Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. Has $1 Million Stock Position in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc. decreased its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 74.5% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 234 shares of the company’s stock after selling 684 shares during the quarter. Vestmark Advisory Solutions Inc.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $1,004,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock worth $356,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the second quarter worth $356,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 1,518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,635,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the last quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in AutoZone by 27.6% in the 2nd quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after purchasing an additional 34 shares in the last quarter. Finally, May Hill Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 5.5% during the second quarter. May Hill Capital LLC now owns 58 shares of the company’s stock valued at $215,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $3,664.80 on Thursday. The stock has a market cap of $60.73 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.56, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.41. AutoZone, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $3,210.72 and a fifty-two week high of $4,388.11. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $3,582.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3,834.94.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

AZO has been the topic of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,234.00 to $4,274.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, February 4th. BNP Paribas Exane cut their price objective on AutoZone from $4,811.00 to $4,268.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Wolfe Research lowered shares of AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Robert W. Baird lowered AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3,900.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,700.00 to $4,500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,271.25.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,700.00, for a total value of $21,867,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,627 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $9,719,900. This represents a 69.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Michael A. George acquired 145 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $3,398.13 per share, for a total transaction of $492,728.85. Following the transaction, the director owned 566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,923,341.58. The trade was a 34.44% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have purchased 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and have sold 9,447 shares worth $34,179,923. 2.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

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.