AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Receives $4,538.21 Average PT from Brokerages

Shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) have been given an average rating of “Moderate Buy” by the twenty-seven brokerages that are covering the company, MarketBeat Ratings reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have assigned a hold rating, twenty-three have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokers that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $4,538.2083.

A number of research firms have weighed in on AZO. UBS Group decreased their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,925.00 to $4,800.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Thursday, September 18th. Roth Capital reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $4,750.00 target price (down from $4,800.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Thursday, September 25th. Jefferies Financial Group raised their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,255.00 to $4,750.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,600.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 24th.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 3,000 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,875.90, for a total transaction of $11,627,700.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 2,925 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,337,007.50. The trade was a 50.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, VP John Scott Murphy sold 2,860 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4,175.70, for a total transaction of $11,942,502.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 1,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,194,570.80. The trade was a 69.69% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 2.10% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of AutoZone

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the company. AlphaCore Capital LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $27,000. Aspect Partners LLC increased its holdings in AutoZone by 700.0% in the 2nd quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 8 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $33,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC increased its holdings in AutoZone by 50.0% in the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Trading Down 0.8%

Shares of AutoZone stock opened at $4,219.73 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $70.81 billion, a PE ratio of 29.13, a P/E/G ratio of 2.00 and a beta of 0.40. AutoZone has a twelve month low of $2,980.10 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $4,126.05 and its 200 day moving average price is $3,840.81.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 23rd. The company reported $48.71 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $50.52 by ($1.81). The company had revenue of $6.24 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $6.26 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 13.19% and a negative return on equity of 60.49%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $51.58 earnings per share. On average, sell-side analysts predict that AutoZone will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone Company 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.