Remember 2015? I know it feels like a century ago but bear with me… We were all watching Making a Murderer, pretending hoverboards were safe, and “tariff” was a word that sounded like it belonged in a Game of Thrones battle strategy. Fast-forward to 2025 and tariff might as well be the Wordle answer three times a week.

Welcome to the new normal… where one guy (as in Trump) coughs in Washington, and your retirement portfolio loses 3%. And in the middle of all this madness? AutoZone, the quiet killer in your portfolio that doesn’t flinch when the market gets anxious.

Uncertainty is the only certainty. And in an environment where macro headlines move trillions in an instant, investors are begging for stability. Who knew that AutoZone would be the duct tape of stocks. Not flashy, but reliable.

In fact, Bank of America just initiated a “Buy” rating on AutoZone and jacked its price target by 23% to a hefty $4,800. That’s a pretty loud vote of confidence heading into next week’s earnings. FYI: they’re predicting $38.15 per share, well above the $36.89 consensus.

So, why the bullish vibes? Because when tariffs jack up car prices (BofA estimates by $3,285, minimum), people don’t buy new rides. They fix what’s sitting in the driveway… and that means more love for AutoZone’s aisles of wiper blades and brake pads.

AutoZone’s business model is basically recession-proof and tariff-tolerant. So, when the economy’s coughing up hairballs, they thrive. The more people delay buying new cars, the more they fix the ones they’ve got. And AutoZone is sitting there, arms open, like the Home Depot of busted transmissions.

AutoZone runs like a German-engineered watch. It’s got over 7,000 stores (with 6,000 in the U.S.), serves 80% DIYers and 20% pros, and has more parts than a junkyard… with stores housing 20K–25K SKUs, and hub stores rocking 80K+.

Oh, and they’ve been buying back their stock like it’s a limited-edition sneaker drop… reducing shares outstanding by 50% over the last decade. Respect.

Sure, AutoZone sells parts made overseas, so it should be sweating bullets over tariffs. But management’s basically like, “We’re good.” CFO Jamere Jackson straight-up said their business is inelastic… people need these parts. So if prices rise, they’ll pass along the cost and keep margins intact.

AutoZone doesn’t care if it’s rain, shine, or global economic hellscape. It just performs. In fact, it outperforms… especially in bear markets. And the proof’s in the pudding, considering shares are up 37% over the last year.

Stocks.News has positions in AutoZone and Bank of America.