Baillie Gifford & Co. Has $292.15 Million Position in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Key Points

• Baillie Gifford & Co. cut its AutoZone stake by 40.2% in Q4, selling 57,789 shares and ending the quarter with 86,142 shares valued at about $292.15 million (0.52% of the company).
• AutoZone reported Q results with earnings per share of $27.63 (slightly above estimates) while revenue came in at $4.27 billion versus $4.31 billion expected, with revenue up 8.2% year‑over‑year and a net margin of 12.47%.
• Insider activity included VP Richard Craig Smith selling 5,910 shares for roughly $21.9 million, a 69.23% reduction in his ownership; insiders overall hold about 2.6% of the stock.

Baillie Gifford & Co. reduced its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 40.2% during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 86,142 shares of the company's stock after selling 57,789 shares during the quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. owned 0.52% of AutoZone worth $292,151,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. raised its stake in AutoZone by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 4,966 shares of the company's stock valued at $21,315,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares during the period. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. raised its stake in AutoZone by 7.8% during the 3rd quarter. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. now owns 8,425 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,145,000 after purchasing an additional 613 shares during the period. Summit Global Investments raised its stake in AutoZone by 132.8% during the 3rd quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 319 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the period. Numerai GP LLC raised its stake in AutoZone by 1,199.3% during the 3rd quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 1,754 shares of the company's stock valued at $7,525,000 after purchasing an additional 1,619 shares during the period. Finally, Foundations Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone in the third quarter worth $678,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE AZO opened at $3,424.40 on Monday. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $3,588.90 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3,684.77. AutoZone, Inc. has a twelve month low of $3,210.72 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11. The stock has a market cap of $56.43 billion, a PE ratio of 23.99, a PEG ratio of 1.75 and a beta of 0.41.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 earnings per share for the quarter, beating 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 analysts' expectations of $4.31 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $28.29 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 5,910 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,700.00, for a total value of $21,867,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 2,627 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,719,900. This trade represents a 69.23% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Insiders own 2.60% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Barclays upped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Roth Mkm dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,650.00 to $4,526.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. BMO Capital Markets dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,300.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. TD Cowen dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,250.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Finally, Evercore upped their price target 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-one have assigned a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $4,312.13.

AutoZone Company 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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