AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Purchased by Diversified Trust Co

Diversified Trust Co grew its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 11.0% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 3,429 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 340 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $14,711,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AZO. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 8.3% in the 2nd quarter. Avantax Advisory Services Inc. now owns 2,742 shares of the company’s stock worth $10,179,000 after acquiring an additional 210 shares during the period. Emerald Advisers LLC grew its position in AutoZone by 60.0% in the 2nd quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 224 shares of the company’s stock worth $832,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 70.9% in the second quarter. Hager Investment Management Services LLC now owns 470 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,745,000 after purchasing an additional 195 shares during the period. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 394.9% during the second quarter. Triasima Portfolio Management inc. now owns 391 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,451,000 after buying an additional 312 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Vontobel Holding Ltd. boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 4,484.3% during the second quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 27,185 shares of the company’s stock worth $100,917,000 after buying an additional 26,592 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoZone Price Performance

NYSE AZO opened at $3,415.48 on Tuesday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12 month low of $3,162.00 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11. The company has a market capitalization of $56.59 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.82, a PEG ratio of 1.64 and a beta of 0.40. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $3,704.28 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3,874.64.

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

AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback plan on Wednesday, October 8th that permits the company to repurchase $0.00 in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several analysts have weighed in on the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $4,700.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Zacks Research upgraded shares of AutoZone from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,700.00 to $4,500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Guggenheim dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Erste Group Bank lowered shares of AutoZone from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating and five have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, AutoZone presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $4,317.27.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, SVP K. Michelle Borninkhof sold 300 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,775.00, for a total transaction of $1,132,500.00. Following the sale, the senior vice president directly owned 416 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,570,400. The trade was a 41.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. Also, Director Michael A. George purchased 145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $3,398.13 per share, with a total value of $492,728.85. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 566 shares in the company, valued at $1,923,341.58. This trade represents a 34.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders acquired 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Company 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.