Barclays Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) Stock

AutoZone (NYSE:AZOGet Free Report) had its price objective raised by equities researchers at Barclays from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 in a report issued on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Barclays‘s target price suggests a potential upside of 5.58% from the company’s previous close.

Several other brokerages have also commented on AZO. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,700.00 to $4,500.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Robert W. Baird lowered shares of AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3,900.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Monday, February 9th. Evercore lifted their price objective on AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Roth Mkm reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $4,650.00 target price (down from $4,750.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 16th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $4,279.00.

Read Our Latest Analysis on AZO

AutoZone Stock Up 1.6%

Shares of AutoZone stock traded up $56.80 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $3,693.97. 10,109 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 166,450. The firm has a market cap of $61.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.76, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.41. AutoZone has a 1 year low of $3,210.72 and a 1 year high of $4,388.11. The stock’s fifty day moving average is $3,607.18 and its 200 day moving average is $3,825.54.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZOGet Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $27.59 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.31 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 65.38% and a net margin of 12.78%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned $28.29 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that AutoZone will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, Director Brian Hannasch bought 147 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were bought at an average cost of $3,393.09 per share, for a total transaction of $498,784.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,264,152.58. This trade represents a 18.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,700.00, for a total value of $21,867,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 2,627 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,719,900. This trade represents a 69.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last ninety days, insiders have purchased 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and have sold 9,447 shares worth $34,179,923. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AutoZone

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Brighton Jones LLC raised its stake in AutoZone by 14.4% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $356,000. Mission Wealth Management LP grew its holdings in AutoZone by 10.0% during the 2nd quarter. Mission Wealth Management LP now owns 121 shares of the company’s stock valued at $449,000 after buying an additional 11 shares in the last quarter. iA Global Asset Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the second quarter valued at approximately $397,000. Finally, Westside Investment Management Inc. boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 66.7% during the second quarter. Westside Investment Management Inc. now owns 20 shares of the company’s stock worth $74,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

  • Positive Sentiment: Small EPS beat and revenue growth: AutoZone reported EPS of $27.63, slightly above consensus, and total net sales rose ~8.1% year-over-year, showing underlying demand. MarketBeat Earnings
  • Positive Sentiment: Same-store sales improvement: Total company same-store sales increased ~3.3% (domestic ~3.4%), indicating continued traffic and resiliency in core retail operations. GlobeNewswire Release
  • Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: DA Davidson kept a Buy rating while trimming its price target (from $4,500 to $4,100), signaling some analysts view the pullback as a buying opportunity. MarketScreener
  • Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and call details: The earnings call/transcript reviewed operational drivers and margin dynamics; useful for longer‑term positioning but did not materially change near-term outlook. Seeking Alpha Transcript
  • Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations: Net sales of ~$4.27B came in below the ~ $4.31B analyst consensus, which investors view as a key miss given AutoZone’s size and recent growth run. Yahoo Finance Sales Report
  • Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure and profit decline: Company cited inflationary headwinds and margin compression; second-quarter profit fell and net margin weakened, a major driver of investor concern about near-term profitability. Reuters
  • Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds and market reaction: Winter storms were called out as a sales headwind and investors sold off sharply after the revenue miss and margin commentary (coverage notes report a ~9% intraday drop), amplifying the stock decline. WSJ

About AutoZone

(Get Free Report)

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.

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Analyst Recommendations for AutoZone (NYSE:AZO)

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