Walter Public Investments Inc. Reduces Position in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Walter Public Investments Inc. trimmed its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 16.3% during the fourth quarter, Holdings Channel reports. The fund owned 5,724 shares of the company’s stock after selling 1,116 shares during the quarter. AutoZone accounts for 3.4% of Walter Public Investments Inc.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 11th largest holding. Walter Public Investments Inc.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $19,413,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the company. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 6.6% during the third quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 4,966 shares of the company’s stock worth $21,315,000 after acquiring an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 132.8% during the third quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 319 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,369,000 after acquiring an additional 182 shares during the last quarter. Numerai GP LLC grew its stake in AutoZone by 1,199.3% in the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 1,754 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,525,000 after purchasing an additional 1,619 shares in the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in AutoZone in the third quarter worth about $678,000. Finally, Caprock Group LLC acquired a new position in AutoZone in the third quarter worth about $4,049,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

AutoZone Stock Down 2.3%

Shares of AZO stock opened at $2,936.42 on Friday. The business has a 50 day moving average of $3,421.80 and a two-hundred day moving average of $3,565.71. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52 week low of $2,931.65 and a 52 week high of $4,388.11. The company has a market cap of $48.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.57, a PEG ratio of 1.49 and a beta of 0.43.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 72.31% and a net margin of 12.47%.The company had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.86 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $35.36 earnings per share. AutoZone’s quarterly revenue was up 8.4% compared to the same quarter last year. Analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 150.54 EPS for the current fiscal year.

More AutoZone News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Several brokerages, including Guggenheim and TD Cowen, reiterated bullish ratings on AutoZone, and other analysts still see meaningful upside despite the selloff.
• Positive Sentiment: AutoZone reported 8.4% year-over-year revenue growth and management said commercial momentum remains strong, with plans to open 355 to 365 new locations this fiscal year.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst updates lowered price targets, including moves from Jefferies and BNP Paribas Exane, but both firms kept positive ratings, signaling reduced optimism rather than a bearish call.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary suggests investors are weighing whether the post-earnings decline has created a buying opportunity or whether the stock could fall further from current levels.
• Negative Sentiment: AutoZone’s latest results fell short of revenue expectations, which triggered the stock’s decline as investors focused on the miss rather than the EPS beat. Article: Why AutoZone Stock Slumped This Week
• Negative Sentiment: Some reports say the stock is sliding because investors are concerned that late-quarter softness may point to slowing momentum, despite management’s explanation that weather impacted results.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research firms recently commented on AZO. DA Davidson decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $3,750.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. BMO Capital Markets decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays lifted their price target on AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Guggenheim decreased their price target on AutoZone from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Wednesday. Finally, Raymond James Financial reiterated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday. One 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 MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $4,040.87.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Brian Hannasch bought 165 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, May 29th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $2,987.00 per share, for a total transaction of $492,855.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 1,219 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,641,153. The trade was a 15.65% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total value of $173,936.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 4,837 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $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. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

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.