Black Swift Group LLC Purchases 1,000 Shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Black Swift Group LLC lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 200.0% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 1,500 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 1,000 shares during the quarter. AutoZone comprises approximately 1.2% of Black Swift Group LLC's investment portfolio, making the stock its 20th largest holding. Black Swift Group LLC's holdings in AutoZone were worth $3,878,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 7.4% during the 2nd quarter. Snowden Capital Advisors LLC now owns 714 shares of the company's stock worth $1,780,000 after buying an additional 49 shares during the period. LGT Capital Partners LTD. grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 32.2% during the 4th quarter. LGT Capital Partners LTD. now owns 27,250 shares of the company's stock worth $70,458,000 after buying an additional 6,630 shares during the period. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 42,900.0% during the 4th quarter. Exchange Traded Concepts LLC now owns 430 shares of the company's stock worth $1,112,000 after buying an additional 429 shares during the period. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $51,000. Finally, Pacer Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 77.1% during the 4th quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 2,562 shares of the company's stock worth $6,624,000 after buying an additional 1,115 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, COO Thomas B. Newbern sold 7,800 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $2,551.62, for a total value of $19,902,636.00. Following the transaction, the chief operating officer now directly owns 2,519 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,427,530.78. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. In other news, Chairman William C. Rhodes III sold 6,700 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,190.22, for a total value of $21,374,474.00. Following the sale, the chairman now directly owns 15,357 shares of the company's stock, valued at $48,992,208.54. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, COO Thomas B. Newbern sold 7,800 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $2,551.62, for a total transaction of $19,902,636.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief operating officer now directly owns 2,519 shares in the company, valued at $6,427,530.78. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 27,797 shares of company stock valued at $81,010,974. 2.50% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

AZO has been the subject of several research reports. StockNews.com downgraded shares of AutoZone from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 27th. Mizuho assumed coverage on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Tuesday, March 19th. They set a "buy" rating and a $3,450.00 price target for the company. TheStreet lowered shares of AutoZone from a "c" rating to a "d+" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 20th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,000.00 to $3,200.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Wedbush boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $2,950.00 to $3,400.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have assigned a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $3,080.72.

AutoZone Trading Up 0.5 %

Shares of NYSE:AZO traded up $15.26 during midday trading on Monday, reaching $3,166.91. The company had a trading volume of 105,628 shares, compared to its average volume of 160,713. The company's 50 day moving average price is $2,929.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $2,708.94. The stock has a market cap of $54.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.67 and a beta of 0.70. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $2,277.88 and a 52-week high of $3,256.37.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, February 27th. The company reported $28.89 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $26.08 by $2.81. The company had revenue of $3.86 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.32 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.70% and a negative return on equity of 56.06%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $24.64 EPS. Research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 151.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone Profile

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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