Sanford C. Bernstein Upgrades AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) to Strong-Buy

Posted by Stanley Muller on Oct 1st, 2026

AutoZone logo AutoZone (NYSE:AZO – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities research analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Guggenheim lowered their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $3,750.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Citigroup reduced their price objective on AutoZone from $3,700.00 to $3,450.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, September 14th. Truist Financial lowered their target price on AutoZone from $3,817.00 to $3,648.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. The Goldman Sachs Group dropped their target price on AutoZone from $4,096.00 to $3,917.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird cut their price target on AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,400.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nineteen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3,710.36.

Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on AZO

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AZO opened at $2,830.07 on Tuesday. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $2,969.94 and its 200 day moving average price is $3,170.39. AutoZone has a 52 week low of $2,764.88 and a 52 week high of $4,293.03. The company has a market capitalization of $46.21 billion, a PE ratio of 18.52, a PEG ratio of 1.32 and a beta of 0.34.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 22nd. The company reported $56.05 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $55.51. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.65% and a negative return on equity of 90.08%. The firm had revenue of $6.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $48.71 EPS. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that AutoZone will post 173.47 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 16th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to reacquire up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, VP Dennis LeRiche sold 1,455 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total value of $4,510,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 441 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,367,100. The trade was a 76.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoZone

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of AZO. BlackRock Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter worth about $3,938,566,000. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 247,417.8% in the 2nd 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. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. bought a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $572,885,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC lifted its holdings in AutoZone by 11,577.6% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 141,066 shares of the company’s stock worth $450,838,000 after purchasing an additional 139,858 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Corient Private Wealth LP acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $38,604,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

AutoZone, Inc is a specialty retailer of automotive replacement parts, accessories and maintenance products. The company serves do-it-yourself customers as well as professional automotive repair shops, offering products such as batteries, brakes, filters, engine components, tools, fluids and other vehicle parts.

In addition to its retail stores, AutoZone provides commercial sales and delivery services for professional repair businesses. The company also operates ALLDATA, which offers automotive diagnostic, repair and shop-management software and information services to repair professionals.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, AutoZone operates primarily in the United States, with additional stores and operations in Mexico and Brazil.