Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. Increases Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd. increased its stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 75.0% during the third quarter, according to its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 700 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 300 shares during the period. AutoZone accounts for 1.4% of Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.’s investment portfolio, making the stock its 16th largest position. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management UK Ltd.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $3,003,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other large investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in AZO. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 14.4% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock valued at $356,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $356,000. Harbour Investments Inc. boosted its holdings in AutoZone by 27.3% in the 2nd quarter. Harbour Investments Inc. now owns 14 shares of the company’s stock valued at $52,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. grew its position in shares of AutoZone by 8.3% during the 2nd quarter. Stratos Wealth Partners LTD. now owns 130 shares of the company’s stock valued at $483,000 after purchasing an additional 10 shares in the last quarter. Finally, D.A. Davidson & CO. increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 18.0% in the second quarter. D.A. Davidson & CO. now owns 1,512 shares of the company’s stock worth $5,613,000 after purchasing an additional 231 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several equities analysts recently commented on AZO shares. Evercore restated an “outperform” rating and set a $4,100.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. BMO Capital Markets cut their price objective on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,400.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Barclays set a $3,880.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Roth Mkm reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $4,650.00 target price (down from $4,750.00) on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,775.00 to $4,200.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, December 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, AutoZone currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,271.25.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of NYSE AZO opened at $3,751.33 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $62.16 billion, a P/E ratio of 26.16, a PEG ratio of 1.78 and a beta of 0.41. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $3,210.72 and a one year high of $4,388.11. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $3,563.31 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $3,842.43.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $31.04 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $32.69 by ($1.65). The business had revenue of $4.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.64 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.78% and a negative return on equity of 65.38%. AutoZone’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $32.52 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In related news, Director Brian Hannasch bought 147 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 18th. The stock was bought at an average price of $3,393.09 per share, with a total value of $498,784.23. Following the purchase, the director owned 962 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,264,152.58. The trade was a 18.04% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total value of $823,750.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,887 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $16,102,665. This represents a 4.87% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have bought 347 shares of company stock valued at $1,179,256 and have sold 9,447 shares valued at $34,179,923. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

About AutoZone

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.