Key Points
- Earl Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of AutoZone at an average price of $3,295 on Jan. 2 for $823,750, trimming his stake by 4.87% to 4,887 shares (about $16.1M); the transaction was disclosed in an SEC filing.
- AutoZone missed quarterly estimates, reporting $31.04 EPS vs. $32.69 expected and $4.63B in revenue (vs. $4.64B est.), though revenue grew 8.2% year‑over‑year.
- Market sentiment is mixed: the stock trades near $3,268 with a 12‑month range of $3,162–$4,388, analysts have an aggregate "Moderate Buy" rating (avg. target $4,330.84), but recent downgrades and insider sales could weigh on near‑term performance.
AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) Director Earl Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total transaction of $823,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,102,665. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink.
AutoZone Stock Down 1.1%
AZO opened at $3,268.38 on Tuesday. AutoZone, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3,162.00 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $3,649.96 and a 200 day moving average price of $3,865.57. The company has a market cap of $54.16 billion, a PE ratio of 22.79, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.42.
AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $31.04 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $32.69 by ($1.65). AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 65.38% and a net margin of 12.78%.The firm had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.64 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $32.52 earnings per share. The company's quarterly revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current year.
AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Wednesday, October 8th that permits the company to buyback $0.00 in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.
Institutional Trading of AutoZone
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of AZO. Keel Point LLC boosted its stake in AutoZone by 3.4% during the third quarter. Keel Point LLC now owns 122 shares of the company's stock worth $523,000 after buying an additional 4 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 125.3% in the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 401 shares of the company's stock worth $1,718,000 after acquiring an additional 223 shares during the last quarter. IFP Advisors Inc lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 14.2% in the 3rd quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 337 shares of the company's stock worth $1,453,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 2,867 shares of the company's stock worth $12,300,000 after purchasing an additional 100 shares during the period. Finally, Groupama Asset Managment acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $626,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Key Stores Impacting AutoZone
Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:
Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth
A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AZO shares. Baird R W raised shares of AutoZone to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Thursday, December 4th. Mizuho reaffirmed a "neutral" rating and set a $3,550.00 price objective (down previously from $3,850.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Monday. Roth Capital restated a "buy" rating and set a $4,650.00 target price (down from $4,750.00) on shares of AutoZone in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Robert W. Baird assumed coverage on AutoZone in a report on Wednesday, December 3rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $4,500.00 price target for the company. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on AutoZone from $4,775.00 to $4,200.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, December 11th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $4,330.84.
Read Our Latest Research Report on AZO
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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