Banco Santander S.A. Trims Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Banco Santander S.A. lowered its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 13.6% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 860 shares of the company’s stock after selling 135 shares during the period. Banco Santander S.A.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $3,690,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the third quarter worth about $26,000. Aspect Partners LLC raised its stake in 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. Global Trust Asset Management LLC lifted its position in AutoZone by 600.0% during the 3rd quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 6 shares during the period. NewSquare Capital LLC grew its stake 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 purchasing an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone in the second quarter valued at approximately $33,000. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other news, Director Michael A. George purchased 145 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average price of $3,398.13 per share, for a total transaction of $492,728.85. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 566 shares in the company, valued at $1,923,341.58. This represents a 34.44% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,627 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,719,900. This trade represents a 69.23% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders bought 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and sold 9,447 shares worth $34,179,923. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AZO has been the subject of several recent research reports. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,150.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group restated a “buy” rating and issued a $4,555.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, February 4th. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,775.00 to $4,200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,300.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Thursday. Finally, Mizuho reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and issued a $3,550.00 price objective (down from $3,850.00) on shares of AutoZone in a report on Monday, January 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,280.63.

AutoZone Stock Up 2.5%

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $3,751.68 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.41. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52 week low of $3,210.72 and a 52 week high of $4,388.11. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $3,594.55 and a 200 day moving average price of $3,831.70.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its 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). AutoZone had a net margin of 12.78% and a negative return on equity of 65.38%. The company had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.64 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $32.52 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About AutoZone

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.