AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Stock Holdings Lowered by Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN

Key Points

• Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN cut its AutoZone stake by 5.0% in the first quarter, leaving it with 7,387 shares worth about $24.95 million. AutoZone remains one of the fund’s top holdings, making up roughly 4.5% of its portfolio.
• AutoZone’s latest quarterly earnings beat expectations, posting $38.07 EPS versus the $36.22 consensus, while revenue rose 8.4% year over year to $4.84 billion. Analysts still expect the company to generate strong full-year earnings, with a consensus estimate of 150.51 EPS.
• The company also announced a new $1.5 billion share buyback authorization, allowing repurchases of up to 3% of outstanding shares. Meanwhile, analysts remain broadly positive, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average price target of about $4,040.87.

Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN reduced its position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 5.0% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 7,387 shares of the company's stock after selling 389 shares during the period. AutoZone comprises approximately 4.5% of Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN's holdings, making the stock its 5th largest position. Kirr Marbach & Co. LLC IN's holdings in AutoZone were worth $24,952,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoZone during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone in the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 100.0% in the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8 shares of the company's stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares during the last quarter. MCF Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 9 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bard Associates Inc. bought a new position in shares of AutoZone during the fourth quarter valued at $31,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities research analysts recently commented on AZO shares. The Goldman Sachs Group reduced their price objective on AutoZone from $4,345.00 to $4,096.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Guggenheim reduced their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Roth Mkm decreased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,526.00 to $4,023.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 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 company. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $4,040.87.

AutoZone Trading Up 3.5%

Shares of AZO stock opened at $3,053.13 on Wednesday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12 month low of $2,928.11 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11. The stock has a market cap of $49.86 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.99, a P/E/G ratio of 1.50 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $3,314.25 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $3,469.57.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.40% and a negative return on equity of 80.35%. The business had revenue of $4.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.86 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company posted $35.36 EPS. The company's revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.51 earnings per share for the current year.

AutoZone declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, June 16th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are often an indication that the company's management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other AutoZone 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 transaction of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,837 shares of the company's stock, 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 document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 165 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The stock was bought at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, with a total value of $492,855.00. Following the transaction, 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

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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