration of Exercisability . The installments provided for in the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice are cumulative. Each such installment which becomes vested and exercisable pursuant to the vesting schedule set forth in the Grant Notice shall remain vested and exercisable until it becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof.
3.3 Expiration of Option . The Option may not be exercised to any extent by anyone after the first to occur of the following events:
(a) The Expiration Date set forth in the Grant Notice;
(b) If this Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option and the Participant is a Greater Than 10% Stockholder as of the Grant Date, the expiration of five (5) years from the Grant Date;
(c) [Except to the extent set forth in an employment agreement between the Company and the Participant,] [t]he expiration of ninety (90) days from the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service for any reason other than (i) death or Disability, (ii) Retirement or (iii) by the Company for Cause or other than for Cause;
(d) The expiration of one (1) year from the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service by reason of the Participant’s death or Disability;
(e) The expiration of the term stated in the Grant Notice following the Participant’s Termination of Service due to Retirement;
(f) The commencement of business on the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service by the Company for Cause; or

 

A-2


 

(g) [Except to the extent set forth in an employment agreement between the Company and the Participant,] [i]n the event of the Participant’s Termination of Service by the Company other than for Cause, the expiration of the “Severance Period” as defined in the Non-Compete and Severance Agreement between the Participant and the Company ( provided, however , that no portion of the Option which has not vested and become exercisable as of the date of the Participant’s Termination of Service shall thereafter vest and become exercisable).
The Participant acknowledges that an Incentive Stock Option exercised more that three (3) months after the Participant’s Termination of Employment, other than by reason of death or Disability, will be taxed as a Non-Qualified Stock Option.
3.4 Special Tax Consequences . The Participant acknowledges that, to the extent that the aggregate Fair Market Value (determined as of the time the Option is granted) of all shares of Common Stock with respect to which Incentive Stock Options, including the Option, are exercisable for the first time by the Participant in any calendar year exceeds $100,000, the Option and such other options shall be Non-Qualified Stock Options to the extent necessary to comply with the limitations imposed by Section 422(d) of the Code. The Participant further acknowledges that the rule set forth in the preceding sentence shall be applied by taking the Option and other “incentive stock options” into account in the order in which they were granted, as determined under Section 422(d) of the Code and the Treasury Regulations thereunder.
ARTICLE IV.
EXERCISE OF OPTION
4.1 Person Eligible to Exercise . Except as provided in Sections 5.2(c) and 5.2(d) hereof, during the lifetime of the Participant, only the Participant may exercise the Option or any portion thereof. After the death of the Participant, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time when the Option becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof, be exercised by the Participant’s personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Participant’s will or under the then-applicable laws of descent and distribution.
4.2 Partial Exercise . Any exercisable portion of the Option or the entire Option, if then wholly exercisable, may be exercised in whole or in part at any time prior to the time when the Option or portion thereof becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof. However, the Option shall not be exercisable with respect to fractional shares.
4.3 Manner of Exercise . The Option, or any exercisable portion thereof, may be exercised solely by delivery to the Secretary of the Company (or any third party administrator or other person or entity designated by the Company) of all of the following prior to the time when the Option or such portion thereof becomes unexercisable under Section 3.3 hereof:
(a) A written or electronic notice complying with the applicable rules established by the Administrator stating that the Option, or a portion thereof, is exercised. The notice shall be signed by the Participant or other person then entitled to exercise the Option or such portion of the Option;
(b) Full payment of the exercise price and applicable withholding taxes to the stock administrator of the Company for the shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option, or portion thereof, is exercised, in a manner permitted by Section 4.4 hereof;

 

A-3


 

