AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Shares Acquired by Man Group plc

Man Group plc boosted its position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 291.9% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 5,620 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 4,186 shares during the quarter. Man Group plc's holdings in AutoZone were worth $17,995,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Several other large investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Park Avenue Securities LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Park Avenue Securities LLC now owns 179 shares of the company's stock valued at $573,000 after purchasing an additional 12 shares during the period. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. increased its holdings in AutoZone by 7.2% in the 4th quarter. Hennion & Walsh Asset Management Inc. now owns 671 shares of the company's stock worth $2,149,000 after acquiring an additional 45 shares in the last quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 9.8% during the 4th quarter. Carnegie Investment Counsel now owns 1,230 shares of the company's stock valued at $3,938,000 after purchasing an additional 110 shares during the period. Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 13.3% during the 4th quarter. Eagle Rock Investment Company LLC now owns 4,254 shares of the company's stock valued at $13,620,000 after purchasing an additional 501 shares during the period. Finally, Avanza Fonder AB purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $5,299,000. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AZO traded down $0.18 on Tuesday, reaching $3,879.79. The stock had a trading volume of 106,638 shares, compared to its average volume of 129,784. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12-month low of $2,728.97 and a 12-month high of $3,939.05. The firm has a market capitalization of $65.11 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.92, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.44. The company has a 50-day simple moving average of $3,664.99 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,429.72.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $28.29 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $29.11 by ($0.82). The business had revenue of $3.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $3.98 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. On average, analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CEO Philip B. Daniele sold 2,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,800.01, for a total value of $7,600,020.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 163 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $619,401.63. This represents a 92.46% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Bailey L. Childress sold 160 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,550.00, for a total value of $568,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 50 shares in the company, valued at approximately $177,500. The trade was a 76.19% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 11,521 shares of company stock valued at $42,177,331 over the last quarter. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on the company. Oppenheimer upgraded AutoZone from a "market perform" rating to an "outperform" rating and set a $4,600.00 price objective on the stock in a report on Friday, May 2nd. Argus cut shares of AutoZone from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,775.00 to $3,830.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. BMO Capital Markets raised their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,700.00 to $3,850.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,490.00 to $3,750.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Three investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, eighteen have assigned a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of "Buy" and a consensus price target of $3,837.82.

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.