Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH Reduces Stock Position in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH decreased its stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 2.9% during the third quarter, HoldingsChannel.com reports. The firm owned 17,565 shares of the company’s stock after selling 529 shares during the period. Universal Beteiligungs und Servicegesellschaft mbH’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $75,358,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Aspect Partners LLC increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 700.0% in the second quarter. Aspect Partners LLC now owns 8 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 7 shares during the last quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in AutoZone by 600.0% in the third quarter. Global Trust Asset Management LLC now owns 7 shares of the company’s stock worth $30,000 after purchasing an additional 6 shares during the last quarter. Bank of Jackson Hole Trust purchased a new stake in AutoZone during the 2nd quarter valued at about $33,000. NewSquare Capital LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 50.0% during the second quarter. NewSquare Capital LLC now owns 9 shares of the company’s stock valued at $33,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. Finally, Loomis Sayles & Co. L P bought a new stake in AutoZone in the 2nd quarter worth $33,000. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently weighed in on AZO shares. Rothschild & Co Redburn lifted their price objective on AutoZone from $4,300.00 to $4,700.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Oppenheimer reduced their price target on AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,150.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Friday, January 9th. Mizuho restated a “neutral” rating and issued a $3,550.00 price objective (down from $3,850.00) on shares of AutoZone in a report on Monday, January 5th. Raymond James Financial lowered their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,800.00 to $4,600.00 and set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Finally, Guggenheim dropped their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $4,600.00 to $4,400.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-four have assigned a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,264.12.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other AutoZone news, Director Brian Hannasch purchased 147 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were bought at an average price of $3,393.09 per share, for a total transaction of $498,784.23. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 962 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,264,152.58. This trade represents a 18.04% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, SVP K. Michelle Borninkhof sold 300 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,775.00, for a total value of $1,132,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president owned 416 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,570,400. The trade was a 41.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have bought 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and have sold 3,837 shares worth $13,445,423. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Price Performance

AZO stock opened at $3,573.61 on Wednesday. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $3,593.83 and its 200 day moving average is $3,850.66. The company has a market capitalization of $59.21 billion, a PE ratio of 24.92, a P/E/G ratio of 1.68 and a beta of 0.42. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12 month low of $3,205.23 and a 12 month high of $4,388.11.

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

AutoZone announced that its Board of Directors has initiated a share repurchase program on Wednesday, October 8th that allows the company to buyback $0.00 in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase shares of its stock through open market purchases. Shares buyback programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

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.