(c) Any other written representations or documents as may be required in the Administrator’s sole discretion to effect compliance with all applicable provisions of the Securities Act, the Exchange Act, any other federal, state or foreign securities laws or regulations, the rules of any securities exchange or automated quotation system on which the shares of Common Stock are listed, quoted or traded or any other applicable law; and
(d) In the event the Option or portion thereof shall be exercised pursuant to Section 4.1 hereof by any person or persons other than the Participant, appropriate proof of the right of such person or persons to exercise the Option.
Notwithstanding any of the foregoing, the Company shall have the right to specify all conditions of the manner of exercise, which conditions may vary by country and which may be subject to change from time to time.
4.4 Method of Payment . Payment of the exercise price shall be by any of the following, or a combination thereof, at the election of the Participant:
(a) Cash;
(b) Check;
(c) With the consent of the Administrator, delivery of a written or electronic notice that the Participant has placed a market sell order with a broker with respect to shares of Common Stock then issuable upon exercise of the Option, and that the broker has been directed to pay a sufficient portion of the net proceeds of the sale to the Company in satisfaction of the aggregate exercise price; provided , that payment of such proceeds is then made to the Company upon settlement of such sale;
(d) With the consent of the Administrator, surrender of other shares of Common Stock which have been owned by the Participant for such period of time as may be required by the Administrator in order to avoid adverse accounting consequences and having a Fair Market Value on the date of surrender equal to the aggregate exercise price of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option or portion thereof is being exercised;
(e) With the consent of the Administrator, surrendered shares of Common Stock issuable upon the exercise of the Option having a Fair Market Value on the date of exercise equal to the aggregate exercise price of the shares of Common Stock with respect to which the Option or portion thereof is being exercised; or
(f) With the consent of the Administrator, such other form of legal consideration as may be acceptable to the Administrator.
4.5 Conditions to Issuance of Stock Certificates . The shares of Common Stock deliverable upon the exercise of the Option, or any portion thereof, may be either previously authorized but unissued shares of Common Stock, treasury shares of Common Stock or issued shares of Common Stock which have then been reacquired by the Company. Such shares of Common Stock shall be fully paid and nonassessable. The Company shall not be required to issue or deliver any certificates or make any book entries evidencing shares of Common Stock purchased upon the exercise of the Option or portion thereof prior to fulfillment of the conditions set forth in Section 11.4 of the Plan.
4.6 Rights as Stockholder . The holder of the Option shall not be, nor have any of the rights or privileges of, a stockholder of the Company in respect of any shares of Common Stock purchasable upon the exercise of any part of the Option unless and until such shares of Common Stock shall have been issued by the Company to such holder (as evidenced by the appropriate entry on the books of the Company or of a duly authorized transfer agent of the Company). No adjustment will be made for a dividend or other right for which the record date is prior to the date the shares of Common Stock are issued, except as provided in Section 13.2 of the Plan.

 

A-4


 

