AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) Price Target Cut to $3,700.00 by Analysts at Raymond James Financial

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) had its target price lowered by stock analysts at Raymond James Financial from $4,000.00 to $3,700.00 in a note issued to investors on Wednesday, Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a “strong-buy” rating on the stock. Raymond James Financial’s target price would indicate a potential upside of 27.98% from the stock’s current price.

AZO has been the subject of a number of other research reports. Roth Capital decreased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,526.00 to $4,023.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report 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. DA Davidson decreased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,850.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price 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 equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoZone has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $3,788.12.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of AutoZone stock opened at $2,891.00 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average of $2,986.72 and a 200-day moving average of $3,205.00. The company has a market capitalization of $47.21 billion, a PE ratio of 19.88, a P/E/G ratio of 1.41 and a beta of 0.34. AutoZone has a 1-year low of $2,796.85 and a 1-year high of $4,332.68.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 22nd. The company reported $56.05 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $55.51. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 12.40%.The company had revenue of $6.59 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.70 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $48.71 EPS. AutoZone’s revenue for the quarter was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts expect that AutoZone will post 150.61 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone announced that its board has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, June 16th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to buy up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, VP Dennis LeRiche sold 1,455 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total value of $4,510,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 441 shares in the company, valued at $1,367,100. The trade was a 76.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. 2.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. MCF Advisors LLC boosted its stake in AutoZone by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the period. Arrowroot Family Office LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 5.4% in the fourth quarter. Arrowroot Family Office LLC now owns 59 shares of the company’s stock valued at $200,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the period. Pure Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC now owns 127 shares of the company’s stock valued at $430,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the period. IVC Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 2.9% in the first quarter. IVC Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the period. Finally, Petredis Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 0.4% in the 1st quarter. Petredis Investment Advisors LLC now owns 762 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,574,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting AutoZone

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Profit significantly exceeded expectations: AutoZone reported fiscal fourth-quarter diluted EPS of $56.05, up from $48.71 a year earlier and above analyst estimates of roughly $54.50. Net income rose to $931.6 million, while operating profit increased 10.1% to approximately $1.3 billion. AutoZone fourth-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: Expansion and market-share gains support the outlook: Quarterly sales increased 5.6% to $6.59 billion, AutoZone opened 175 stores, and management said it is well positioned for fiscal 2027 sales growth. International same-store sales were particularly strong, and analysts highlighted the company’s expanding global store network as a source of future growth. Why AutoZone stock rallied
• Positive Sentiment: Margin gains and capital returns helped investor sentiment: Gross margin improved to 53.3%, aided by tariff refunds and a favorable LIFO comparison. AutoZone also repurchased about $697.5 million of stock during the quarter, supporting per-share earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue and comparable-store growth were mixed: Quarterly revenue fell short of forecasts, while domestic same-store sales rose only 1.6% on a constant-currency basis. The earnings beat therefore depended partly on margin benefits that may not recur.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade remains an overhang: AutoZone reached a new 12-month low following an analyst downgrade before the earnings-driven rebound, reflecting concerns about slowing comparable sales and the sustainability of recent earnings growth. AutoZone reaches new 12-month low

AutoZone Company Profile

AutoZone, Inc is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts, accessories, and maintenance products. The company serves do-it-yourself customers, professional service technicians, and commercial repair businesses through its stores, distribution network, and online platform.

Its product offerings include replacement parts such as batteries, brakes, engine components, and ignition products, along with tools, fluids, filters, and other automotive accessories. AutoZone also provides services such as parts lookup, diagnostic assistance, battery testing and charging, and loaner tools for eligible repairs.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, AutoZone operates primarily in the United States, with additional locations in Mexico and Brazil.