Aviva PLC Boosts Stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Aviva PLC boosted its stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO – Get Rating) by 27.3% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 15,314 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 3,288 shares during the quarter. Aviva PLC owned approximately 0.08% of AutoZone worth $22,008,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of AZO. Robbins Farley purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $26,000. AdvisorNet Financial Inc lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 83.3% during the 4th quarter. AdvisorNet Financial Inc now owns 11 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,000 after purchasing an additional 5 shares during the period. RFP Financial Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth $27,000. Legacy Bridge LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Finally, MUFG Americas Holdings Corp lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 166.7% during the 3rd quarter. MUFG Americas Holdings Corp now owns 16 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 91.12% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $2,459.75 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1 year low of $1,959.58 and a 1 year high of $2,750.00. The firm has a market cap of $45.26 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.22, a PEG ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.68. The stock’s 50-day simple moving average is $2,575.67 and its 200-day simple moving average is $2,499.14.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO – Get Rating) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 23rd. The company reported $34.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $30.84 by $3.28. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 64.72% and a net margin of 14.32%. The business had revenue of $4.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.12 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $29.03 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 11.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 129.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, VP Grant E. Mcgee sold 1,575 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,511.63, for a total value of $3,955,817.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 246 shares in the company, valued at $617,860.98. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. In related news, VP Grant E. Mcgee sold 1,575 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,511.63, for a total value of $3,955,817.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 246 shares in the company, valued at $617,860.98. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, VP William R. Hackney sold 2,724 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,394.45, for a total value of $6,522,481.80. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last ninety days, insiders have sold 36,960 shares of company stock valued at $90,128,092. 2.59% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price target on AutoZone from $2,750.00 to $2,975.00 in a research note on Friday, May 12th. StockNews.com started coverage on AutoZone in a research note on Thursday, May 18th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their price objective on AutoZone from $2,899.00 to $2,840.00 in a report on Tuesday. Citigroup increased their target price on AutoZone from $2,782.00 to $3,125.00 in a research report on Wednesday, May 17th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on AutoZone from $2,850.00 to $3,000.00 in a research report on Monday, May 15th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, one has assigned a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $2,683.56.

AutoZone Profile

(Get Rating)

AutoZone, Inc engages in the retail and distribution of automotive replacement parts and accessories. The firm offers ALLDATA, which produces, sells, and maintains diagnostic and repair information software used in the automotive repair industry and E-commerce, which includes direct sales to customers.