ARTICLE V.
OTHER PROVISIONS
5.1 Administration . The Administrator shall have the power to interpret the Plan and this Agreement and to adopt such rules for the administration, interpretation and application of the Plan as are consistent therewith and to interpret, amend or revoke any such rules. All actions taken and all interpretations and determinations made by the Administrator in good faith shall be final and binding upon the Participant, the Company and all other interested persons. No member of the Administrator or the Board shall be personally liable for any action, determination or interpretation made in good faith with respect to the Plan, this Agreement or the Option.
5.2 Transferability of Option . Except as otherwise set forth in the Plan:
(a) The Option may not be sold, pledged, assigned or transferred in any manner other than by will or the laws of descent and distribution or, subject to the consent of the Administrator, pursuant to a DRO, unless and until the Option has been exercised and the shares underlying the Option have been issued, and all restrictions applicable to such shares have lapsed;
(b) The Option shall not be liable for the debts, contracts or engagements of the Participant or the Participant’s successors in interest or shall be subject to disposition by transfer, alienation, anticipation, pledge, hypothecation, encumbrance, assignment or any other means whether such disposition be voluntary or involuntary or by operation of law by judgment, levy, attachment, garnishment or any other legal or equitable proceedings (including bankruptcy) unless and until the Option has been exercised, and any attempted disposition thereof shall be null and void and of no effect, except to the extent that such disposition is permitted by Section 5.2(a) hereof; and
(c) During the lifetime of the Participant, only the Participant may exercise the Option (or any portion thereof), unless it has been disposed of pursuant to a DRO; after the death of the Participant, any exercisable portion of the Option may, prior to the time when such portion becomes unexercisable under the Plan or this Agreement, be exercised by the Participant’s personal representative or by any person empowered to do so under the deceased Participant’s will or under the then applicable laws of descent and distribution.
(d) Notwithstanding any other provision in this Agreement, the Participant may, in the manner determined by the Administrator, designate a beneficiary to exercise the rights of the Participant and to receive any distribution with respect to the Option upon the Participant’s death. A beneficiary, legal guardian, legal representative, or other person claiming any rights pursuant to the Plan is subject to all terms and conditions of the Plan and this Agreement, except to the extent the Plan and this Agreement otherwise provide, and to any additional restrictions deemed necessary or appropriate by the Administrator. If the Participant is married or a domestic partner in a domestic partnership qualified under applicable law and resides in a community property state, a designation of a person other than the Participant’s spouse or domestic partner, as applicable, as his or her beneficiary with respect to more than 50% of the Participant’s interest in the Option shall not be effective without the prior written consent of the Participant’s spouse or domestic partner. If no beneficiary has been designated or survives the Participant, payment shall be made to the person entitled thereto pursuant to the Participant’s will or the laws of descent and distribution. Subject to the foregoing, a beneficiary designation may be changed or revoked by the Participant at any time provided the change or revocation is filed with the Administrator prior to the Participant’s death.
5.3 Tax Consultation . Participant understands that Participant may suffer adverse tax consequences as a result of the grant, vesting and/or exercise of the Option, and/or with the purchase or disposition of the shares of Common Stock subject to the Option. Participant represents that Participant has consulted with any tax consultants Participant deems advisable in connection with the purchase or disposition of such shares and that Participant is not relying on the Company for any tax advice.

 

A-5


 

5.4 Adjustments . The Participant acknowledges that the Option is subject to modification and termination in certain events as provided in this Agreement and Article 13 of the Plan.
5.5 Notices . Any notice to be given by the Participant under the terms of this Agreement shall be addressed to the Secretary of the Company (or, in the event that the Participant is the Secretary of the Company, then to the Company’s non-executive Chairman of the Board or Lead Director). Any notice to be given to the Participant shall be addressed to him at his home address on record with the Company. By a notice given pursuant to this Section 5.5, either party may hereafter designate a different address for notices to be given to him. Any notice which is required to be given to the Participant shall, if Participant is then deceased, be given to the Participant’s personal representative if such representative has previously informed the Company of his or her status and address by written notice under this Section 5.5. Any notice required or permitted hereunder shall be given in writing and shall be deemed effectively given upon personal delivery or upon deposit in the United States mail by certified mail, with postage and fees prepaid, addressed as set forth above or upon confirmation of delivery by a nationally recognized overnight delivery service.
5.6 Participant’s Representations . If the shares of Common Stock purchasable pursuant to the exercise of this Option have not been registered under the Securities Act or any applicable state laws on an effective registration statement at the time this Option is exercised, the Participant shall, if required by the Company, concurrently with the exercise of all or any portion of this Option, make such written representations as are deemed necessary or appropriate by the Company and/or its counsel.
5.7 Captions . Captions are provided herein for convenience only and are not to serve as a basis for interpretation or construction of this Agreement.
5.8 Governing Law . The laws of the State of Nevada shall govern the interpretation, validity, administration, enforcement and performance of the terms of this Agreement regardless of the law that might be applied under principles of conflicts of laws.
5.9 Conformity to Securities Laws . The Participant acknowledges that the Plan and this Agreement are intended to conform to the extent necessary with all provisions of the Securities Act and the Exchange Act and any and all regulations and rules promulgated by the Securities and Exchange Commission thereunder, and state securities laws and regulations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Plan shall be administered, and the Option is granted and may be exercised, only in such a manner as to conform to such laws, rules and regulations. To the extent permitted by applicable law, the Plan and this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such laws, rules and regulations.
5.10 Amendments, Suspension and Termination . To the extent permitted by the Plan, this Agreement may be wholly or partially amended or otherwise modified, suspended or terminated at any time or from time to time by the Committee or the Board , provided, however , that, except as may otherwise be provided by the Plan, no amendment, modification, suspension or termination of this Agreement shall adversely affect the Option in any material way without the prior written consent of the Participant.
5.11 Successors and Assigns . The Company may assign any of its rights under this Agreement to single or multiple assignees, and this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of the successors and assigns of the Company. Subject to the restrictions on transfer herein set forth in this Article 5, this Agreement shall be binding upon the Participant and his or her heirs, executors, administrators, successors and assigns.

