Securian Asset Management Inc. Sells 364 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Securian Asset Management Inc. reduced its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 44.6% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 452 shares of the company’s stock after selling 364 shares during the quarter. Securian Asset Management Inc.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $1,533,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other large investors have also made changes to their positions in AZO. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoZone by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter valued at about $356,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoZone by 3.8% during the 2nd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 248 shares of the company’s stock valued at $921,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. NewEdge Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoZone by 8.9% during the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,376 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,110,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the period. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina grew its stake in shares of AutoZone by 52.3% during the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,667,000 after purchasing an additional 4,039 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoZone Stock Down 1.9%

AZO stock opened at $3,431.05 on Tuesday. AutoZone, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3,210.72 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11. The stock has a market cap of $56.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.04, a PEG ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.43. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $3,522.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $3,610.18.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $27.59 by $0.04. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 72.31% and a net margin of 12.47%.The firm had revenue of $4.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $28.29 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 148.93 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total value of $173,936.00. Following the transaction, the director directly 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 position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have issued reports on AZO. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $4,020.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. TD Cowen cut their price target on AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Barclays boosted their price target on AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. DA Davidson set a $4,300.00 price objective on AutoZone in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoZone has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,312.13.

AutoZone 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.