Nykredit A S Acquires New Stake in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Key Points

• Nykredit A S acquired 8,538 AutoZone shares in the second quarter, valued at approximately $27.3 million, while institutional investors collectively own 92.74% of the company.
• Analysts maintain a generally bullish view, with one Strong Buy, 20 Buy, and six Hold ratings; the consensus target price is $3,913.62, despite several firms recently lowering their targets.
• AutoZone authorized a $1.5 billion share buyback, but the stock faces near-term uncertainty from elevated fuel prices and an upcoming earnings report that options markets suggest could trigger a roughly 10% move.

Nykredit A S acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor acquired 8,538 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,287,000. Nykredit A S owned about 0.05% of AutoZone as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds also recently made changes to their positions in AZO. Corient Private Wealth LP lifted its holdings in AutoZone by 14.0% in the second quarter. Corient Private Wealth LP now owns 11,599 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,071,000 after acquiring an additional 1,423 shares during the period. Formuepleje A S grew its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 19.4% in the 2nd quarter. Formuepleje A S now owns 9,855 shares of the company's stock worth $31,496,000 after acquiring an additional 1,598 shares during the period. VIRGINIA RETIREMENT SYSTEMS ET Al purchased a new position in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $37,456,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC increased its stake in AutoZone by 33,193.5% in the 2nd quarter. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC now owns 15,315 shares of the company's stock valued at $48,946,000 after purchasing an additional 15,269 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wedmont Private Capital raised its holdings in AutoZone by 4.3% during the second quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 244 shares of the company's stock worth $750,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms have weighed in on AZO. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their target price on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,850.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Tuesday, May 26th. BNP Paribas Exane lowered their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,478.00 to $3,979.00 and set an "outperform" rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Mizuho dropped their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,200.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut shares of AutoZone from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "hold (c)" rating in a research report on Thursday, July 23rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $3,913.62.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $2,859.61 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12 month low of $2,815.00 and a 12 month high of $4,332.68. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $2,994.83 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,221.20. The company has a market cap of $46.70 billion, a PE ratio of 19.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.42 and a beta of 0.34.

AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 16th that permits the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to repurchase up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically a sign that the company's board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Key Stories Impacting AutoZone

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AutoZone’s earnings report next week could provide a near-term catalyst. Options traders are pricing in an approximately 10% move around the release, signaling elevated expectations and potential volatility. AutoZone Stock Set for Near 10% Move After Q4 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Oppenheimer maintained an “outperform” rating despite lowering its price target to $3,500. The revised target still implies substantial upside from recent trading levels, suggesting the firm views the oil-related weakness as manageable over the longer term. AutoZone Facing Near-Term Pressure From Recent Oil Price Spike
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts are watching revenue, comparable sales, margins, and commercial-business performance for the quarter ended August 2026. Current previews cite an estimated earnings per share figure of about $54.22, but the market will place greater emphasis on forward guidance. AutoZone Q4 2026 Preview
• Negative Sentiment: Oppenheimer cut its fiscal fourth-quarter estimates and reduced its price target after the recent oil-price spike. Higher fuel costs could pressure consumer driving activity, do-it-yourself maintenance demand, and AutoZone’s near-term sales outlook. AutoZone Fiscal Fourth-Quarter Estimates Cut
• Negative Sentiment: The upcoming earnings event is increasing uncertainty, with analysts highlighting potential near-term pressure from fuel prices even as AutoZone’s longer-term replacement-parts demand remains intact. AutoZone Q4 Earnings Analysts’ Insights

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoZone news, VP Dennis LeRiche sold 1,455 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total value of $4,510,500.00. Following the transaction, the vice president owned 441 shares in the company, valued at $1,367,100. This trade represents a 76.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Insiders own 2.60% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Company Profile

AutoZone, Inc is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts, accessories, and maintenance products. The company serves do-it-yourself customers, professional service technicians, and commercial repair businesses through its stores, distribution network, and online platform.

Its product offerings include replacement parts such as batteries, brakes, engine components, and ignition products, along with tools, fluids, filters, and other automotive accessories. AutoZone also provides services such as parts lookup, diagnostic assistance, battery testing and charging, and loaner tools for eligible repairs.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, AutoZone operates primarily in the United States, with additional locations in Mexico and Brazil.

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