AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Shares Acquired by Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc.

Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 4,267.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,446 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 2,390 shares during the period. Wealth Enhancement Trust Services Inc.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $6,922,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Several other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. MCF Advisors LLC grew its position in AutoZone by 50.0% during the fourth quarter. MCF Advisors LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. IVC Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoZone by 2.9% during the 1st quarter. IVC Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 107 shares of the company’s stock valued at $361,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the period. Pure Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of AutoZone by 2.4% during the 4th quarter. Pure Financial Advisors LLC now owns 127 shares of the company’s stock valued at $430,000 after acquiring an additional 3 shares during the period. Petredis Investment Advisors LLC grew its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 0.4% during the 1st quarter. Petredis Investment Advisors LLC now owns 762 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,574,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares in the last quarter. Finally, KFG Wealth Management LLC increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 2.2% in the first quarter. KFG Wealth Management LLC now owns 142 shares of the company’s stock worth $480,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the company. DA Davidson dropped their price target on AutoZone from $3,750.00 to $3,500.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. UBS Group set a $3,850.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of AutoZone from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “hold (c)” rating in a report on Thursday, July 23rd. Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Finally, Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,400.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 23rd. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have issued a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoZone presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $3,669.12.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, VP Dennis LeRiche sold 1,455 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total transaction of $4,510,500.00. Following the sale, the vice president directly owned 441 shares in the company, valued at $1,367,100. This trade represents a 76.74% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

AutoZone News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein upgraded AutoZone to “Strong Buy.” The bullish rating indicates confidence in the company’s long-term earnings and competitive position. The upgrade is especially notable because the average analyst price target is approximately $3,669, well above the stock’s recent trading level. Bernstein upgrades AutoZone stock to Strong Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised its Q3 2028 EPS forecast to $46.56 from $45.66. The firm also projects AutoZone earnings of $190.08 per share for fiscal 2028 and $220.60 for fiscal 2029, pointing to continued long-term earnings growth. Zacks Research Comments on AutoZone’s Q2 Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts’ average price target is $3,669.12. This target implies substantial potential upside from recent levels, but it reflects analyst expectations rather than a guaranteed near-term catalyst. AutoZone Stock Has Average Price Target of $3,669.12
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered several near- and intermediate-term earnings estimates. Q2 2027 EPS was reduced to $31.45 from $32.61, Q3 2027 to $41.91 from $42.64, and Q2 2028 to $39.11 from $40.45. Its fiscal 2028 forecast also fell to $190.08 from $197.32, potentially weighing on sentiment about near-term earnings momentum. Zacks Research Comments on AutoZone’s Q2 Earnings

AutoZone Stock Down 1.6%

Shares of AZO stock traded down $47.01 on Wednesday, reaching $2,851.56. The company had a trading volume of 130,185 shares, compared to its average volume of 265,268. The business’s 50-day moving average is $2,949.26 and its 200 day moving average is $3,149.16. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,730.65 and a one year high of $4,146.42. The stock has a market capitalization of $46.57 billion, a PE ratio of 18.66, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.30 and a beta of 0.40.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, September 22nd. The company reported $56.05 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $55.51. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.65% and a negative return on equity of 90.08%. The business had revenue of $6.59 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.70 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm earned $48.71 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 5.6% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 172.12 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program on Tuesday, June 16th that authorizes the company to buyback $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to repurchase up to 3% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

About AutoZone

AutoZone, Inc is a specialty retailer of automotive replacement parts, accessories and maintenance products. The company serves do-it-yourself customers as well as professional automotive repair shops, offering products such as batteries, brakes, filters, engine components, tools, fluids and other vehicle parts.

In addition to its retail stores, AutoZone provides commercial sales and delivery services for professional repair businesses. The company also operates ALLDATA, which offers automotive diagnostic, repair and shop-management software and information services to repair professionals.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, AutoZone operates primarily in the United States, with additional stores and operations in Mexico and Brazil.