Swiss National Bank Has $206.79 Million Stock Position in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Swiss National Bank reduced its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 4.9% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 48,200 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,500 shares during the quarter. Swiss National Bank’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $206,790,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 16.0% in the 3rd quarter. LGT Fund Management Co Ltd. now owns 1,037 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,405,000 after acquiring an additional 143 shares in the last quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its position in shares of AutoZone by 0.8% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 77,722 shares of the company’s stock valued at $333,297,000 after acquiring an additional 625 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group boosted its stake in AutoZone by 5.8% during the third quarter. Schroder Investment Management Group now owns 97,063 shares of the company’s stock worth $414,832,000 after acquiring an additional 5,284 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC grew its holdings in AutoZone by 3.8% in the third quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 599 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,570,000 after purchasing an additional 22 shares during the period. Finally, PFG Advisors acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the third quarter worth $206,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZO has been the topic of several research reports. The Goldman Sachs Group upped their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,274.00 to $4,345.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. TD Cowen restated a “buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Argus raised AutoZone from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $4,325.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday. DA Davidson set a $4,300.00 price target on AutoZone in a research note on Thursday. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $4,400.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoZone currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,312.13.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,102,665. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 147 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were acquired at an average price of $3,393.09 per share, for a total transaction of $498,784.23. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,264,152.58. This trade represents a 18.04% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have bought 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and have sold 9,447 shares worth $34,179,923. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Trading Up 1.1%

Shares of NYSE:AZO opened at $3,682.67 on Tuesday. The stock has a market cap of $61.02 billion, a PE ratio of 25.80, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.41. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $3,627.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3,813.72. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1-year low of $3,210.72 and a 1-year high of $4,388.11.

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

AutoZone 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.