Clarius Group LLC Sells 159 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Clarius Group LLC lowered its position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 67.9% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 75 shares of the company’s stock after selling 159 shares during the quarter. Clarius Group LLC’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $322,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 0.6% in the second quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,771,004 shares of the company’s stock worth $6,574,374,000 after purchasing an additional 11,142 shares in the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in AutoZone by 371,123.0% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 935,482 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,472,724,000 after buying an additional 935,230 shares during the period. State Street Corp grew its stake in AutoZone by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 714,091 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,650,870,000 after buying an additional 11,088 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 1.9% during the 2nd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 444,671 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,649,228,000 after purchasing an additional 8,187 shares during the period. Finally, PineStone Asset Management Inc. lifted its holdings in AutoZone by 3.9% during the 2nd quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 281,693 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,045,709,000 after purchasing an additional 10,456 shares in the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Citigroup decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,775.00 to $4,200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $4,400.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,262.00 to $4,234.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,811.00 to $4,268.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Gabelli reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating and five have given a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $4,317.27.

AutoZone Stock Performance

AZO stock opened at $3,460.83 on Wednesday. The company has a market capitalization of $57.35 billion, a PE ratio of 24.13, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.62 and a beta of 0.40. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $3,162.00 and a one year high of $4,388.11. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $3,749.39 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3,881.33.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $31.04 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $32.69 by ($1.65). AutoZone had a net margin of 12.78% and a negative return on equity of 65.38%. The business had revenue of $4.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $32.52 EPS. AutoZone’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current year.

AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, October 8th that permits the company to buyback $0.00 in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 147 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $3,393.09 per share, with a total value of $498,784.23. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,264,152.58. This trade represents a 18.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Michael A. George acquired 145 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The shares were bought at an average cost of $3,398.13 per share, with a total value of $492,728.85. Following the purchase, the director owned 566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,923,341.58. This trade represents a 34.44% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have purchased a total of 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 in the last 90 days. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoZone Profile

AutoZone, Inc (NYSE: AZO) is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, the company supplies a wide range of aftermarket components, maintenance items and accessories for passenger cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles. Its product assortment includes engine parts, electrical components, batteries, brakes, filters, fluids and interior and exterior accessories, supported by inventory management and logistics systems to serve retail customers and professional service providers.

AutoZone serves both do‑it‑yourself (DIY) consumers and commercial customers such as independent repair shops and service centers.