Key Points
- Richard Craig Smith sold 3,190 shares of AutoZone on Jan. 16 at an average price of $3,500 for total proceeds of $11,165,000, leaving him with 2,627 shares — a 54.84% reduction in his stake, per an SEC filing.
- In the most recent quarter AutoZone reported EPS of $31.04, missing estimates of $32.69, while revenue rose 8.2% year‑over‑year to $4.63 billion.
- The stock trades in the mid‑$3,500s with a market cap of $59.21 billion, and analysts carry a consensus "Moderate Buy" rating with a target price of $4,264.12.
AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) VP Richard Craig Smith sold 3,190 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,500.00, for a total value of $11,165,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,627 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,194,500. This represents a 54.84% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website.
AutoZone Trading Up 1.5%
NYSE AZO opened at $3,573.61 on Wednesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $59.21 billion, a PE ratio of 24.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.42. The business's 50-day moving average price is $3,593.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3,850.66. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12 month low of $3,205.23 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11.
AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $31.04 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $32.69 by ($1.65). AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 65.38% and a net margin of 12.78%.The company had revenue of $4.63 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.64 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $32.52 earnings per share. AutoZone's revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
AutoZone declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Wednesday, October 8th that permits the company to repurchase $0.00 in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization permits the company to reacquire shares of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are often a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.
Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades
Several equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AZO shares. Roth Capital reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $4,650.00 price objective (down from $4,750.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Oppenheimer decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,150.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on AutoZone from $4,811.00 to $4,268.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Rothschild & Co Redburn boosted their price objective on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,700.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, October 7th. Finally, Guggenheim decreased their target price on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $4,264.12.
Get Our Latest Report on AutoZone
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 17.1% during the fourth quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 185 shares of the company's stock worth $627,000 after purchasing an additional 27 shares during the period. Perpetual Ltd raised its holdings in AutoZone by 7.2% during the fourth quarter. Perpetual Ltd now owns 253 shares of the company's stock worth $858,000 after buying an additional 17 shares during the last quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 5.6% in the fourth quarter. Toth Financial Advisory Corp now owns 2,701 shares of the company's stock valued at $9,160,000 after buying an additional 144 shares in the last quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 23.6% during the fourth quarter. Tempus Wealth Planning LLC now owns 68 shares of the company's stock valued at $231,000 after buying an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Finally, YHB Investment Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 3.5% during the fourth quarter. YHB Investment Advisors Inc. now owns 846 shares of the company's stock valued at $2,869,000 after buying an additional 29 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.
About AutoZone
(
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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