AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Shares Acquired by Teacher Retirement System of Texas

Teacher Retirement System of Texas lifted its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 11,848.7% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 13,741 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 13,626 shares during the period. Teacher Retirement System of Texas owned approximately 0.08% of AutoZone worth $43,999,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AZO. Proficio Capital Partners LLC increased its holdings in AutoZone by 482,040.2% in the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 419,462 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,343,117,000 after purchasing an additional 419,375 shares during the last quarter. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $471,629,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC increased its holdings in AutoZone by 6,083.9% in the 4th quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 90,656 shares of the company’s stock valued at $290,281,000 after purchasing an additional 89,190 shares during the last quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company increased its holdings in AutoZone by 186.8% in the 3rd quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 92,870 shares of the company’s stock valued at $292,544,000 after purchasing an additional 60,483 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $189,483,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts recently weighed in on the stock. Evercore ISI lifted their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,525.00 to $3,700.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,750.00 to $3,850.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Roth Mkm boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,634.00 to $3,763.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Citigroup boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,500.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Wedbush restated an “outperform” rating and issued a $3,700.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, five have given a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and four have given a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3,651.91.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, SVP K. Michelle Borninkhof sold 136 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,550.08, for a total value of $482,810.88. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now directly owns 403 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,430,682.24. The trade was a 25.23 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Dennis W. Leriche sold 1,575 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Friday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,600.00, for a total transaction of $5,670,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president now owns 417 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,501,200. This represents a 79.07 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,871 shares of company stock worth $6,720,811. 2.10% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of AZO opened at $3,569.96 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1-year low of $2,728.97 and a 1-year high of $3,704.43. The stock has a market cap of $59.91 billion, a PE ratio of 23.85, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.71. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $3,426.29 and a 200 day moving average price of $3,254.98.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $28.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $29.11 by ($0.82). AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. The company had revenue of $3.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $3.98 billion. As a group, equities analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal year.

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.