AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Bought by Schroder Investment Management Group

Schroder Investment Management Group increased its stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 97,063 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 5,284 shares during the period. Schroder Investment Management Group owned approximately 0.58% of AutoZone worth $414,832,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 371,123.0% in the 2nd quarter. Laurel Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 935,482 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,472,724,000 after buying an additional 935,230 shares in the last quarter. Norges Bank bought a new stake in AutoZone in the second quarter worth about $981,202,000. Vontobel Holding Ltd. lifted its holdings in AutoZone by 277.3% in the 3rd quarter. Vontobel Holding Ltd. now owns 102,567 shares of the company’s stock valued at $440,037,000 after acquiring an additional 75,382 shares during the last quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 1,185.5% during the 2nd quarter. Evelyn Partners Investment Management Services Ltd now owns 64,685 shares of the company’s stock valued at $240,126,000 after purchasing an additional 59,653 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 401.2% in the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 51,803 shares of the company’s stock worth $222,247,000 after purchasing an additional 41,467 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Evercore increased their price objective on AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Truist Financial decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,076.00 to $4,045.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Citigroup boosted their price objective on AutoZone from $4,200.00 to $4,300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Barclays lifted their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,311.57.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Michael A. George acquired 145 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, December 22nd. The shares were acquired at an average price of $3,398.13 per share, with a total value of $492,728.85. Following the acquisition, the director owned 566 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,923,341.58. The trade was a 34.44% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 97 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were 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 directly owned 3,564 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $11,910,852.36. This trade represents a 2.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders acquired 347 shares of company stock valued at $1,179,256 and sold 9,447 shares valued at $34,179,923. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

AutoZone stock opened at $3,641.03 on Monday. AutoZone, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3,210.72 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11. The firm has a market cap of $60.32 billion, a PE ratio of 25.51, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.41. The firm’s 50 day moving average price is $3,621.83 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3,816.86.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates 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 analysts’ expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $28.29 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS 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.