B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Sells 3,804 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG cut its AutoZone stake by 33.1%, selling 3,804 shares and leaving 7,693 shares valued at about $26.10 million at quarter-end.
• AutoZone reported Q results with EPS of $27.63 (beat by $0.04) and revenue of $4.27 billion (slight miss), has a market cap of $59.17 billion and a MarketBeat consensus rating of Moderate Buy with a $4,312.13 price target.
• Significant insider selling occurred: VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares for roughly $21.87 million (a 69.23% reduction), while insiders own 2.60% of the stock and institutions own 92.74%.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG lowered its stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 33.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 7,693 shares of the company's stock after selling 3,804 shares during the period. B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG's holdings in AutoZone were worth $26,102,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of AZO. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth $26,000. Global Trust Asset Management LLC increased its holdings in AutoZone by 600.0% in the 3rd 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 acquired a new position in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth about $34,000. Finally, Elevated Capital Advisors LLC bought a new position in AutoZone in the fourth quarter valued at about $37,000. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Trading Down 0.4%

Shares of AZO opened at $3,590.60 on Thursday. The firm's fifty day simple moving average is $3,568.38 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3,650.69. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12 month low of $3,210.72 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11. The stock has a market capitalization of $59.17 billion, a P/E ratio of 25.15, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.41.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $27.59 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $4.27 billion during 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 business's quarterly revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the company posted $28.29 EPS. As a group, research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 148.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AZO. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on AutoZone from $4,000.00 to $4,020.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. TD Cowen dropped their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,250.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Monday, March 16th. Evercore lifted their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,100.00 to $4,125.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, February 27th. Roth Mkm reduced their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,650.00 to $4,526.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Robert W. Baird lowered AutoZone from an "outperform" rating to a "neutral" rating and set a $3,900.00 target price for the company. in a research report on Monday, February 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $4,312.13.

Insider Activity at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred 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 transaction, the vice president directly owned 2,627 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,719,900. This represents a 69.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the director directly owned 4,837 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $16,826,568.64. This trade represents a 1.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company's stock.

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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