Smartleaf Asset Management LLC Sells 18 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Smartleaf Asset Management LLC trimmed its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 9.0% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 182 shares of the company’s stock after selling 18 shares during the quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $686,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Forum Financial Management LP increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 2.2% in the 4th quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 138 shares of the company’s stock worth $443,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. increased its stake in AutoZone by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. Focus Financial Network Inc. now owns 105 shares of the company’s stock valued at $400,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC increased its stake in AutoZone by 2.2% during the 1st quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 141 shares of the company’s stock valued at $538,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Rappaport Reiches Capital Management LLC increased its stake in AutoZone by 4.8% during the 1st quarter. Rappaport Reiches Capital Management LLC now owns 66 shares of the company’s stock valued at $252,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. increased its stake in AutoZone by 3.5% during the 1st quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 89 shares of the company’s stock valued at $339,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

AutoZone Stock Down 0.6%

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $4,104.35 on Monday. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $3,809.57 and its 200-day moving average price is $3,694.02. The company has a market cap of $68.87 billion, a PE ratio of 27.78, a PEG ratio of 2.45 and a beta of 0.38. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $2,898.57 and a 52-week high of $4,187.39.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 27th. The company reported $35.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $37.07 by ($1.71). The company had revenue of $4.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.41 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 13.56% and a negative return on equity of 56.07%. The business’s revenue was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $36.69 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of analysts have weighed in on AZO shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of AutoZone from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $4,200.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, May 19th. Evercore ISI raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,060.00 to $4,250.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, August 18th. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,850.00 to $4,100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,740.00 to $4,050.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 3rd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have given a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,101.29.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, CFO Jamere Jackson sold 2,612 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,728.05, for a total value of $9,737,666.60. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer owned 427 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,591,877.35. This trade represents a 85.95% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,875.90, for a total transaction of $11,627,700.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,925 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,337,007.50. The trade was a 50.63% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 33,862 shares of company stock worth $126,058,789. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

AutoZone Profile

AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.