Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV Trims Stock Position in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO)

Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV trimmed its holdings in AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO) by 0.8% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 2,683 shares of the company’s stock after selling 22 shares during the period. Hudson Valley Investment Advisors Inc. ADV’s holdings in AutoZone were worth $8,597,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Capital Performance Advisors LLP purchased a new position in shares of AutoZone in the 3rd quarter worth $36,000. Meeder Asset Management Inc. lifted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 50.0% in the 2nd quarter. Meeder Asset Management Inc. now owns 15 shares of the company’s stock valued at $44,000 after purchasing an additional 5 shares in the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth about $47,000. Darwin Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in AutoZone during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $47,000. Finally, McIlrath & Eck LLC increased its position in AutoZone by 25.0% during the 3rd quarter. McIlrath & Eck LLC now owns 20 shares of the company’s stock worth $63,000 after purchasing an additional 4 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 92.74% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone Stock Performance

NYSE:AZO opened at $3,301.99 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $55.41 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.06, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.73 and a beta of 0.71. AutoZone, Inc. has a one year low of $2,510.00 and a one year high of $3,416.71. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $3,207.04 and a 200 day simple moving average of $3,120.68.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, December 10th. The company reported $32.52 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $33.69 by ($1.17). AutoZone had a net margin of 14.18% and a negative return on equity of 53.89%. The firm had revenue of $4.28 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.30 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $32.55 earnings per share. AutoZone’s revenue was up 2.1% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that AutoZone, Inc. will post 154.29 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities research analysts have issued reports on AZO shares. BNP Paribas upgraded shares of AutoZone to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, September 25th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $3,200.00 price target on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Thursday, September 19th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on AutoZone in a research report on Friday, December 13th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $3,700.00 price objective on the stock. Citigroup upped their target price on AutoZone from $3,500.00 to $3,900.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, December 11th. Finally, Evercore ISI raised their target price on AutoZone from $3,400.00 to $3,450.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 11th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have issued a hold rating, sixteen have assigned a buy rating and three have assigned a strong buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, AutoZone has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $3,429.84.

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.