Thrivent Financial for Lutherans Sells 1,118 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Thrivent Financial for Lutherans cut its position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 55.9% during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 882 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,118 shares during the quarter. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans’ holdings in AutoZone were worth $3,784,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Global Trust Asset Management LLC grew its position in AutoZone by 600.0% during the third quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Aspect Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 700.0% during the 2nd quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 8 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoZone in the third quarter worth approximately $34,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust bought a new position in shares of AutoZone in the second quarter worth approximately $33,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC raised its stake in AutoZone by 50.0% in the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoZone Stock Up 2.1%

NYSE:AZO opened at $3,681.24 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $61.00 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.41. The company has a fifty day moving average of $3,550.74 and a 200 day moving average of $3,848.49. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52 week low of $3,210.72 and a 52 week high of $4,388.11.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its quarterly earnings data 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 firm had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.64 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.78% and a negative return on equity of 65.38%. AutoZone’s revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $32.52 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,700.00, for a total value of $21,867,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 2,627 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,719,900. This trade represents a 69.23% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total value of $823,750.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,102,665. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and have sold 9,447 shares worth $34,179,923. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities analysts have recently commented on the stock. Wolfe Research lowered shares of AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,150.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, January 9th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price target on AutoZone from $4,811.00 to $4,268.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Truist Financial dropped their price target on AutoZone from $4,499.00 to $4,076.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded AutoZone from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,296.25.

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.