 

A-6


 

5.12 Notification of Disposition . If this Option is designated as an Incentive Stock Option, the Participant shall give prompt notice to the Company of any disposition or other transfer of any shares of Common Stock acquired under this Agreement if such disposition or transfer is made (a) within two years from the Grant Date with respect to such shares of Common Stock or (b) within one year after the transfer of such shares of Common Stock to the Participant. Such notice shall specify the date of such disposition or other transfer and the amount realized, in cash, other property, assumption of indebtedness or other consideration, by the Participant in such disposition or other transfer.
5.13 Limitations Applicable to Section 16 Persons . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan or this Agreement, if the Participant is subject to Section 16 of the Exchange Act, the Plan, the Option and this Agreement shall be subject to any additional limitations set forth in any applicable exemptive rule under Section 16 of the Exchange Act (including any amendment to Rule 16b-3 of the Exchange Act) that are requirements for the application of such exemptive rule. To the extent permitted by applicable law, this Agreement shall be deemed amended to the extent necessary to conform to such applicable exemptive rule.
5.14 Not a Contract of Service . Nothing in this Agreement or in the Plan shall confer upon the Participant any right to continue to serve as an employee or other service provider of the Company or any of its Affiliates.
5.15 Entire Agreement . The Plan, the Grant Notice and this Agreement (including all Exhibits thereto) constitute the entire agreement of the parties and supersede in their entirety all prior undertakings and agreements of the Company and its Affiliates and the Participant with respect to the subject matter hereof.
5.16 Section 409A . Notwithstanding any other provision of the Plan, this Agreement or the Grant Notice, the Plan, this Agreement and the Grant Notice shall be interpreted in accordance with the requirements of Section 409A of the Code (together with any Department of Treasury regulations and other interpretive guidance issued thereunder, including without limitation any such regulations or other guidance that may be issued after the date hereof, “ Section 409A ”). The Administrator may, in its discretion, adopt such amendments to the Plan, this Agreement or the Grant Notice or adopt other policies and procedures (including amendments, policies and procedures with retroactive effect), or take any other actions, as the Administrator determines are necessary or appropriate to comply with the requirements of Section 409A.

 

