Todd Asset Management LLC Trims Stock Position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Todd Asset Management LLC lowered its stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 3.1% during the fourth quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The firm owned 22,762 shares of the company's stock after selling 726 shares during the period. AutoZone makes up 1.3% of Todd Asset Management LLC's holdings, making the stock its 11th biggest holding. Todd Asset Management LLC owned 0.13% of AutoZone worth $58,854,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

A number of other hedge funds also recently modified their holdings of AZO. Sapient Capital LLC bought a new position in AutoZone in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $8,269,000. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in shares of AutoZone by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Axxcess Wealth Management LLC now owns 512 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,324,000 after purchasing an additional 37 shares during the last quarter. Merit Financial Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth $215,000. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. raised its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 205.9% during the 4th quarter. Benjamin F. Edwards & Company Inc. now owns 468 shares of the company's stock worth $1,210,000 after buying an additional 315 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Smart Money Group LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoZone by 41.7% during the 4th quarter. Smart Money Group LLC now owns 119 shares of the company's stock worth $308,000 after buying an additional 35 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AZO stock traded down $9.89 during mid-day trading on Friday, hitting $2,952.20. The company's stock had a trading volume of 102,073 shares, compared to its average volume of 135,291. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52 week low of $2,277.88 and a 52 week high of $3,256.37. The company's fifty day simple moving average is $3,051.93 and its 200-day simple moving average is $2,788.27. The company has a market cap of $51.13 billion, a PE ratio of 20.79, a P/E/G ratio of 1.46 and a beta of 0.72.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last issued its 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 business had revenue of $3.86 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.32 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 56.06% and a net margin of 14.70%. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 4.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $24.64 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.4 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, VP Eric S. Gould sold 2,100 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, March 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,200.00, for a total value of $6,720,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now directly owns 910 shares in the company, valued at $2,912,000. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. In related news, VP Eric S. Gould sold 2,100 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, March 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,200.00, for a total transaction of $6,720,000.00. Following the transaction, the vice president now directly owns 910 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $2,912,000. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman William C. Rhodes III sold 6,700 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the chairman now directly owns 15,357 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $48,992,208.54. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 15,990 shares of company stock worth $50,335,193 in the last quarter. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have commented on the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their target price on AutoZone from $3,000.00 to $3,200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, February 28th. StockNews.com cut AutoZone from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, April 12th. Mizuho initiated coverage on AutoZone in a research report on Tuesday, March 19th. They issued a "buy" rating and a $3,450.00 target price for the company. Morgan Stanley boosted their price target on AutoZone from $2,900.00 to $3,100.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, February 28th. Finally, Barclays raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $2,779.00 to $3,100.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Thursday, February 29th. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twelve have issued a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $3,086.61.

AutoZone Company 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.