National Pension Service Boosts Stake in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

National Pension Service raised its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 1.8% in the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel.com reports. The fund owned 45,107 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 805 shares during the quarter. National Pension Service’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $152,980,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. grew its position in AutoZone by 6.6% during the third quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 4,966 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,315,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments grew its position in AutoZone by 132.8% during the third quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 319 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,369,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the period. Numerai GP LLC grew its position in AutoZone by 1,199.3% during the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 1,754 shares of the company’s stock valued at $7,525,000 after acquiring an additional 1,619 shares during the period. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone during the third quarter valued at about $678,000. Finally, Caprock Group LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone during the third quarter valued at about $4,049,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE:AZO opened at $2,936.42 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,931.65 and a one year high of $4,388.11. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $3,421.80 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3,565.71. The stock has a market cap of $48.38 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.53 and a beta of 0.43.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 72.31% and a net margin of 12.47%.The business had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.86 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $35.36 earnings per share. The company’s revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.58 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total value of $173,936.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,826,568.64. The trade was a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 165 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, for a total transaction of $492,855.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 1,219 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,641,153. This represents a 15.65% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about AutoZone

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages, including Guggenheim and TD Cowen, reiterated bullish ratings on AutoZone, and other analysts still see meaningful upside despite the selloff.
• Positive Sentiment: AutoZone reported 8.4% year-over-year revenue growth and management said commercial momentum remains strong, with plans to open 355 to 365 new locations this fiscal year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst updates lowered price targets, including moves from Jefferies and BNP Paribas Exane, but both firms kept positive ratings, signaling reduced optimism rather than a bearish call.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary suggests investors are weighing whether the post-earnings decline has created a buying opportunity or whether the stock could fall further from current levels.
• Negative Sentiment: AutoZone’s latest results fell short of revenue expectations, which triggered the stock’s decline as investors focused on the miss rather than the EPS beat. Article: Why AutoZone Stock Slumped This Week
• Negative Sentiment: Some reports say the stock is sliding because investors are concerned that late-quarter softness may point to slowing momentum, despite management’s explanation that weather impacted results.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their price objective on AutoZone from $4,478.00 to $3,979.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. UBS Group set a $4,800.00 price objective on AutoZone in a research note on Tuesday, March 3rd. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on AutoZone from $4,345.00 to $4,096.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays boosted their price objective on AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, AutoZone has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,040.87.

About AutoZone

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.