Analysts Set AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Target Price at $4,029.43

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZOGet Free Report) has earned an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty-seven research firms that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. Six analysts have rated the stock with a hold recommendation, twenty have assigned a buy recommendation and one has issued a strong buy recommendation on the company. The average 12-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $4,029.4348.

AZO has been the subject of a number of research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,345.00 to $4,096.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on AutoZone from $4,020.00 to $3,605.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $3,700.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a report on Thursday, June 4th. Finally, BNP Paribas Exane decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,478.00 to $3,979.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th.

View Our Latest Research Report on AZO

AutoZone Trading Down 3.8%

Shares of NYSE:AZO opened at $2,960.32 on Tuesday. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $3,057.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $3,334.62. The company has a market cap of $48.34 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.35, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.33. AutoZone has a 12 month low of $2,902.20 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZOGet Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share 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 business had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $35.36 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AutoZone will post 150.39 EPS for the current year.

AutoZone declared that its board has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

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

Institutional Trading of AutoZone

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of AZO. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in AutoZone by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares in the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 50.0% in the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Company Profile

(Get 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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Analyst Recommendations for AutoZone (NYSE:AZO)

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