Central Bank & Trust Co. Decreases Stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Central Bank & Trust Co. lessened its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 1.9% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 253 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5 shares during the quarter. Central Bank & Trust Co.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $810,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors have also modified their holdings of the business. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new position in AutoZone during the third quarter worth about $36,000. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new position in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 25.0% in the third quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 20 shares of the company’s stock valued at $63,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the third quarter valued at approximately $66,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE AZO opened at $3,221.06 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $54.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.52, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $3,222.90 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,136.66. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,658.18 and a one year high of $3,416.71.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 10th. The company reported $32.52 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $33.69 by ($1.17). The business had revenue of $4.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.30 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $32.55 EPS. Equities analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 153.09 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on AZO shares. UBS Group boosted their price objective on AutoZone from $3,340.00 to $3,500.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,500.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Mizuho upped their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,350.00 to $3,600.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,400.00 to $3,450.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $3,025.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Monday, September 30th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoZone currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $3,429.84.

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.