Generali Asset Management SPA SGR Purchases Shares of 1,200 AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Generali Asset Management SPA SGR purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor purchased 1,200 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,842,000.

Several other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of AZO. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 1.8% during the 3rd quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 421,716 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,326,545,000 after buying an additional 7,365 shares in the last quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC raised its position in AutoZone by 482,040.2% during the fourth quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 419,462 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,343,117,000 after purchasing an additional 419,375 shares during the period. PineStone Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 6.9% in the 4th quarter. PineStone Asset Management Inc. now owns 213,575 shares of the company's stock valued at $683,867,000 after purchasing an additional 13,771 shares during the last quarter. Marshfield Associates boosted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 0.5% in the 3rd quarter. Marshfield Associates now owns 169,586 shares of the company's stock worth $534,204,000 after purchasing an additional 796 shares during the period. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. increased its position in shares of AutoZone by 35.6% during the 4th quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 163,089 shares of the company's stock valued at $522,211,000 after purchasing an additional 42,776 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

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AutoZone Stock Performance

AutoZone stock traded up $32.50 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $3,605.88. 208,657 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 126,390. The firm has a market cap of $60.51 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.09, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.71. The business has a fifty day moving average of $3,433.28 and a 200 day moving average of $3,258.73. AutoZone, Inc. has a 12-month low of $2,728.97 and a 12-month high of $3,704.43.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $28.29 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $29.11 by ($0.82). AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. The company had revenue of $3.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $3.98 billion. Sell-side analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, VP Richard Craig Smith sold 2,850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,610.00, for a total value of $10,288,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president now owns 2,924 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $10,555,640. This trade represents a 49.36 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, SVP Bailey L. Childress sold 160 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,550.00, for a total transaction of $568,000.00. Following the transaction, the senior vice president now owns 50 shares in the company, valued at approximately $177,500. This trade represents a 76.19 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 4,721 shares of company stock valued at $17,009,311 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 2.10% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on AZO shares. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price target on AutoZone from $3,775.00 to $3,830.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Bank of America lifted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,700.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Roth Capital set a $3,763.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Raymond James restated a "strong-buy" rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, UBS Group increased their price target on AutoZone from $3,875.00 to $4,025.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, four have assigned a hold rating, sixteen have issued a buy rating and four have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $3,683.36.

AutoZone 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.