A-7

Exhibit 10.4
FIRST AMENDED AND RESTATED

AUTOZONE, INC. ENHANCED SEVERANCE PAY PLAN
AutoZone, Inc. (hereinafter the “Company”) hereby adopts the First Amended and Restated AutoZone, Inc. Enhanced Severance Pay Plan (the “Plan”), effective upon the date of its execution.
Section 1: Purpose; Definitions
1.1 Purpose. The purpose of the Plan is to provide severance pay to eligible employees of the Company and its Designated Subsidiaries in the circumstances and on the conditions specified. The Plan is an “employee welfare benefit plan” within the meaning of Section 3(1) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended, (hereinafter “ERISA”). Neither the receipt nor the amount of any severance payment is contingent, directly or indirectly, on an employee’s retirement. Severance payments are contingent, prospective payments that may be provided under the circumstances and conditions described.
1.2 Definitions .
a.  Cause. With respect to any Participant, Cause shall have the meaning set forth in the noncompete agreement between or among the Company, the Designated Subsidiary and the Participant, as applicable.
b.  Code. The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended from time to time, or any successor thereto.
c.  Covered Employer . For purposes of the Plan, the term “Covered Employer” is defined to mean the Company or one of the Company’s Designated Subsidiaries.
d.  Designated Subsidiaries . For purposes of the Plan, the term “Designated Subsidiaries” means those companies listed on Appendix “A” hereto.
e.  Eligible Employee. An individual designated by the Company or a Designated Subsidiary, who (i) has executed a noncompete agreement in a form acceptable to the Company or the Designated Subsidiary, (ii) is not eligible for severance benefits under any other plan, program, policy, procedure or agreement of or with the Company or the Designated Subsidiary, (iii) incurs a Separation From Service without Cause, by action of the Company or Designated Subsidiary, other than as a result of death, total disability as contemplated by a long term disability plan of the Company or Designated Subsidiary, or any voluntary resignation or termination, and (iv) executes a Final Release, at the time of Separation From Service.
f.  Final Release . A general release effective between or among the Company and/or Designated Subsidiary and the Participant, which is satisfactory in form and substance to the Company and/or the Designated Subsidiary, as applicable, and for which the period has expired for the exercise of any revocation rights of the Participant with respect thereto.
g.  Other Key Employees . Any Eligible Employee other than a Senior Officer or a Vice President.

 

 


 

h.  Participant . Each Eligible Employee.
i.  Plan Administrator . The Company is the Plan Administrator. The Company may delegate its authority under the Plan to such person(s) as it deems necessary or appropriate from time to time, and any such delegation shall carry with it the Plan Administrator’s discretionary authority.
j.  Plan Year. The Plan Year is the 12-month period beginning each January 1 and ending the next following December 31.
k.  Separation From Service . A termination of substantial services for the Company and any affiliate thereof within the contemplation of Code Sections 414(b) and 414(c). An individual will not be treated as having incurred a Separation From Service where the individual’s level of future services for the Company and any affiliate is reasonably anticipated by the Employer to exceed 20% of the average level of bona fide services provided by that individual in any capacity for the prior 36 month period, or the prior period of services if less, but will be treated as having incurred a Separation From Service at any time when such reasonably anticipated level of future services is equal to or less than such 20% average level of prior services.
l.  Senior Officer . An officer of the Company above the level of Vice President, including, without limitation, the President, Senior Vice Presidents, Executive Vice Presidents, the Chief Operating Officer and the Chief Executive Officer.
m.  Specified Employee . Any service provider who, as of the date of a Separation From Service, is a key employee of the Company within the contemplation of Code Section 416(i)(1)(A)(i), (ii), or (iii) at any time during the 12-month period ending on a specified employee identification date. The Specified Employee identification date is December 31. The Specified Employee effective date is the first day of the fourth month following the Specified Employee identification date.
n.  Standard Severance Policy . The severance policy generally applicable to employees of the Company or the Designated Subsidiary, as applicable.
o.  Vice President . A Vice President of the Company.
p.  Year of Service . A calendar year in which an individual is credited with not fewer than one thousand (1,000) hours of service, as determined under Department of Labor Regulation 2530.200b-2(b) and (c).
Section 2: Eligibility
Each individual is a Participant in the Plan as of the date the individual satisfies all elements of the definition of an Eligible Employee. No other persons have any rights under the Plan or to receive any benefit under the Plan.

