AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Position Increased by Stance Capital LLC

Key Points

• Stance Capital LLC increased its stake in AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) by 215.2% in Q3 to 1,267 shares worth about $5.44 million, making AZO roughly 2.0% of Stance’s holdings and its third-largest position.
• Insider activity was mixed: Director Brian Hannasch bought 147 shares at about $3,393 each, while VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares for $21.867 million; insiders have sold 9,447 shares (~$34.18M) over the last 90 days and own 2.60% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” with a $4,312.13 average target; AutoZone’s latest quarter showed a slight EPS beat ($27.63 vs. $27.59) but a revenue miss ($4.27B vs. $4.31B), with revenue up 8.2% year‑over‑year.

Stance Capital LLC boosted its position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 215.2% during the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 1,267 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 865 shares during the quarter. AutoZone accounts for about 2.0% of Stance Capital LLC's holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Stance Capital LLC's holdings in AutoZone were worth $5,436,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the 3rd quarter valued at $26,000. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the third quarter worth $25,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in AutoZone by 600.0% in the third quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7 shares of the company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new position in AutoZone in the third quarter valued at $34,000. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the second quarter valued at $33,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have recently issued reports on AZO. Guggenheim lowered their price objective on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,400.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $4,020.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Monday. Truist Financial lowered their price target on AutoZone from $4,076.00 to $4,045.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Wolfe Research lowered shares of AutoZone from an "outperform" rating to a "peer perform" rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoZone currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $4,312.13.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AutoZone news, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 147 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $3,393.09 per share, for a total transaction of $498,784.23. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 962 shares in the company, valued at $3,264,152.58. This trade represents a 18.04% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, January 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,700.00, for a total transaction of $21,867,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 2,627 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $9,719,900. This represents a 69.23% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety days, insiders sold 9,447 shares of company stock worth $34,179,923. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Stock Down 1.4%

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $3,439.82 on Wednesday. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $3,657.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $3,789.13. The stock has a market cap of $56.99 billion, a PE ratio of 24.10, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.79 and a beta of 0.41. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $3,210.72 and a 52-week high of $4,388.11.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $27.59 by $0.04. The company 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 72.31% and a net margin of 12.47%.The firm's revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $28.29 earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoZone Company 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.

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