AutoZone, Inc. $AZO is Fiera Capital Corp’s 6th Largest Position

Fiera Capital Corp decreased its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 6.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 270,643 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18,132 shares during the period. AutoZone accounts for 2.9% of Fiera Capital Corp’s holdings, making the stock its 6th biggest position. Fiera Capital Corp owned 1.63% of AutoZone worth $917,886,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 1.5% in the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,797,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,711,912,000 after buying an additional 26,544 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone in the fourth quarter worth $939,205,000. PineStone Asset Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 1.5% in the fourth quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 269,173 shares of the company’s stock worth $912,900,000 after buying an additional 3,868 shares during the last quarter. Northern Trust Corp raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 1.2% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 189,789 shares of the company’s stock worth $814,240,000 after buying an additional 2,333 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 39.5% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 176,986 shares of the company’s stock worth $584,730,000 after buying an additional 50,071 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

AZO stock opened at $3,116.41 on Monday. The firm has a market cap of $51.36 billion, a PE ratio of 21.43, a P/E/G ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.35. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $3,393.83 and its 200 day moving average is $3,538.05. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,928.11 and a one year high of $4,388.11.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 12.40%.The firm had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $35.36 EPS. The business’s revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, Director Brian Hannasch bought 165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 29th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, for a total transaction of $492,855.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 1,219 shares in the company, valued at $3,641,153. This trade represents a 15.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total transaction of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,826,568.64. This trade represents a 1.02% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZO has been the topic of a number of research reports. UBS Group set a $4,800.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of AutoZone from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Guggenheim cut their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $4,300.00 price objective (up from $4,150.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,040.87.

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.