AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Shares Bought by Cetera Investment Advisers

Cetera Investment Advisers raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 3.6% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 4,312 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 150 shares during the period. Cetera Investment Advisers' holdings in AutoZone were worth $16,441,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the business. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. increased its position in AutoZone by 0.8% during the 4th quarter. Meeder Advisory Services Inc. now owns 371 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,188,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Tandem Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in shares of AutoZone by 3.6% during the fourth quarter. Tandem Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 87 shares of the company's stock worth $279,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 0.3% during the fourth quarter. United Capital Financial Advisors LLC now owns 1,120 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,585,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Forum Financial Management LP increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 2.2% during the fourth quarter. Forum Financial Management LP now owns 138 shares of the company's stock valued at $443,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 2.2% in the 1st quarter. Wealthcare Advisory Partners LLC now owns 141 shares of the company's stock valued at $538,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, July 24th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,875.90, for a total value of $11,627,700.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 2,925 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,337,007.50. This represents a 50.63% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, SVP K. Michelle Borninkhof sold 750 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,597.13, for a total transaction of $2,697,847.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the senior vice president directly owned 406 shares in the company, valued at $1,460,434.78. This trade represents a 64.88% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 33,862 shares of company stock valued at $126,058,789. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

AutoZone Stock Performance

AutoZone stock traded up $66.09 during trading on Friday, reaching $3,834.47. The company had a trading volume of 51,229 shares, compared to its average volume of 132,976. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $3,707.01 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3,610.63. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1-year low of $2,898.57 and a 1-year high of $3,919.50. The firm has a market capitalization of $64.35 billion, a PE ratio of 25.99, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 2.29 and a beta of 0.39.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 27th. The company reported $35.36 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $37.07 by ($1.71). AutoZone had a net margin of 13.56% and a negative return on equity of 56.07%. The company had revenue of $4.46 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.41 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $36.69 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research analysts have issued reports on AZO shares. UBS Group upped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,025.00 to $4,260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their target price on AutoZone from $3,830.00 to $4,350.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, May 23rd. DA Davidson lifted their price target on AutoZone from $4,192.00 to $4,850.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, May 28th. Bank of America upgraded AutoZone from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and boosted their price target for the company from $3,900.00 to $4,800.00 in a research note on Wednesday, May 21st. Finally, Guggenheim raised their price objective on AutoZone from $3,850.00 to $4,100.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, May 28th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have assigned a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $4,087.00.

AutoZone 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.