 

1


 

Section 3: Plan Benefits
3.1 Benefits. A Participant is eligible to receive periodic severance payments based upon employment status at the time of a Separation From Service, in accordance with the applicable following schedule:
Senior Officers :
         
    Duration of  
Years of Service   Periodic Severance  
0-1
  12 months
1-5
  18 months
5+
  24 months
Vice Presidents:
         
    Duration of  
Years of Service   Periodic Severance  
0-2
  6 months
2-5
  9 months
5+
  12 months
Other Key Employees :
         
    Duration of  
Years of Service   Periodic Severance  
0-2
  3 months
2-5
  6 months
5+
  9 months
3.2 Payment of Benefits . Plan benefits will be the Participant’s base pay amount, for the appropriate duration described in section 3.1, using the payroll date frequency in effect for the Participant as of the date the individual incurs a Separation From Service, as provided in this section 3.2.
a.  Payment Timing . Payment of Plan benefits will commence on the 60 th day following the Participant’s Separation From Service, provided the Participant has executed a Final Release (for which any revocation rights have expired) before the end of such 60 day period. Plan benefits with respect to the period from the date of Separation From Service until such payment commencement date will be accumulated and paid on the first business date which occurs after the expiration of such 60 day period, and remaining Plan benefits will be paid thereafter on normal payroll cycles (except as otherwise provided in section 5.3 with respect to certain death benefits).
b.  Specified Employees . Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the case of any Specified Employee, any payment which would otherwise be made within the six (6) month period after the date of the Participant’s Separation From Service will be accumulated and paid on the first business date which occurs after the expiration of such six (6) month period.

 

2


 

c.  No Final Release . If an otherwise Eligible Employee fails to execute a Final Release (for which any revocation rights have expired) before the end of the 60 day period described in section 3.2.a. above, such individual shall be ineligible for Plan benefits.
3.3 Deductions. The employer will effect all legally required deductions.
Section 4: Financing Plan Benefits
All Plan benefits shall be paid directly by the Company or Designated Subsidiary out of its general assets. All Plan benefits are unfunded and unsecured until paid.
Section 5: Miscellaneous
5.1 Employment Rights. The Plan does not constitute a contract of employment. Participation does not give any person the right to be rehired or retained.
5.2 Controlling Law. ERISA shall be controlling in all matters relating to the Plan. The provisions of this Plan are intended to be applied in a manner consistent with Code Section 409A, but neither the Company nor any affiliate thereof shall be liable for any determination by any person(s) that the arrangement or the administration thereof is subject to the tax provisions of Code Section 409A.
5.3 Interests Not Transferable. The interests of persons entitled to benefits under the Plan may not be sold, transferred, alienated, assigned nor encumbered; provided, however, that upon the death of a Participant in pay status under the Plan, the sum of any remaining scheduled benefit payments will be paid in a lump sum to the surviving spouse of the Participant, if any, or if none then to the estate of the Participant.
5.4 Headings. The headings of sections and subsections herein are for convenience of reference only and shall not be construed or interpreted as part of the Plan.
5.5 Severability. If any provision of the Plan shall be held to be illegal or invalid for any reason, such illegality or invalidity shall not affect the remaining parts of the Plan, and the Plan shall be construed and enforced as if such illegal or invalid provision had never been contained in the Plan.

 

3


 

5.6 Administration. The Plan Administrator shall have the sole and final power, duty, discretion, authority and responsibility of directing and administering the Plan. All directions by the Plan Administrator shall be conclusive on all parties concerned. The Plan Administrator shall have the sole, absolute and final right and power to construe, interpret and administer the provisions of the Plan including, but not limited to, the power (i) to construe any ambiguity and interpret any provision of the Plan or supply any omission or reconcile any inconsistencies in such manner as it deems proper, (ii) to determine eligibility to become a Participant in the Plan in accordance with its terms, (iii) to decide all questions of eligibility for, and determine the amount, manner, and time of payment of, any benefits hereunder, and (iv) to establish uniform rules and procedures to be followed in any matters required to administer the Plan.
Section 6: Amendment and Termination
The Company reserves the right, in its sole discretion, to amend the Plan from time to time or to terminate the Plan, all without prior notice. No representation by anyone can extend the Company’s severance pay policies to provide for severance payments that are not covered by the Plan.

