A water merchant gets rich during a dry spell. But if the dry spell lasts long enough, even he dies of thirst. AutoZone has capitalized on the recession's increased demand for repairs, but if it lasts, all businesses including Autozone will suffer. If on the other hand, the economy goes back up, Autozone will see less demand for its services because people will buy new cars. Finally, Lampert unloaded his shares, and he is generally smarter than I am.