AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) Shares Sold by Seizert Capital Partners LLC

Seizert Capital Partners LLC cut its position in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO - Free Report) by 61.7% during the third quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 5,913 shares of the company's stock after selling 9,542 shares during the period. Seizert Capital Partners LLC's holdings in AutoZone were worth $18,626,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in AZO. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth about $36,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. boosted its position in AutoZone by 50.0% during the second quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 15 shares of the company's stock worth $44,000 after purchasing an additional 5 shares in the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone in the third quarter valued at approximately $47,000. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $50,000. Finally, ORG Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $50,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company's stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

Shares of AutoZone stock traded down $28.53 on Friday, reaching $3,107.53. The company had a trading volume of 117,884 shares, compared to its average volume of 124,162. The firm's 50 day moving average price is $3,112.88 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $3,024.56. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $2,510.00 and a 52-week high of $3,256.37. The firm has a market cap of $52.52 billion, a PE ratio of 20.76, a PEG ratio of 1.57 and a beta of 0.71.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, September 24th. The company reported $48.11 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $53.31 by ($5.20). AutoZone had a net margin of 14.40% and a negative return on equity of 52.99%. The firm had revenue of $6.21 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $6.25 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the firm earned $46.46 EPS. The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 9.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 158.09 EPS for the current year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the stock. Evercore ISI boosted their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,300.00 to $3,350.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Thursday, October 3rd. StockNews.com downgraded shares of AutoZone from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, September 21st. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on AutoZone from $3,038.00 to $3,125.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Citigroup reduced their target price on AutoZone from $3,787.00 to $3,500.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, September 25th. Finally, Roth Mkm restated a "buy" rating and issued a $3,634.00 target price on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, October 16th. One analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have assigned a hold rating, fourteen have given a buy rating and four have issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $3,202.71.

Insider Activity at AutoZone

In other news, VP John Scott Murphy sold 1,580 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,107.69, for a total transaction of $4,910,150.20. Following the sale, the vice president now owns 1,218 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,785,166.42. This represents a 56.47 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Chairman William C. Rhodes III sold 13,000 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,107.15, for a total value of $40,392,950.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chairman now owns 13,857 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $43,055,777.55. This trade represents a 48.40 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 14,880 shares of company stock worth $46,225,660. 2.10% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

About AutoZone

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.