 

4


 

APPENDIX A
LIST OF DESIGNATED SUBSIDIARIES
AutoZoners, LLC
AutoZone Puerto Rico, Inc.
AutoZone West, Inc.
AZ California, LLC
AZ Texas, LLC
ServiceZone S. de RL de CV

 

5

Exhibit 12.1
Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
(Unaudited)
(in thousands, except ratios)
                 
    Twenty-Four Weeks Ended  
    February 12,     February 13,  
    2011     2010  
Earnings:
               
Income before income taxes
  $ 501,039     $ 418,160  
Fixed charges
    108,190       101,984  
Less: Capitalized interest
    (316 )     (527 )
 
           
Adjusted earnings
  $ 608,913     $ 519,617  
 
           
 
               
Fixed charges:
               
Gross interest expense
  $ 74,153     $ 71,522  
Amortization of debt expense
    3,898       2,999  
Interest portion of rent expense
    30,139       27,463  
 
           
Fixed charges
  $ 108,190     $ 101,984  
 
           
 
               
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
    5.6       5.1  
 
           
                                         
    Fiscal Year Ended August  
    2010     2009     2008     2007     2006  
    (52 weeks)     (52 weeks)     (53 weeks)     (52 weeks)     (52 weeks)  
 
                                       
Earnings:
                                       
Income before income taxes
  $ 1,160,505     $ 1,033,746     $ 1,007,389     $ 936,150     $ 902,036  
Fixed charges
    223,608       204,017       173,311       170,852       156,976  
Less: Capitalized interest
    (1,093 )     (1,301 )     (1,313 )     (1,376 )     (1,985 )
 
                             
Adjusted earnings
  $ 1,383,020     $ 1,236,462     $ 1,179,387     $ 1,105,626     $ 1,057,027  
 
                             
 
                                       
Fixed charges:
                                       
Gross interest expense
  $ 156,135     $ 143,860     $ 120,006     $ 121,592     $ 110,568  
Amortization of debt expense
    6,495       3,644       1,837       1,719       1,559  
Interest portion of rent expense
    60,978       56,513       51,468       47,541       44,849  
 
                             
Fixed charges
  $ 223,608     $ 204,017     $ 173,311     $ 170,852     $ 156,976  
 
                             
 
                                       
Ratio of earnings to fixed charges
    6.2       6.1       6.8       6.5       6.7  
 
                             

 

 

Exhibit 15.1
The Board of Directors and Stockholders
AutoZone, Inc.
We are aware of the incorporation by reference in the following Registration Statements of AutoZone, Inc. and in the related Prospectuses of our report dated March 17, 2011, related to the unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements of AutoZone, Inc. that are included in its Form 10-Q for the quarter ended February 12, 2011:
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-19561) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. 1996 Stock Option Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-42797) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-48981) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. 1998 Director Stock Option Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-48979) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. 1998 Director Compensation Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-88245) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. Second Amended and Restated 1996 Stock Option Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-88243) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. Amended and Restated 1998 Director Stock Option Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-88241) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. Amended and Restated Director Compensation Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-75142) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. Third Amended and Restated 1998 Director Stock Option Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-75140) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. Executive Stock Purchase Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-83436) pertaining to a shelf registration to sell 15,000,000 shares of common stock owned by certain selling stockholders
Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-100205) pertaining to a registration to sell $500 million of debt securities
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-103665) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. 2003 Director Compensation Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-103666) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. 2003 Director Stock Option Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-107828) pertaining to a registration to sell $500 million of debt securities
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-139559) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. 2006 Stock Option Plan
Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-152592) pertaining to a shelf registration to sell debt securities
Registration Statement (Form S-3 No. 333-118308) pertaining to the registration to sell $200 million of debt securities
Registration Statement (Form S-8 No. 333-171186) pertaining to the AutoZone, Inc. 2011 Equity Incentive Award Plan
/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
Memphis, Tennessee
March 17, 2011

