AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Morgan Stanley Analyst Says

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) had its price target hoisted by Morgan Stanley from $4,000.00 to $4,020.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Morgan Stanley’s target price suggests a potential upside of 9.31% from the company’s previous close.

Several other research firms have also issued reports on AZO. Roth Mkm cut their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,650.00 to $4,526.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,400.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Wolfe Research lowered AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. Raymond James Financial lowered their price target on AutoZone from $4,800.00 to $4,600.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded AutoZone from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, November 24th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,279.83.

AutoZone Stock Performance

AZO stock traded up $40.49 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $3,677.66. 60,473 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 167,777. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $3,607.18 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3,825.54. AutoZone has a 12 month low of $3,210.72 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11. The company has a market capitalization of $60.94 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.65, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.41.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $27.59 by $0.04. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.78% and a negative return on equity of 65.38%. The business had revenue of $4.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.31 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $28.29 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, research analysts forecast that AutoZone will post 152.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 97 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,341.99, for a total value of $324,173.03. Following the sale, the director owned 3,564 shares in the company, valued at $11,910,852.36. This represents a 2.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total transaction of $823,750.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,102,665. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last quarter, insiders have bought 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 company insiders.

Institutional Trading of AutoZone

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 1.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,797,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,711,912,000 after purchasing an additional 26,544 shares during the last quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoZone by 371,123.0% during the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 935,482 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,472,724,000 after purchasing an additional 935,230 shares during the period. State Street Corp raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 1.6% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 714,091 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,650,870,000 after buying an additional 11,088 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 17.8% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 492,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,671,323,000 after buying an additional 74,555 shares during the period. Finally, Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 1.9% in the second quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 444,671 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,649,228,000 after buying an additional 8,187 shares during the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More AutoZone News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Small EPS beat and underlying sales growth — AZO reported fiscal Q2 EPS of $27.63 (beat consensus by ~$0.04) and net sales up ~8% YoY; management highlighted commercial growth and store expansion as contributors. AutoZone Q2 Earnings Beat
• Positive Sentiment: Multiple analyst price-target increases — Goldman Sachs, Citigroup and Barclays raised targets and maintained buy/overweight ratings, signaling continued confidence in AZO’s long-term growth and justifying upside from current levels. Goldman Sachs PT Raise
• Neutral Sentiment: Some target trims but ratings intact — Roth, Truist and DA Davidson trimmed targets but kept buy ratings, suggesting analysts see the miss as temporary rather than a structural problem. Roth PT Adjustment
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue shortfall vs. estimates — Q2 revenue of ~$4.27B missed consensus (~$4.31B), which, alongside modest EPS beat, disappointed investors and pressured shares. Reuters: Profit Falls
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure & weather impact — Management flagged inflationary headwinds and winter storms that hurt sales and compressed margins; several market write-ups note the margin squeeze as the main driver of the stock weakness. WSJ: Winter Storms Hurt Sales
• Negative Sentiment: Immediate market reaction — Coverage and headlines (“margins crack,” “shares plunge”) amplified selling after the print, reflecting investor focus on near-term profitability versus the underlying sales gains. 247WallSt: Margins Crack

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.