Brokerages Set AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) PT at $3,182.33

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) has earned a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” from the twenty research firms that are currently covering the company, MarketBeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, two have issued a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating on the company. The average 12-month price target among brokerages that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $3,202.71.

AZO has been the subject of several research analyst reports. UBS Group increased their price objective on AutoZone from $3,340.00 to $3,500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $3,634.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a report on Wednesday. Citigroup reduced their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,787.00 to $3,500.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. DA Davidson restated a “neutral” rating and set a $3,025.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, Mizuho lifted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,280.00 to $3,350.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, September 25th.

AutoZone Stock Up 0.9 %

Shares of AutoZone stock opened at $3,129.16 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $53.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.70. AutoZone has a 52-week low of $2,375.35 and a 52-week high of $3,256.37. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $3,131.84 and its 200-day simple moving average is $3,007.34.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, September 24th. The company reported $48.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $53.31 by ($5.20). The business had revenue of $6.21 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.25 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 52.99% and a net margin of 14.40%. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $46.46 EPS. Equities research analysts anticipate that AutoZone will post 157.99 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, VP John Scott Murphy sold 1,580 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,107.69, for a total transaction of $4,910,150.20. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,218 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,785,166.42. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. In other news, Chairman William C. Rhodes III sold 13,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, October 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,107.15, for a total transaction of $40,392,950.00. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 13,857 shares in the company, valued at $43,055,777.55. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, VP John Scott Murphy sold 1,580 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,107.69, for a total transaction of $4,910,150.20. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 1,218 shares in the company, valued at $3,785,166.42. This represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold a total of 14,880 shares of company stock worth $46,225,660 over the last ninety days. 2.50% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoZone

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of AZO. Ellsworth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth $246,000. Trust Co. of Vermont grew its position in AutoZone by 3.5% during the third quarter. Trust Co. of Vermont now owns 497 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,566,000 after acquiring an additional 17 shares during the period. Bleakley Financial Group LLC grew its position in AutoZone by 5.3% during the third quarter. Bleakley Financial Group LLC now owns 475 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,496,000 after acquiring an additional 24 shares during the period. Carderock Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the third quarter worth about $205,000. Finally, Kapitalo Investimentos Ltda purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth about $227,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Company Profile

AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.