Global Retirement Partners LLC Invests $981,000 in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Global Retirement Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZOFree Report) during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The fund acquired 307 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $981,000.

Other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 4th quarter worth approximately $939,205,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in AutoZone during the second quarter valued at approximately $335,157,000. Morgan Stanley lifted its holdings in AutoZone by 17.8% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 492,794 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,671,323,000 after purchasing an additional 74,555 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 387.1% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 77,792 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,832,000 after purchasing an additional 61,821 shares during the period. Finally, Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 39.5% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 176,986 shares of the company’s stock worth $584,730,000 after purchasing an additional 50,071 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of AZO opened at $3,077.21 on Wednesday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1 year low of $2,902.20 and a 1 year high of $4,388.11. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $3,061.14 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3,344.23. The firm has a market cap of $50.25 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.16, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.54 and a beta of 0.33.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZOGet 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. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.40% and a negative return on equity of 80.35%. The firm had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $35.36 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.39 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoZone announced that its board has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, June 16th that permits the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. Robert W. Baird reduced their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,900.00 to $3,600.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,850.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. DA Davidson cut their price target on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,700.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,029.43.

View Our Latest Stock Report on AutoZone

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 165 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, for a total transaction of $492,855.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 1,219 shares in the company, valued at $3,641,153. This trade represents a 15.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, VP Dennis W. Leriche sold 1,455 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total transaction of $4,510,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,367,100. This trade represents a 76.74% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Profile

(Free Report)

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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Institutional Ownership by Quarter for AutoZone (NYSE:AZO)

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