Los Angeles Capital Management LLC Sells 1,573 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Key Points

• Los Angeles Capital Management cut its AutoZone stake by 67.9% in the fourth quarter, selling 1,573 shares and leaving it with 744 shares valued at about $2.76 million.
• AutoZone reported better-than-expected earnings for the latest quarter, posting $38.07 EPS versus estimates of $36.22, while revenue rose 8.4% year over year to $4.84 billion.
• Analysts remain generally positive on the stock, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $4,040.87, though several firms recently trimmed their targets.

Los Angeles Capital Management LLC decreased its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 67.9% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 744 shares of the company's stock after selling 1,573 shares during the quarter. Los Angeles Capital Management LLC's holdings in AutoZone were worth $2,757,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of AZO. Brighton Jones LLC raised its position in AutoZone by 14.4% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company's stock valued at $356,000 after purchasing an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC bought a new position in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter valued at $356,000. Guggenheim Capital LLC raised its position in AutoZone by 3.8% in the 2nd quarter. Guggenheim Capital LLC now owns 248 shares of the company's stock valued at $921,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the last quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC raised its position in AutoZone by 8.9% in the 2nd quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 1,376 shares of the company's stock valued at $5,110,000 after purchasing an additional 112 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Treasurer of the State of North Carolina raised its position in AutoZone by 52.3% in the 2nd quarter. Treasurer of the State of North Carolina now owns 11,763 shares of the company's stock valued at $43,667,000 after purchasing an additional 4,039 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Stock Up 2.1%

AZO stock opened at $3,138.37 on Wednesday. The business has a fifty day moving average of $3,383.96 and a 200-day moving average of $3,528.08. The company has a market cap of $51.72 billion, a P/E ratio of 21.58, a PEG ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 0.35. AutoZone, Inc. has a twelve month low of $2,928.11 and a twelve month high of $4,388.11.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $36.22 by $1.85. The business had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 12.40%.The firm's revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $35.36 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.18 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently weighed in on AZO. Roth Mkm dropped their target price on AutoZone from $4,526.00 to $4,023.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. Evercore restated an "outperform" rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. Raymond James Financial restated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, May 27th. DA Davidson dropped their target price on 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. Finally, Argus upgraded AutoZone from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $4,325.00 target price for the company in a research report on Monday, March 9th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $4,040.87.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total value of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at approximately $16,826,568.64. This represents a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Director Brian Hannasch acquired 165 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred 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 acquisition, the director directly owned 1,219 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,641,153. The trade was a 15.65% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Corporate 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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