AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Sold by Diversified Trust Co

Diversified Trust Co lessened its stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 23.4% in the 1st quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 2,515 shares of the company’s stock after selling 768 shares during the quarter. Diversified Trust Co’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $8,495,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $939,205,000. Morgan Stanley grew its stake in shares of AutoZone by 17.8% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 492,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,671,323,000 after acquiring an additional 74,555 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. grew its stake in shares of AutoZone by 387.1% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 77,792 shares of the company’s stock worth $263,832,000 after acquiring an additional 61,821 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 39.5% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 176,986 shares of the company’s stock worth $584,730,000 after acquiring an additional 50,071 shares during the period. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 80.8% during the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 101,185 shares of the company’s stock worth $432,059,000 after acquiring an additional 45,212 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Trading Down 0.0%

AutoZone stock opened at $3,064.22 on Friday. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $3,333.73 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,484.45. The stock has a market cap of $50.04 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.35. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12-month low of $2,928.11 and a 12-month high of $4,388.11.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 12.40%.The firm had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $35.36 earnings per share. AutoZone’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.51 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to buy up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

AutoZone News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted AutoZone’s FY2026 EPS estimate to $151.37 from $150.59, slightly above the current consensus, suggesting steady near-term earnings strength.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm also raised FY2027 EPS to $174.73, Q4 2027 EPS to $61.70, and FY2028 EPS to $197.32, pointing to continued long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Several quarterly estimates were increased, including Q1 2027, Q4 2026, Q1 2028, Q2 2028, and Q3 2028, reinforcing the view that analysts see AutoZone delivering stronger-than-expected results over time.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the optimistic estimate revisions, the stock remains well below its 52-week high, so investor sentiment may still be tempered by valuation and broader market positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed one estimate — Q2 2027 EPS was lowered to $32.61 from $32.78 — which is a small offset to the otherwise positive revisions.

Analyst Ratings Changes

AZO has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays lifted their target price on AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,850.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. DA Davidson reduced their price target on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,750.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, UBS Group set a $4,800.00 price objective on AutoZone in a research report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $4,040.87.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total transaction of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at $16,826,568.64. The trade was a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 165 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $2,987.00 per share, with a total value of $492,855.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 1,219 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,641,153. This represents a 15.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

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.