AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Sold by Erste Asset Management GmbH

Erste Asset Management GmbH cut its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZOFree Report) by 5.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 9,647 shares of the company’s stock after selling 531 shares during the quarter. Erste Asset Management GmbH owned approximately 0.06% of AutoZone worth $41,178,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC raised its holdings in AutoZone by 14.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $356,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the second quarter valued at $356,000. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in AutoZone in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Emerald Advisers LLC increased its stake in AutoZone by 60.0% in the second quarter. Emerald Advisers LLC now owns 224 shares of the company’s stock valued at $832,000 after purchasing an additional 84 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Arkadios Wealth Advisors lifted its position in AutoZone by 4.8% during the second quarter. Arkadios Wealth Advisors now owns 1,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,948,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have recently commented on AZO shares. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,775.00 to $4,200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. DA Davidson dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,850.00 to $4,500.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Erste Group Bank downgraded shares of AutoZone from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, October 31st. Gabelli reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Raymond James Financial dropped their price objective on AutoZone from $4,800.00 to $4,600.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $4,279.58.

View Our Latest Analysis on AZO

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Michael A. George purchased 145 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $3,398.13 per share, for a total transaction of $492,728.85. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 566 shares in the company, valued at $1,923,341.58. The trade was a 34.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, 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 completion of the sale, 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 three months, insiders have bought 347 shares of company stock valued at $1,179,256 and have sold 9,447 shares valued at $34,179,923. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

AutoZone Stock Down 0.4%

AutoZone stock opened at $3,656.92 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $3,587.34 and a 200-day moving average of $3,833.70. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $3,210.72 and a 52-week high of $4,388.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.60 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.50, a PEG ratio of 1.74 and a beta of 0.41.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZOGet Free Report) last posted 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). AutoZone had a net margin of 12.78% and a negative return on equity of 65.38%. The business had revenue of $4.63 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $32.52 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About AutoZone

(Free Report)

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.

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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for AutoZone (NYSE:AZO)

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