Deutsche Bank AG Trims Position in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Key Points

• Deutsche Bank AG trimmed its AutoZone stake by 16.2% in the fourth quarter, selling 16,541 shares and leaving it with 85,865 shares valued at about $291.2 million.
• AutoZone’s latest earnings beat expectations, with quarterly EPS of $38.07 topping estimates, while revenue rose 8.4% year over year to $4.84 billion.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, though some price targets were cut; the stock still carries a “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average target price of about $4,040.87.

Deutsche Bank AG cut its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 16.2% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 85,865 shares of the company's stock after selling 16,541 shares during the quarter. Deutsche Bank AG owned 0.52% of AutoZone worth $291,211,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of AZO. Norges Bank purchased a new position in AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $939,205,000. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its position in AutoZone by 387.1% during the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 77,792 shares of the company's stock worth $263,832,000 after buying an additional 61,821 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. raised its position in AutoZone by 39.5% during the 4th quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 176,986 shares of the company's stock worth $584,730,000 after buying an additional 50,071 shares during the last quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its position in AutoZone by 80.8% during the 3rd quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 101,185 shares of the company's stock worth $432,059,000 after buying an additional 45,212 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Victory Capital Management Inc. raised its position in AutoZone by 401.2% during the 3rd quarter. Victory Capital Management Inc. now owns 51,803 shares of the company's stock worth $222,247,000 after buying an additional 41,467 shares during the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoZone News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its FY2026 EPS estimate for AutoZone to $150.59 from $149.47, slightly above the consensus estimate of $150.18, suggesting the company may still meet or modestly beat current-year expectations.
• Neutral Sentiment: AutoZone’s recent earnings surprise remains a focal point for investors, with commentary suggesting the company outperformed expectations this quarter, helping support the longer-term bull case. What's Behind AutoZone's Earnings Surprise This Quarter?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks Research trimmed multiple future EPS forecasts for AutoZone, including Q2 2027, Q3 2027, Q4 2027, Q1 2028, Q2 2028, Q3 2028, FY2027, and FY2028. That pattern suggests analysts see some moderation in earnings momentum over the medium term.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 165 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, with a total value of $492,855.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 1,219 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,641,153. The trade was a 15.65% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Friday, April 10th. The shares were 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 directly owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at $16,826,568.64. This represents a 1.02% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. DA Davidson reduced their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,750.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $3,700.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Thursday, June 4th. Jefferies Financial Group cut their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Evercore reaffirmed an "outperform" rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Finally, Argus raised shares of AutoZone from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $4,325.00 target price for the company in a report on Monday, March 9th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $4,040.87.

AutoZone Price Performance

NYSE:AZO opened at $3,114.30 on Thursday. The firm has a market cap of $51.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 21.41, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.59 and a beta of 0.35. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $3,379.31 and a 200-day moving average price of $3,522.92. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1-year low of $2,928.11 and a 1-year high of $4,388.11.

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 firm had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.86 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.40% and a negative return on equity of 80.35%. The business's quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $35.36 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.26 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

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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