Diversified Trust Co Reduces Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Diversified Trust Co lowered its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 23.4% during the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 2,515 shares of the company’s stock after selling 768 shares during the period. Diversified Trust Co’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $8,495,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in AZO. Norges Bank purchased a new position in AutoZone during the 4th quarter worth approximately $939,205,000. Morgan Stanley increased its position in AutoZone by 17.8% during the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 492,794 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,671,323,000 after buying an additional 74,555 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its stake in AutoZone by 387.1% in the fourth quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 77,792 shares of the company’s stock valued at $263,832,000 after buying an additional 61,821 shares during the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. lifted its stake in AutoZone by 39.5% in the fourth quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 176,986 shares of the company’s stock valued at $584,730,000 after buying an additional 50,071 shares during the last quarter. Finally, AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 80.8% in the third quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 101,185 shares of the company’s stock valued at $432,059,000 after acquiring an additional 45,212 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoZone Trading Down 0.0%

Shares of AutoZone stock opened at $3,064.22 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $3,333.73 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3,484.45. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12-month low of $2,928.11 and a 12-month high of $4,388.11. The stock has a market cap of $50.04 billion, a PE ratio of 21.07, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.55 and a beta of 0.35.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $36.22 by $1.85. The firm had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 80.35% and a net margin of 12.40%.AutoZone’s quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business posted $35.36 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.51 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, June 16th that allows the company to repurchase $1.50 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the company to purchase up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

AutoZone News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research lifted AutoZone’s FY2026 EPS estimate to $151.37 from $150.59, slightly above the current consensus, suggesting steady near-term earnings strength.
• Positive Sentiment: The firm also raised FY2027 EPS to $174.73, Q4 2027 EPS to $61.70, and FY2028 EPS to $197.32, pointing to continued long-term earnings growth.
• Positive Sentiment: Several quarterly estimates were increased, including Q1 2027, Q4 2026, Q1 2028, Q2 2028, and Q3 2028, reinforcing the view that analysts see AutoZone delivering stronger-than-expected results over time.
• Neutral Sentiment: Despite the optimistic estimate revisions, the stock remains well below its 52-week high, so investor sentiment may still be tempered by valuation and broader market positioning.
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also trimmed one estimate — Q2 2027 EPS was lowered to $32.61 from $32.78 — which is a small offset to the otherwise positive revisions.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 165 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, May 29th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $2,987.00 per share, with a total value of $492,855.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 1,219 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,641,153. This represents a 15.65% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total transaction of $173,936.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at $16,826,568.64. This represents a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of brokerages have recently commented on AZO. Evercore reaffirmed an “outperform” rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Tuesday, May 26th. Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,700.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 4th. Truist Financial set a $3,700.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, May 27th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group reduced their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have issued a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $4,040.87.

AutoZone Company Profile

AutoZone, Inc (NYSE: AZO) is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, the company supplies a wide range of aftermarket components, maintenance items and accessories for passenger cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles. Its product assortment includes engine parts, electrical components, batteries, brakes, filters, fluids and interior and exterior accessories, supported by inventory management and logistics systems to serve retail customers and professional service providers.

AutoZone serves both do?it?yourself (DIY) consumers and commercial customers such as independent repair shops and service centers.