Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC Increases Stock Position in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 10.3% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 2,814 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 262 shares during the period. AutoZone makes up 2.8% of Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC’s holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Silverleafe Capital Partners LLC’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $9,543,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,797,548 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,711,912,000 after acquiring an additional 26,544 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp increased its holdings in AutoZone by 1.6% in the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 714,091 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,650,870,000 after purchasing an additional 11,088 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the second quarter valued at approximately $981,202,000. Northern Trust Corp raised its position in AutoZone by 1.2% in the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 189,789 shares of the company’s stock valued at $814,240,000 after purchasing an additional 2,333 shares during the period. Finally, Marshfield Associates lifted its stake in AutoZone by 3.2% during the third quarter. Marshfield Associates now owns 172,332 shares of the company’s stock worth $739,347,000 after purchasing an additional 5,293 shares in the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 97 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,341.99, for a total value of $324,173.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,910,852.36. This trade represents a 2.65% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total transaction of $823,750.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $16,102,665. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders sold 9,447 shares of company stock worth $34,179,923. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

AZO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Mizuho raised their price target on AutoZone from $3,550.00 to $3,600.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday, March 5th. Jefferies Financial Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $4,400.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $4,020.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Robert W. Baird downgraded AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3,900.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Barclays boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,312.13.

AutoZone Trading Up 1.2%

AutoZone stock opened at $3,385.74 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $55.80 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.72, a P/E/G ratio of 1.71 and a beta of 0.41. AutoZone, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3,210.72 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $3,648.59 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3,756.10.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $27.59 by $0.04. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 72.31% and a net margin of 12.47%.The firm had revenue of $4.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $28.29 EPS. AutoZone’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoZone Company Profile

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.