 

 

Exhibit 31.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, William C. Rhodes, III, certify that:
1.   I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of AutoZone, Inc. (“registrant”);
2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4.   The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
  (a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
 
  (b)   designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
 
  (c)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
 
  (d)   disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.   The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
  (a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
  (b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
March 17, 2011
         
  /s/ WILLIAM C. RHODES, III    
  William C. Rhodes, III   
  Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)   
 

 

 

Exhibit 31.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
RULES 13a-14(a) AND 15d-14(a) UNDER THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934,
AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO SECTION 302 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
I, William T. Giles, certify that:
1.   I have reviewed this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of AutoZone, Inc. (“registrant”);
2.   Based on my knowledge, this report does not contain any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state a material fact necessary to make the statements made, in light of the circumstances under which such statements were made, not misleading with respect to the period covered by this report;
3.   Based on my knowledge, the financial statements, and other financial information included in this report, fairly present in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the registrant as of, and for, the periods presented in this report;
4.   The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I are responsible for establishing and maintaining disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) and internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f)) for the registrant and have:
  (a)   designed such disclosure controls and procedures, or caused such disclosure controls and procedures to be designed under our supervision, to ensure that material information relating to the registrant, including its consolidated subsidiaries, is made known to us by others within those entities, particularly during the period in which this report is being prepared;
 
  (b)   designed such internal control over financial reporting, or caused such internal control over financial reporting to be designed under our supervision, to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles;
 
  (c)   evaluated the effectiveness of the registrant’s disclosure controls and procedures and presented in this report our conclusions about the effectiveness of the disclosure controls and procedures, as of the end of the period covered by this report based on such evaluation; and
 
  (d)   disclosed in this report any change in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the registrant’s most recent fiscal quarter (the registrant’s fourth fiscal quarter in the case of an annual report) that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting; and
5.   The registrant’s other certifying officer(s) and I have disclosed, based on our most recent evaluation of internal control over financial reporting, to the registrant’s auditors and the audit committee of the registrant’s board of directors (or persons performing the equivalent functions):
  (a)   all significant deficiencies and material weaknesses in the design or operation of internal control over financial reporting which are reasonably likely to adversely affect the registrant’s ability to record, process, summarize and report financial information; and
  (b)   any fraud, whether or not material, that involves management or other employees who have a significant role in the registrant’s internal control over financial reporting.
March 17, 2011
         
  /s/ WILLIAM T. GILES    
  William T. Giles   
  Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President,
Finance, Information Technology and Store Development
(Principal Financial Officer) 
 
 

 

 

Exhibit 32.1
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of AutoZone, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended February 12, 2011, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, William C. Rhodes, III, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
  (i)   the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
  (ii)   the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
March 17, 2011
         
  /s/ WILLIAM C. RHODES, III    
  William C. Rhodes, III   
  Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)   
 

 

 

Exhibit 32.2
CERTIFICATION PURSUANT TO
18 U.S.C. SECTION 1350, AS ADOPTED PURSUANT TO
SECTION 906 OF THE SARBANES-OXLEY ACT OF 2002
In connection with the Quarterly Report of AutoZone, Inc. (the “Company”) on Form 10-Q for the period ended February 12, 2011, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on the date hereof (the “Report”), I, William T. Giles, certify, pursuant to 18 U.S.C. Section 1350, as adopted pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, that:
  (i)   the Report fully complies with the requirements of Section 13(a) or Section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934; and
  (ii)   the information contained in the Report fairly presents, in all material respects, the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.
March 17, 2011
         
  /s/ WILLIAM T. GILES    
  William T. Giles   
  Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President,
Finance, Information Technology and Store Development
(Principal Financial Officer)