Westfield Capital Management Co. LP Has $196.36 Million Stock Holdings in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO

Westfield Capital Management Co. LP grew its stake in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 19.9% during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 45,770 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 7,588 shares during the quarter. AutoZone comprises approximately 0.8% of Westfield Capital Management Co. LP’s holdings, making the stock its 26th largest holding. Westfield Capital Management Co. LP owned 0.28% of AutoZone worth $196,364,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the stock. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its holdings in AutoZone by 14.4% during the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 111 shares of the company’s stock worth $356,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $356,000. Wealthfront Advisers LLC raised its position in shares of AutoZone by 3.3% in the 2nd quarter. Wealthfront Advisers LLC now owns 1,518 shares of the company’s stock valued at $5,635,000 after acquiring an additional 49 shares during the period. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC boosted its stake in AutoZone by 27.6% during the 2nd quarter. Transcend Capital Advisors LLC now owns 157 shares of the company’s stock worth $583,000 after acquiring an additional 34 shares during the last quarter. Finally, May Hill Capital LLC grew its holdings in AutoZone by 5.5% during the second quarter. May Hill Capital LLC now owns 58 shares of the company’s stock valued at $215,000 after purchasing an additional 3 shares during the period. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE:AZO opened at $3,664.80 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $3,582.80 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3,834.94. AutoZone, Inc. has a 52-week low of $3,210.72 and a 52-week high of $4,388.11. The company has a market cap of $60.73 billion, a PE ratio of 25.56, a PEG ratio of 1.80 and a beta of 0.41.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 9th. The company reported $31.04 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $32.69 by ($1.65). The business had revenue of $4.63 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.64 billion. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 65.38% and a net margin of 12.78%.AutoZone’s revenue was up 8.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $32.52 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 152.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,850.00 to $4,500.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, December 10th. Robert W. Baird downgraded AutoZone from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $3,900.00 price objective on the stock. in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley reduced their target price on AutoZone from $4,700.00 to $4,000.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, January 15th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of AutoZone in a report on Monday, December 29th. Finally, Citigroup decreased their price objective on AutoZone from $4,775.00 to $4,200.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Buy rating and seven have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, AutoZone presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $4,271.25.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director George R. Mrkonic, Jr. sold 97 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,341.99, for a total transaction of $324,173.03. Following the sale, the director owned 3,564 shares in the company, valued at approximately $11,910,852.36. This represents a 2.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 250 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,295.00, for a total value of $823,750.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 4,887 shares in the company, valued at $16,102,665. This trade represents a 4.87% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last ninety days, insiders purchased 347 shares of company stock worth $1,179,256 and sold 9,447 shares worth $34,179,923. Corporate insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

About AutoZone

AutoZone, Inc (NYSE: AZO) is a retailer and distributor of automotive replacement parts and accessories. Headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, the company supplies a wide range of aftermarket components, maintenance items and accessories for passenger cars, light trucks and commercial vehicles. Its product assortment includes engine parts, electrical components, batteries, brakes, filters, fluids and interior and exterior accessories, supported by inventory management and logistics systems to serve retail customers and professional service providers.

AutoZone serves both do‑it‑yourself (DIY) consumers and commercial customers such as independent repair shops and service centers.