Truist Financial Lowers AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) Price Target to $4,045.00

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) had its target price reduced by Truist Financial from $4,076.00 to $4,045.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Truist Financial’s price objective suggests a potential upside of 9.50% from the company’s current price.

Several other analysts have also commented on the company. TD Cowen reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Oppenheimer lowered their price objective on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,150.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, January 9th. UBS Group set a $4,800.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a report on Tuesday. Wolfe Research cut shares of AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “peer perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $4,400.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, December 10th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,279.00.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AutoZone stock traded up $56.80 during trading on Wednesday, hitting $3,693.97. 10,109 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 166,450. The stock has a market capitalization of $61.21 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.76, a PEG ratio of 1.85 and a beta of 0.41. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $3,607.18 and a 200-day simple moving average of $3,825.54. AutoZone has a 52-week low of $3,210.72 and a 52-week high of $4,388.11.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, March 3rd. The company reported $27.63 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $27.59 by $0.04. The company had revenue of $4.27 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.31 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 12.78% and a negative return on equity of 65.38%. The firm’s revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $28.29 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that AutoZone will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 97 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,341.99, for a total transaction of $324,173.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 3,564 shares in the company, valued at $11,910,852.36. This represents a 2.65% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Brian Hannasch acquired 147 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $3,393.09 per share, for a total transaction of $498,784.23. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 962 shares in the company, valued at $3,264,152.58. The trade was a 18.04% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Over the last ninety 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. Company insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth $27,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in AutoZone by 100.0% during the fourth quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 8 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Global Trust Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of AutoZone by 600.0% during the third quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 6 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting AutoZone

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Small EPS beat and revenue growth: AutoZone reported EPS of $27.63, slightly above consensus, and total net sales rose ~8.1% year-over-year, showing underlying demand. MarketBeat Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Same-store sales improvement: Total company same-store sales increased ~3.3% (domestic ~3.4%), indicating continued traffic and resiliency in core retail operations. GlobeNewswire Release
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support remains: DA Davidson kept a Buy rating while trimming its price target (from $4,500 to $4,100), signaling some analysts view the pullback as a buying opportunity. MarketScreener
• Neutral Sentiment: Management commentary and call details: The earnings call/transcript reviewed operational drivers and margin dynamics; useful for longer‑term positioning but did not materially change near-term outlook. Seeking Alpha Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed expectations: Net sales of ~$4.27B came in below the ~ $4.31B analyst consensus, which investors view as a key miss given AutoZone’s size and recent growth run. Yahoo Finance Sales Report
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure and profit decline: Company cited inflationary headwinds and margin compression; second-quarter profit fell and net margin weakened, a major driver of investor concern about near-term profitability. Reuters
• Negative Sentiment: Operational headwinds and market reaction: Winter storms were called out as a sales headwind and investors sold off sharply after the revenue miss and margin commentary (coverage notes report a ~9% intraday drop), amplifying the stock decline. WSJ

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.