Savant Capital LLC Boosts Stake in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Savant Capital LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 21.3% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The fund owned 1,015 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 178 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $4,355,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in AutoZone during the third quarter worth approximately $26,000. Aspect Partners LLC grew its holdings in AutoZone by 700.0% in the 2nd quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 8 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 600.0% in 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 last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 50.0% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Trading Up 2.1%

AZO stock opened at $3,681.24 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $3,550.74 and its 200 day moving average price is $3,847.96. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12-month low of $3,210.72 and a 12-month high of $4,388.11. The company has a market capitalization of $61.00 billion, a PE ratio of 25.67, a P/E/G ratio of 1.72 and a beta of 0.41.

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

Insider Activity

In other AutoZone news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,700.00, for a total transaction of $21,867,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 2,627 shares in the company, valued at $9,719,900. This represents a 69.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Brian Hannasch acquired 147 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $3,393.09 per share, for a total transaction of $498,784.23. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,264,152.58. This represents a 18.04% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last 90 days, insiders bought 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and 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 commented on the stock. DA Davidson reduced their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,850.00 to $4,500.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley cut their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,700.00 to $4,000.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Barclays set a $3,880.00 price objective on AutoZone in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price 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. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoZone has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average 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.