AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Position Boosted by Osterweis Capital Management Inc.

Osterweis Capital Management Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 1.1% during the 4th quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 11,608 shares of the company's stock after acquiring an additional 123 shares during the period. AutoZone accounts for approximately 1.7% of Osterweis Capital Management Inc.'s investment portfolio, making the stock its 15th biggest holding. Osterweis Capital Management Inc. owned approximately 0.07% of AutoZone worth $37,169,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Several other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZO. Proficio Capital Partners LLC increased its position in AutoZone by 482,040.2% in the 4th quarter. Proficio Capital Partners LLC now owns 419,462 shares of the company's stock valued at $1,343,117,000 after acquiring an additional 419,375 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new position in AutoZone during the fourth quarter worth about $834,556,000. Strategic Financial Concepts LLC purchased a new stake in AutoZone in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $471,629,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC increased its position in AutoZone by 6,083.9% during the 4th quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 90,656 shares of the company's stock worth $290,281,000 after purchasing an additional 89,190 shares during the period. Finally, Barclays PLC lifted its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 82.6% in the 4th quarter. Barclays PLC now owns 170,216 shares of the company's stock valued at $545,033,000 after buying an additional 77,015 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company's stock.

Insider Buying and Selling at AutoZone

In related news, SVP K. Michelle Borninkhof sold 136 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,550.08, for a total value of $482,810.88. Following the sale, the senior vice president now directly owns 403 shares in the company, valued at $1,430,682.24. This trade represents a 25.23 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, SVP Bailey L. Childress sold 160 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, March 5th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,550.00, for a total value of $568,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the senior vice president now owns 50 shares in the company, valued at approximately $177,500. This represents a 76.19 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 6,721 shares of company stock worth $24,609,331 over the last quarter. 2.10% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities research analysts have commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on AutoZone from $3,750.00 to $3,850.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Morgan Stanley lifted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,490.00 to $3,750.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 5th. Roth Capital set a $3,763.00 price objective on AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Argus lowered AutoZone from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 5th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,775.00 to $3,830.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 5th. Five analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoZone presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $3,724.00.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE:AZO traded up $98.04 during mid-day trading on Tuesday, hitting $3,667.28. 41,762 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 132,309. The firm has a market cap of $61.54 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.53, a PEG ratio of 1.86 and a beta of 0.54. The firm's 50 day simple moving average is $3,576.24 and its 200 day simple moving average is $3,347.51. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $2,728.97 and a 52-week high of $3,916.81.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, March 4th. The company reported $28.29 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $29.11 by ($0.82). The business had revenue of $3.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.98 billion. AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. Equities research analysts expect that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 EPS for the current fiscal 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.