AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Acquired by B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its AutoZone stake 54.2% in Q3 to 11,497 shares, worth about $49.3 million (roughly 0.07% of the company).
• Analysts hold a consensus rating of Moderate Buy on AZO with a consensus price target of $4,311.57, and several firms recently adjusted targets in the roughly $4,020–$4,600 range.
• Insiders sold far more than they bought last quarter—9,447 shares sold (≈$34.18M) versus 347 shares bought (≈$1.18M); insiders own about 2.60% of the stock while institutional investors own 92.74%.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG raised its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 54.2% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,497 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,043 shares during the quarter. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG owned about 0.07% of AutoZone worth $49,325,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoZone by 600.0% in the third quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares in the last quarter. Salomon & Ludwin LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $34,000. Loomis Sayles & Co. L P acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the second quarter valued at $33,000. Finally, AlphaCore Capital LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 42.9% during the 2nd quarter. AlphaCore Capital LLC now owns 10 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after buying an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have weighed in on the company. Zacks Research raised AutoZone from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Monday, November 24th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,150.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. TD Cowen reissued a "buy" rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $4,020.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Evercore upped their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 27th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $4,311.57.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total value of $823,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,887 shares of the company's stock, valued at $16,102,665. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 97 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,341.99, for a total value of $324,173.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,910,852.36. This represents a 2.65% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders purchased 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and sold 9,447 shares worth $34,179,923. 2.60% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $3,641.03 on Friday. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $3,621.83 and a 200 day moving average price of $3,819.24. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52 week low of $3,210.72 and a 52 week high of $4,388.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $60.33 billion, a PE ratio of 25.51, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.41.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last announced its 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. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.47% and a negative return on equity of 72.31%. The business had revenue of $4.27 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $28.29 EPS. AutoZone's revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current year.

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.

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