Railway Pension Investments Ltd Purchases 400 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Key Points

• Railway Pension Investments Ltd increased its AutoZone stake by 1.7% in the fourth quarter, buying 400 shares and bringing its total holding to 24,102 shares worth about $81.7 million.
• AutoZone reported 8.4% year-over-year revenue growth and beat earnings expectations with EPS of $38.07, though revenue came in slightly below estimates, which contributed to the stock’s decline.
• Despite mixed short-term sentiment and some price-target cuts, analysts remain broadly positive on AZO, with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of about $4,040.87.

Railway Pension Investments Ltd lifted its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 1.7% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 24,102 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 400 shares during the quarter. Railway Pension Investments Ltd owned approximately 0.15% of AutoZone worth $81,742,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. SYM FINANCIAL Corp grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. SYM FINANCIAL Corp now owns 86 shares of the company's stock worth $369,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Camden National Bank grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 3.6% during the 3rd quarter. Camden National Bank now owns 86 shares of the company's stock worth $369,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 1.7% during the 3rd quarter. Crestwood Advisors Group LLC now owns 184 shares of the company's stock worth $791,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Assetmark Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 1.4% during the 3rd quarter. Assetmark Inc. now owns 212 shares of the company's stock worth $908,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Bridgewater Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 1.3% during the 3rd quarter. Bridgewater Advisors Inc. now owns 229 shares of the company's stock worth $982,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

More AutoZone News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages, including Guggenheim and TD Cowen, reiterated bullish ratings on AutoZone, and other analysts still see meaningful upside despite the selloff.
• Positive Sentiment: AutoZone reported 8.4% year-over-year revenue growth and management said commercial momentum remains strong, with plans to open 355 to 365 new locations this fiscal year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst updates lowered price targets, including moves from Jefferies and BNP Paribas Exane, but both firms kept positive ratings, signaling reduced optimism rather than a bearish call.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary suggests investors are weighing whether the post-earnings decline has created a buying opportunity or whether the stock could fall further from current levels.
• Negative Sentiment: AutoZone’s latest results fell short of revenue expectations, which triggered the stock’s decline as investors focused on the miss rather than the EPS beat. Article: Why AutoZone Stock Slumped This Week
• Negative Sentiment: Some reports say the stock is sliding because investors are concerned that late-quarter softness may point to slowing momentum, despite management’s explanation that weather impacted results.

AutoZone Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of NYSE:AZO opened at $2,936.42 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $2,931.65 and a 52-week high of $4,388.11. The stock has a market cap of $48.39 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.57, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.43. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $3,421.80 and a 200-day moving average price of $3,565.71.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 72.31% and a net margin of 12.47%.The firm had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.86 billion. During the same period last year, the business posted $35.36 earnings per share. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on AZO. Weiss Ratings raised AutoZone from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. decreased their price objective on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,850.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price objective on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,000.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Roth Mkm decreased their price objective on AutoZone from $4,526.00 to $4,023.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Barclays upped their price objective on AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoZone currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $4,040.87.

Insider Activity at AutoZone

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

About AutoZone

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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