AutoZone recorded higher sales in its latest quarter and said it expects its growth to continue in the year ahead.

The auto-parts retailer on Tuesday posted a fiscal fourth-quarter profit of $931.6 million, or $56.05 a share, compared with $837 million, or $48.71 a share, a year earlier. Analysts polled by FactSet expected earnings of $54.08 a share.

Revenue rose 5.6% to $6.59 billion, compared with analyst estimates of $6.7 billion.

Same-store sales, or those from stores open at least a year, rose 2.7%, compared with analyst estimates for a 3.8% increase. On a constant-currency basis, the figure was up 1.5%, with an uptick at both domestic and international locations.

Chief Executive Phil Daniele said the company contended with a difficult selling environment in the first half of the quarter, but that sales results strengthened in the back half.

The company is well positioned for sales growth in the year ahead, Daniele said.

"Based on the data we have, we continued to gain share and we expect sales in each of the three countries in which we operate to accelerate in the new fiscal year," Daniele said.

Shares were up 2% to $2,860 in premarket trading.