Sankala Group LLC bought a new stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO – Free Report) in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund bought 167 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $627,000.
Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AZO. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. raised its position in AutoZone by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 229 shares of the company’s stock valued at $982,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 1.4% in the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 212 shares of the company’s stock worth $908,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Compass Capital Corp MA ADV grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 3.7% in the 3rd quarter. Compass Capital Corp MA ADV now owns 85 shares of the company’s stock worth $365,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 0.3% during the third quarter. KCM Investment Advisors LLC now owns 1,153 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,947,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the period. Finally, Angeles Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 3.2% during the third quarter. Angeles Wealth Management LLC now owns 97 shares of the company’s stock valued at $416,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In other news, Director Brian Hannasch bought 165 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The shares were acquired at an average cost of $2,987.00 per share, with a total value of $492,855.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 1,219 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,641,153. This trade represents a 15.65% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the firm’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 transaction of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,826,568.64. The trade was a 1.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.
AutoZone Price Performance
AutoZone (NYSE:AZO – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $36.22 by $1.85. The business had revenue of $4.84 billion for 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%.The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $35.36 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.
AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has initiated 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 purchase up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.
More AutoZone News
Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted AutoZone’s FY2026 EPS estimate to $151.37 from $150.59, slightly above the current consensus, suggesting steady near-term earnings strength.
- Positive Sentiment: The firm also raised FY2027 EPS to $174.73, Q4 2027 EPS to $61.70, and FY2028 EPS to $197.32, pointing to continued long-term earnings growth.
- Positive Sentiment: Several quarterly estimates were increased, including Q1 2027, Q4 2026, Q1 2028, Q2 2028, and Q3 2028, reinforcing the view that analysts see AutoZone delivering stronger-than-expected results over time.
- Neutral Sentiment: Despite the optimistic estimate revisions, the stock remains well below its 52-week high, so investor sentiment may still be tempered by valuation and broader market positioning.
- Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed one estimate — Q2 2027 EPS was lowered to $32.61 from $32.78 — which is a small offset to the otherwise positive revisions.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
AZO has been the subject of several research reports. Argus upgraded shares of AutoZone from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $4,325.00 price objective for the company in a report on Monday, March 9th. Citigroup cut their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,700.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. One investment 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 stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,040.87.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Analysis on AutoZone
About AutoZone
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.
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