AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Bought by Capital Square LLC

Capital Square LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 47.9% during the 3rd quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The firm owned 522 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 169 shares during the quarter. Capital Square LLC’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $1,477,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AZO. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 42,984.5% in the 3rd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 10,537,614 shares of the company’s stock valued at $29,821,658,000 after buying an additional 10,513,156 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the second quarter worth about $3,938,566,000. Sound Income Strategies LLC grew its holdings in AutoZone by 646,568.6% during the third quarter. Sound Income Strategies LLC now owns 659,602 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,866,687,000 after acquiring an additional 659,500 shares during the period. Howard Capital Management LLC raised its position in AutoZone by 79,236.8% during the third quarter. Howard Capital Management LLC now owns 385,577 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,091,191,000 after acquiring an additional 385,091 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its position in AutoZone by 247,417.8% during the second quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 249,993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $798,963,000 after acquiring an additional 249,892 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Price Performance

AZO stock traded down $29.00 during mid-day trading on Monday, reaching $3,091.59. 49,577 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 261,486. The company has a market cap of $50.49 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.23, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.45 and a beta of 0.40. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $2,937.50 and its 200 day moving average is $3,130.15. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12-month low of $2,730.65 and a 12-month high of $4,040.00.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 22nd. The company reported $56.05 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.54 by $55.51. The business had revenue of $6.59 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.70 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 90.08% and a net margin of 12.65%. The business’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $48.71 earnings per share. On average, research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 171.53 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Robert W. Baird decreased their price target on AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,400.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Piper Sandler set a $3,500.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Monday, August 31st. BMO Capital Markets cut their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $3,500.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Sanford C. Bernstein started coverage on shares of AutoZone in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $3,698.00 target price for the company. Finally, DA Davidson decreased their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,750.00 to $3,500.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, AutoZone has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3,669.12.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Dennis LeRiche sold 1,455 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total transaction of $4,510,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 441 shares in the company, valued at $1,367,100. This trade represents a 76.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 2.60% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

About AutoZone

AutoZone, Inc is a specialty retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts, equipment and accessories. The company serves do-it-yourself customers, professional automotive technicians and commercial repair businesses through its retail stores, distribution network and digital platforms.

Its merchandise includes replacement batteries, brakes, filters, belts, hoses, ignition components, tools, fluids, lighting products and other maintenance items. AutoZone also offers private-label products under brands such as Duralast, as well as vehicle diagnostic services and parts delivery for commercial customers.

Founded in 1979 as Auto Shack by Pitt Hyde, the company adopted the AutoZone name in 1987.