AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Shares Sold by Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank

Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank reduced its position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 9.6% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 3,632 shares of the company’s stock after selling 386 shares during the period. Zurcher Kantonalbank Zurich Cantonalbank’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $9,391,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. SVB Wealth LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 9.3% in the 4th quarter. SVB Wealth LLC now owns 259 shares of the company’s stock valued at $670,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Flputnam Investment Management Co. raised its position in AutoZone by 10.7% during the fourth quarter. Flputnam Investment Management Co. now owns 93 shares of the company’s stock worth $240,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Sentry Investment Management LLC raised its position in AutoZone by 145.8% during the fourth quarter. Sentry Investment Management LLC now owns 263 shares of the company’s stock worth $680,000 after acquiring an additional 156 shares during the period. Conning Inc. raised its position in AutoZone by 14.9% during the fourth quarter. Conning Inc. now owns 100 shares of the company’s stock worth $259,000 after acquiring an additional 13 shares during the period. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. raised its position in AutoZone by 10.7% during the fourth quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 735 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,900,000 after acquiring an additional 71 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,997.76, for a total value of $8,993,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 2,921 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $8,756,456.96. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, CEO Philip B. Daniele sold 4,190 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,161.68, for a total value of $13,247,439.20. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 900 shares in the company, valued at $2,845,512. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 3,000 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 28th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,997.76, for a total transaction of $8,993,280.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 2,921 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $8,756,456.96. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 15,990 shares of company stock valued at $50,335,193. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE AZO opened at $2,985.54 on Friday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $3,005.06 and a 200-day simple moving average of $2,759.35. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,277.88 and a one year high of $3,256.37. The firm has a market cap of $51.71 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.02, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 0.70.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $28.89 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $26.08 by $2.81. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.70% and a negative return on equity of 56.06%. The business had revenue of $3.86 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.32 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $24.64 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.4 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on AZO shares. Mizuho began coverage on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a “buy” rating and a $3,450.00 price objective for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,000.00 to $3,200.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $2,779.00 to $3,100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, February 29th. Morgan Stanley raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $2,900.00 to $3,100.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, DA Davidson raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $2,770.00 to $3,025.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 28th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $3,086.61.

AutoZone Profile

AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.