AutoZone earnings and revenues rise

AutoZone profit grew 6.4% in the final quarter of the fiscal year. The auto parts retailer also reported higher revenues, with sales at stores open at least a year higher by 1% for the current quarter.

Also, the increase in revenues was driven by new store openings, and the increase in inventory and selection of products.

The company's ongoing inventory rollout has gone very well and will continue in 2017, the Thursday Chief Executive Bill Rhodes said.

Inventory per store climbed 2.5% from a year ago, while overall inventory increased 6.1%.

AutoZone opened 71 new stores and relocated two stores in the U.S., bringing its total to 5,297. Check the AutoZone Circular for the monthly motor oil and auto parts best deals & specials.

For the August quarter, AutoZone reported a profit of $426.8 million, up from $401.1 million, and revenues climbed 3.3% to $3.4 billion.

AutoZone had a gross margin of 52.8%, up from 52.5% a year earlier.

FDA bans antibacterial soaps

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) banned antibacterial soaps this month, because they're not cleaner, or safer than regular soap.

"Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are any better than plain soap and water," said Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research said.

"In fact, some data suggest that antibacterial ingredients may do more harm than good over the long-term.", the official said.

The ban applies to products with 19 active ingredients, including triclosan and triclocarban.

One study, published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Chemotherapy in September 2015, compared soap containing triclosan with regular soap both in lab tests and on people's hands.

The researchers exposed people to a type of common bacteria than can infect those with weakened immune systems, then had them wash their hands with triclosan and regular soap.

They found no difference between the two soaps.

Multiple studies have found that handwashing with antibacterial soap does not remove more bacteria or prevent more illnesses than washing with regular soap.

While regular soap works by mechanically removing germs from your hands, antibacterial soap contains chemicals that can kill bacteria or inhibit their growth. The old wash-off-the-germs method works just as well as kill-them-on-contact.

The FDA first registered triclosan in 1969, and the chemical has been added to soaps, cosmetics and cleaning products since then.

But triclosan soap is not just an equally effective replacement for ordinary soap — it may actually be worse than non-antibacterial varieties.

Studies have found that triclosan can increase bacterial antibiotic resistance, affect hormone regulation in animals and kill algae.

Source: Business Insider