Jefferies Financial Group Inc. Decreases Stake in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Jefferies Financial Group Inc. lessened its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 17.1% during the third quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 11,993 shares of the company’s stock after selling 2,473 shares during the period. Jefferies Financial Group Inc.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $51,453,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the business. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. purchased a new position in AutoZone in the third quarter worth $26,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 600.0% during the 3rd quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter valued at $34,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 42.9% during the 2nd quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 10 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoZone news, Director Michael A. George acquired 145 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was bought at an average price of $3,398.13 per share, with a total value of $492,728.85. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 566 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,923,341.58. This represents a 34.44% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total value of $823,750.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $16,102,665. The trade was a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last ninety days, insiders have bought 347 shares of company stock valued at $1,179,256 and have sold 9,447 shares valued at $34,179,923. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

AutoZone Trading Down 2.7%

AutoZone stock opened at $3,641.03 on Monday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1-year low of $3,210.72 and a 1-year high of $4,388.11. The firm has a market capitalization of $60.32 billion, a PE ratio of 25.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.41. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $3,621.83 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3,816.86.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $27.59 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.31 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.47% and a negative return on equity of 72.31%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $28.29 EPS. Research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on AZO shares. Evercore increased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,125.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,300.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,550.00 to $3,600.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $4,400.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Citigroup lifted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,200.00 to $4,300.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoZone currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,311.57.

AutoZone Profile

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.