Jefferies Financial Group Has Lowered Expectations for AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) Stock Price

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) had its price objective decreased by research analysts at Jefferies Financial Group from $4,400.00 to $4,000.00 in a report released on Wednesday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage presently has a “buy” rating on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group’s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 33.94% from the stock’s current price.

AZO has been the subject of several other reports. BNP Paribas Exane reduced their target price on shares of AutoZone from $4,478.00 to $3,979.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lowered their price target on shares of AutoZone from $4,020.00 to $3,605.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday. Mizuho dropped their price target on shares of AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,200.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday. Barclays increased their price objective on shares of AutoZone from $3,800.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research note on Wednesday, March 4th. Finally, Raymond James Financial restated a “strong-buy” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research note on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twenty have given a Buy rating and six have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $4,040.87.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE AZO opened at $2,986.42 on Wednesday. The business’s fifty day moving average is $3,438.99 and its 200 day moving average is $3,575.13. AutoZone has a fifty-two week low of $2,986.01 and a fifty-two week high of $4,388.11. The company has a market capitalization of $49.22 billion, a PE ratio of 20.91, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.58 and a beta of 0.43.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, May 26th. The company reported $38.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $36.22 by $1.85. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 72.31% and a net margin of 12.47%.The business had revenue of $4.84 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.86 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $35.36 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 8.4% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that AutoZone will post 149.35 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at AutoZone

In other news, Director Earl G. Graves, Jr. sold 50 shares of AutoZone stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, April 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $3,478.72, for a total transaction of $173,936.00. Following the sale, the director owned 4,837 shares in the company, valued at $16,826,568.64. This trade represents a 1.02% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. 2.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On AutoZone

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. grew its stake in AutoZone by 6.6% during the 3rd quarter. Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria S.A. now owns 4,966 shares of the company’s stock valued at $21,315,000 after purchasing an additional 306 shares during the last quarter. Summit Global Investments increased its holdings in shares of AutoZone by 132.8% in the third quarter. Summit Global Investments now owns 319 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,369,000 after purchasing an additional 182 shares during the period. Numerai GP LLC raised its stake in shares of AutoZone by 1,199.3% in the third quarter. Numerai GP LLC now owns 1,754 shares of the company’s stock worth $7,525,000 after purchasing an additional 1,619 shares during the last quarter. Foundations Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone in the third quarter worth about $678,000. Finally, Caprock Group LLC acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the third quarter worth about $4,049,000. 92.74% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More AutoZone News

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

• Positive Sentiment: AutoZone posted Q3 sales growth of 8.4% year over year and beat EPS estimates, with commercial sales rising 10.4% and management highlighting stronger share gains and faster store expansion. AutoZone Q3 Earnings Beat Estimates on Strong Sales Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Management said late-quarter softness was largely weather-related noise and emphasized ongoing commercial momentum, which supports the long-term growth story. AZO Q3 Earnings Call Puts Focus on Commercial Momentum
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street analysts remain broadly constructive on AZO, with several firms reiterating buy-equivalent ratings even as they trimmed price targets after the earnings release. Are Wall Street Analysts Predicting AutoZone Stock Will Climb or Sink?
• Neutral Sentiment: AutoZone is still on track to open 355 to 365 new locations this fiscal year, which supports growth but also requires continued capital spending. AutoZone Fell Short of Wall Street’s Expectations. Should You Buy the Dip?
• Negative Sentiment: The stock fell sharply after AutoZone’s revenue came in slightly below estimates, and investors also reacted to margin pressure and a 57-basis-point decline in gross margin. AutoZone shares slide on quarterly revenue miss
• Negative Sentiment: International growth slowed and remained challenged, adding to concerns that the quarter’s solid earnings quality may not be fully translating into higher profitability. AutoZone shares slide on quarterly revenue miss
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple brokers lowered price targets after the print, which can reinforce bearish near-term sentiment even though most still kept bullish ratings. AutoZone Analysts Slash Their Forecasts Following Q3 Results

AutoZone Company Profile

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.