AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Sold by Savant Capital LLC

Key Points

• Savant Capital LLC cut its AutoZone stake by 33.7% in the fourth quarter, selling 342 shares and leaving it with 673 shares valued at about $2.28 million.
• AutoZone reported better-than-expected EPS of $38.07, but revenue of $4.84 billion came in slightly below estimates, and the stock has been under pressure near its 52-week low.
• Analysts remain mostly positive despite trimming targets: the stock still carries a Moderate Buy consensus, with an average price target of about $4,040.87.

Savant Capital LLC lowered its stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 33.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 673 shares of the company's stock after selling 342 shares during the period. Savant Capital LLC's holdings in AutoZone were worth $2,283,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of AZO. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in AutoZone by 1.5% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 1,797,548 shares of the company's stock worth $7,711,912,000 after acquiring an additional 26,544 shares during the period. PineStone Asset Management Inc. grew its holdings in AutoZone by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 269,173 shares of the company's stock worth $912,900,000 after acquiring an additional 3,868 shares during the period. Northern Trust Corp grew its holdings in AutoZone by 1.2% during the third quarter. Northern Trust Corp now owns 189,789 shares of the company's stock worth $814,240,000 after acquiring an additional 2,333 shares during the period. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its holdings in AutoZone by 39.5% during the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 176,986 shares of the company's stock worth $584,730,000 after acquiring an additional 50,071 shares during the period. Finally, Marshfield Associates grew its holdings in AutoZone by 3.2% during the third quarter. Marshfield Associates now owns 172,332 shares of the company's stock worth $739,347,000 after acquiring an additional 5,293 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

AutoZone stock opened at $2,936.42 on Monday. The firm has a market capitalization of $48.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.35. AutoZone, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $2,931.65 and a fifty-two week high of $4,388.11. The stock's fifty day moving average is $3,421.80 and its two-hundred day moving average is $3,564.57.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $36.22 by $1.85. The company had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.86 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 77.83% and a net margin of 12.40%.AutoZone's revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $35.36 earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZO has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group dropped their price objective on AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. BNP Paribas Exane dropped their price objective on AutoZone from $4,478.00 to $3,979.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. DA Davidson dropped their price objective on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,750.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Finally, UBS Group set a $4,800.00 price objective on AutoZone in a report on Tuesday, March 3rd. One investment 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 company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $4,040.87.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In other news, Director Brian Hannasch bought 165 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The shares were bought at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, with a total value of $492,855.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 1,219 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,641,153. This trade represents a 15.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total value of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at $16,826,568.64. This represents a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

AutoZone News Summary

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.

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.

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