AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Purchased by Braun Stacey Associates Inc.

Braun Stacey Associates Inc. lifted its position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 8,425 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 613 shares during the quarter. AutoZone accounts for approximately 1.2% of Braun Stacey Associates Inc.’s holdings, making the stock its 18th largest position. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. owned 0.05% of AutoZone worth $36,145,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Aspect Partners LLC boosted its holdings in AutoZone by 700.0% in the second quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 8 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the period. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 50.0% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the period. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of AZO stock opened at $3,391.00 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12-month low of $3,162.00 and a 12-month high of $4,388.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $56.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.61 and a beta of 0.42. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $3,670.99 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3,866.29.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $31.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $32.69 by ($1.65). The business had revenue of $4.63 billion for 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 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, equities analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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

Insider Activity

In other AutoZone news, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 147 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $3,393.09 per share, for a total transaction of $498,784.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 962 shares in the company, valued at $3,264,152.58. This represents a 18.04% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Jamere Jackson acquired 55 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 10th. The shares were bought at an average price of $3,413.50 per share, with a total value of $187,742.50. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 488 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,665,788. The trade was a 12.70% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders acquired 347 shares of company stock valued at $1,179,256 over the last quarter. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZO has been the topic of a number of recent research reports. Mizuho cut their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,050.00 to $3,850.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on AutoZone from $4,900.00 to $4,400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Rothschild & Co Redburn raised their price target on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,700.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Tuesday, October 7th. Robert W. Baird started coverage on AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, December 3rd. They set an “outperform” rating and a $4,500.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Roth Capital reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $4,650.00 target price (down from $4,750.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Buy rating and five have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoZone presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $4,342.84.

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.