Baillie Gifford & Co. Has $13.46 Million Stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Baillie Gifford & Co. cut its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 3.2% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 4,270 shares of the company’s stock after selling 143 shares during the quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co.’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $13,458,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of the business. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. lifted its position in AutoZone by 2.9% in the 1st quarter. Braun Stacey Associates Inc. now owns 6,811 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,466,000 after acquiring an additional 191 shares in the last quarter. Wambolt & Associates LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 1st quarter worth about $212,000. Stegent Equity Advisors Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the first quarter valued at about $296,000. Smith Group Asset Management LLC boosted its position in AutoZone by 13.3% during the first quarter. Smith Group Asset Management LLC now owns 10,400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,777,000 after purchasing an additional 1,219 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Norden Group LLC acquired a new position in shares of AutoZone during the 1st quarter worth approximately $1,106,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Wedbush lowered their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,400.00 to $3,200.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, May 22nd. Mizuho decreased their target price on AutoZone from $3,450.00 to $3,280.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Wolfe Research reduced their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,150.00 to $3,000.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Citigroup dropped their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,420.00 to $3,250.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Finally, Truist Financial reduced their target price on shares of AutoZone from $3,523.00 to $3,394.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, May 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, fifteen have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $3,112.71.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other AutoZone news, VP Jenna M. Bedsole bought 36 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 23rd. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $2,757.10 per share, with a total value of $99,255.60. Following the acquisition, the vice president now directly owns 36 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $99,255.60. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 2.50% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Stock Down 1.1 %

Shares of NYSE AZO traded down $29.88 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $2,815.00. 110,270 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 133,576. The stock’s 50-day moving average price is $2,882.22 and its 200-day moving average price is $2,869.53. The stock has a market cap of $48.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.47, a PEG ratio of 1.43 and a beta of 0.71. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,375.35 and a one year high of $3,256.37.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, May 21st. The company reported $36.69 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $35.67 by $1.02. The company had revenue of $4.24 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.29 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 54.58% and a net margin of 14.60%. AutoZone’s revenue for the quarter was up 3.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $34.12 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that AutoZone, Inc. will post 151.57 EPS for the current year.

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.