AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) VP John Scott Murphy Sells 2,860 Shares

Key Points

• John Scott Murphy, VP of AutoZone, sold 2,860 shares for approximately $11.94 million, now holding only 1,244 shares, a 69.69% decrease in his position.
• AutoZone's stock price has risen by 1.5%, trading at $4,196.29 with a market cap of $70.41 billion.
• In the latest earnings report, AutoZone missed EPS estimates with $48.71 compared to a forecast of $50.52, but reported a 0.6% year-over-year revenue increase.

AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) VP John Scott Murphy sold 2,860 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, September 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $4,175.70, for a total value of $11,942,502.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 1,244 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,194,570.80. This trade represents a 69.69% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website.

AutoZone Stock Up 1.5%

AZO stock traded up $60.22 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $4,196.29. 87,220 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 130,680. AutoZone, Inc. has a twelve month low of $2,980.10 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $4,069.65 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,812.91. The stock has a market capitalization of $70.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.96, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.31 and a beta of 0.41.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, September 23rd. The company reported $48.71 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $50.52 by ($1.81). AutoZone had a net margin of 13.19% and a negative return on equity of 60.49%. The company had revenue of $6.24 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.26 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $51.58 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up .6% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have recently issued reports on AZO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,894.00 to $4,090.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,255.00 to $4,750.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Truist Financial lowered their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,504.00 to $4,499.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,740.00 to $4,050.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Thursday, July 3rd. Finally, Citigroup lowered their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,900.00 to $4,775.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoZone presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $4,538.21.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in AZO. AlphaCore Capital LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoZone during the first quarter valued at $27,000. Saudi Central Bank acquired a new position in AutoZone during the 1st quarter worth about $27,000. Aspect Partners LLC lifted its position in AutoZone by 700.0% during the 2nd quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 8 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 7 shares in the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust acquired a new position in AutoZone during the 2nd quarter worth about $33,000. Finally, NewSquare Capital LLC lifted its position in AutoZone by 50.0% during the 2nd quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 9 shares of the company's stock worth $33,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.

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