Vicus Capital Acquires Shares of 64 AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Vicus Capital bought a new position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund bought 64 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $202,000.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Rise Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone during the 1st quarter worth approximately $32,000. Riverview Trust Co purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the first quarter worth approximately $41,000. Turtle Creek Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,000. Private Wealth Management Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth approximately $54,000. Finally, Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth approximately $70,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoZone news, VP Jenna M. Bedsole bought 36 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2,757.10 per share, with a total value of $99,255.60. Following the purchase, the vice president now directly owns 36 shares in the company, valued at $99,255.60. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several analysts recently commented on AZO shares. Barclays dropped their price target on AutoZone from $3,100.00 to $3,024.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, May 23rd. Citigroup dropped their price target on AutoZone from $3,420.00 to $3,250.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on AutoZone from $3,250.00 to $3,278.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 20th. Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on AutoZone from $3,100.00 to $3,038.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Mizuho dropped their target price on AutoZone from $3,450.00 to $3,280.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $3,112.88.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of AZO stock traded up $8.70 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $2,964.10. The company had a trading volume of 188,441 shares, compared to its average volume of 145,426. The company’s fifty day moving average is $2,894.37 and its 200 day moving average is $2,864.56. AutoZone, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $2,375.35 and a fifty-two week high of $3,256.37. The stock has a market capitalization of $50.63 billion, a PE ratio of 20.50, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.71.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 21st. The company reported $36.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $35.67 by $1.02. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.60% and a negative return on equity of 54.58%. The firm had revenue of $4.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.29 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $34.12 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 151.57 earnings per share for the current year.

About AutoZone

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.