Boston Trust Walden Corp Boosts Stock Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Boston Trust Walden Corp grew its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 1.8% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 16,572 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 292 shares during the quarter. Boston Trust Walden Corp owned approximately 0.10% of AutoZone worth $55,977,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Lazard Asset Management LLC raised its stake in AutoZone by 6.2% in the 2nd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 51 shares of the company’s stock worth $189,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,153 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,947,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Blair William & Co. IL grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. Blair William & Co. IL now owns 1,108 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,753,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 3.2% during the third quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 97 shares of the company’s stock worth $416,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 0.6% during the third quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC now owns 518 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,222,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,700.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on 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. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Oppenheimer reiterated an “outperform” rating and set a $4,300.00 target price (up from $4,150.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Tuesday, March 10th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets reduced their target price on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a report 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 issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoZone presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $4,040.87.

Insider Activity

In other AutoZone news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total transaction of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,826,568.64. The trade was a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Brian Hannasch bought 165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 29th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $2,987.00 per share, with a total value of $492,855.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,219 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,641,153. The trade was a 15.65% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AZO stock opened at $3,158.56 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $2,928.11 and a fifty-two week high of $4,388.11. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $3,257.59 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3,446.47. The company has a market cap of $51.56 billion, a PE ratio of 21.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.63 and a beta of 0.33.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $36.22 by $1.85. The company had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.86 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 12.40%.AutoZone’s revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $35.36 EPS. On average, equities analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

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.