O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC Increases Stock Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 0.9% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 3,912 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 33 shares during the quarter. O Shaughnessy Asset Management LLC’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $12,526,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the stock. Flagship Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. Harbour Investments Inc. lifted its position in AutoZone by 42.9% in the fourth quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 10 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. Crews Bank & Trust purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $61,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in AutoZone by 25.0% during the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 20 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares during the period. Finally, Whipplewood Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $67,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Price Performance

NYSE:AZO opened at $3,821.72 on Tuesday. The firm has a market cap of $64.14 billion, a PE ratio of 25.53, a P/E/G ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $3,495.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,285.75. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1-year low of $2,728.97 and a 1-year high of $3,842.82.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $28.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $29.11 by ($0.82). The business had revenue of $3.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.98 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of analysts recently weighed in on AZO shares. UBS Group lifted their price target on AutoZone from $3,875.00 to $4,025.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. TD Cowen boosted their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,450.00 to $3,800.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, December 16th. Guggenheim increased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,750.00 to $3,850.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets boosted their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,700.00 to $3,850.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,775.00 to $3,830.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have given a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoZone currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3,683.36.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CEO Philip B. Daniele sold 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,800.01, for a total transaction of $7,600,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 163 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $619,401.63. This represents a 92.46 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Bailey L. Childress sold 160 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,550.00, for a total transaction of $568,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 50 shares in the company, valued at approximately $177,500. This trade represents a 76.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 6,721 shares of company stock valued at $24,609,331. Insiders own 2.10% 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.