Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund Has $29.98 Million Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund lifted its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 8.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 8,839 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 720 shares during the period. Fjarde AP Fonden Fourth Swedish National Pension Fund’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $29,977,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other large investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AZO. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the third quarter worth about $25,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Newport Capital Group LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth about $35,000. Elevated Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. Finally, Ares Financial Consulting LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth about $37,000. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Trading Up 1.1%

AZO opened at $3,116.41 on Friday. The company’s 50 day moving average is $3,393.83 and its 200-day moving average is $3,540.32. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1-year low of $2,928.11 and a 1-year high of $4,388.11. The company has a market cap of $51.36 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.43, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.35.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.40% and a negative return on equity of 77.83%. The company had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $35.36 EPS. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.18 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total value of $173,936.00. Following the sale, the director directly owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,826,568.64. This trade represents a 1.02% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 165 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 29th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, for a total transaction of $492,855.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 1,219 shares in the company, valued at $3,641,153. This represents a 15.65% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZO has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,700.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,345.00 to $4,096.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. BMO Capital Markets reduced their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,040.87.

About AutoZone

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.