AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Shares Acquired by Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC

Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC increased its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 10.1% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 1,001 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 92 shares during the quarter. Linden Thomas Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $3,205,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the third quarter worth $36,000. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 3rd quarter valued at about $47,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter valued at about $47,000. McIlrath & Eck LLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 25.0% during the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 20 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after acquiring an additional 4 shares during the period. Finally, Ashton Thomas Securities LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the third quarter worth approximately $66,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on AZO shares. Barclays increased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,024.00 to $3,585.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Wells Fargo & Company boosted their price target on AutoZone from $3,450.00 to $3,750.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on AutoZone in a report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $3,700.00 price objective on the stock. DA Davidson reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $3,025.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Monday, September 30th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group cut shares of AutoZone from a “buy” rating to a “sell” rating and reduced their price target for the company from $3,205.00 to $2,917.00 in a research report on Monday, October 14th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, sixteen have given a buy rating and three have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3,429.84.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AZO opened at $3,328.28 on Friday. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,672.31 and a one year high of $3,416.71. The stock has a 50-day moving average price of $3,238.73 and a 200 day moving average price of $3,149.01. The company has a market capitalization of $55.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.24, a P/E/G ratio of 1.84 and a beta of 0.71.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 10th. The company reported $32.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $33.69 by ($1.17). The company had revenue of $4.28 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.30 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 53.89% and a net margin of 14.18%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $32.55 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share 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.