Rational Advisors Inc. Makes New Investment in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Rational Advisors Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 305 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $1,163,000.

Several other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Fortem Financial Group LLC grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 22.5% during the 1st quarter. Fortem Financial Group LLC now owns 462 shares of the company's stock worth $1,762,000 after buying an additional 85 shares during the period. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in AutoZone by 6.6% during the 1st quarter. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. now owns 113 shares of the company's stock worth $431,000 after acquiring an additional 7 shares during the period. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 55.6% during the 1st quarter. Fidelis Capital Partners LLC now owns 305 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,101,000 after acquiring an additional 109 shares during the last quarter. Cerity Partners LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 7.0% in the 1st quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 3,532 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,470,000 after purchasing an additional 230 shares during the period. Finally, Narus Financial Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 1st quarter worth $233,000. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AZO stock opened at $3,702.16 on Friday. The firm has a market cap of $62.12 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.06, a P/E/G ratio of 2.22 and a beta of 0.39. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52 week low of $2,894.02 and a 52 week high of $3,916.81. The firm's 50-day simple moving average is $3,704.16 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3,561.04.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 27th. The company reported $35.36 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $37.07 by ($1.71). AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 56.07% and a net margin of 13.56%. The company had revenue of $4.46 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.41 billion. During the same period last year, the firm posted $36.69 EPS. The company's revenue for the quarter was up 5.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, Chairman William C. Rhodes III sold 27,500 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, June 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,708.93, for a total value of $101,995,575.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman owned 8,546 shares in the company, valued at $31,696,515.78. This trade represents a 76.29% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, VP Domingo Hurtado sold 4,800 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, April 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,660.00, for a total value of $17,568,000.00. Following the sale, the vice president owned 159 shares in the company, valued at approximately $581,940. This represents a 96.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 35,662 shares of company stock valued at $131,999,089. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

AZO has been the topic of several analyst reports. Mizuho increased their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,740.00 to $4,050.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, July 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on AutoZone from $3,830.00 to $4,350.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, May 23rd. Wall Street Zen upgraded AutoZone from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, May 14th. Wells Fargo & Company set a $4,200.00 price objective on AutoZone and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Monday, May 19th. Finally, UBS Group upped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,025.00 to $4,260.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, May 23rd. Two analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, nineteen have issued a buy rating and three have given a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average target price of $4,087.00.

About AutoZone

AutoZone, Inc retails and distributes automotive replacement parts and accessories in the United States, Mexico, and Brazil. The company provides various products for cars, sport utility vehicles, vans, and light trucks, including new and remanufactured automotive hard parts, maintenance items, accessories, and non-automotive products.

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