Braun Stacey Associates Inc. Has $24.43 Million Stock Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Braun Stacey Associates Inc. increased its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 7.0% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 7,629 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 500 shares during the period. Braun Stacey Associates Inc.'s holdings in AutoZone were worth $24,428,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in AZO. International Assets Investment Management LLC grew its position in AutoZone by 354,692.5% during the third quarter. International Assets Investment Management LLC now owns 993,419 shares of the company's stock valued at $31,293,100,000 after acquiring an additional 993,139 shares during the period. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone during the fourth quarter valued at about $471,629,000. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its position in AutoZone by 186.8% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 92,870 shares of the company's stock valued at $292,544,000 after acquiring an additional 60,483 shares during the period. Canoe Financial LP grew its position in AutoZone by 542.8% during the fourth quarter. Canoe Financial LP now owns 62,471 shares of the company's stock valued at $200,032,000 after acquiring an additional 52,753 shares during the period. Finally, Baillie Gifford & Co. grew its position in AutoZone by 35.6% during the fourth quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 163,089 shares of the company's stock valued at $522,211,000 after acquiring an additional 42,776 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts have commented on the company. Barclays boosted their price objective on AutoZone from $3,024.00 to $3,585.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 9th. Evercore ISI upped their price objective on AutoZone from $3,400.00 to $3,450.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 11th. BMO Capital Markets began coverage on AutoZone in a report on Friday, December 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $3,700.00 target price for the company. Argus upped their target price on AutoZone from $3,560.00 to $3,678.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Thursday, January 2nd. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price objective on AutoZone from $3,450.00 to $3,750.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. 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 given a strong buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $3,429.84.

AutoZone Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:AZO traded down $40.52 on Friday, reaching $3,366.15. 87,526 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 102,024. The company's 50 day moving average is $3,321.62 and its 200-day moving average is $3,206.32. The stock has a market capitalization of $56.49 billion, a PE ratio of 22.49, a P/E/G ratio of 1.88 and a beta of 0.70. AutoZone, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $2,708.09 and a fifty-two week high of $3,484.42.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, December 10th. The company reported $32.52 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $33.69 by ($1.17). The business had revenue of $4.28 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.30 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. AutoZone's revenue for the quarter was up 2.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $32.55 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current 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.