278 Shares in AutoZone, Inc. $AZO Purchased by Invariant Investment Management

09 Oct 2026, 01:06 by Sarita Garza · The Markets Daily

Invariant Investment Management bought a new stake in shares of AutoZone, Inc. (NYSE:AZO – Free Report) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The institutional investor bought 278 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $776,000. AutoZone comprises about 0.5% of Invariant Investment Management’s holdings, making the stock its 29th biggest position.

Other institutional investors also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of AutoZone in the second quarter valued at $3,938,566,000. First Manhattan CO. LLC. raised its stake in AutoZone by 2.7% in the 4th quarter. First Manhattan CO. LLC. now owns 261,314 shares of the company’s stock valued at $886,246,000 after purchasing an additional 6,765 shares during the last quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. lifted its holdings in AutoZone by 247,417.8% in the 2nd quarter. Envestnet Portfolio Solutions Inc. now owns 249,993 shares of the company’s stock valued at $798,963,000 after purchasing an additional 249,892 shares in the last quarter. Mitsubishi UFJ Asset Management Co. Ltd. acquired a new stake in shares of AutoZone during the 2nd quarter worth about $572,885,000. Finally, UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC boosted its stake in shares of AutoZone by 11,577.6% during the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 141,066 shares of the company’s stock worth $450,838,000 after purchasing an additional 139,858 shares during the last quarter. 92.74% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Dennis LeRiche sold 1,455 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $3,100.00, for a total transaction of $4,510,500.00. Following the completion of the sale, the vice president owned 441 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,367,100. The trade was a 76.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Insiders own 2.60% of the company’s stock.

AutoZone News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting AutoZone this week:

Positive Sentiment: Bernstein upgraded AutoZone to “Strong Buy.” The firm’s average price target is approximately $3,669, implying meaningful potential upside from recent trading levels and providing the clearest positive catalyst for the shares. Bernstein upgrades AutoZone stock to Strong Buy
Neutral Sentiment: Zacks Research introduced a fiscal 2029 EPS forecast of $220.60. Zacks also raised its Q3 2028 estimate to $46.56, suggesting analysts still expect long-term earnings growth despite weaker near- and medium-term projections.
Negative Sentiment: Zacks reduced earnings estimates across several periods. Forecasts were cut for Q1 2027 to $34.65 from $37.78, Q2 2027 to $31.45 from $32.61, Q3 2027 to $41.91 from $42.64, and Q4 2027 to $58.15 from $61.70. The FY2027 estimate fell to $166.16 from $174.73.
Negative Sentiment: Longer-term fiscal 2028 estimates were also lowered. Zacks reduced Q1 2028 EPS to $41.39 from $43.62, Q2 2028 to $39.11 from $40.45, Q4 2028 to $63.01 from $67.59, and FY2028 to $190.08 from $197.32. These revisions point to more cautious expectations for AutoZone’s earnings trajectory.
Neutral Sentiment: The latest Zacks commentary keeps the focus on upcoming earnings. The current full-year consensus EPS estimate remains $172.12, while investors may weigh the bullish valuation outlook against the downward revisions to future quarterly results. Zacks Research Comments on AutoZone’s Q2 Earnings

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts have recently weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler set a $3,500.00 price objective on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Monday, August 31st. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on AutoZone from $3,850.00 to $3,700.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, September 28th. Robert W. Baird decreased their price objective on AutoZone from $3,600.00 to $3,400.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Morgan Stanley lowered AutoZone from an “overweight” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Evercore reiterated an “outperform” rating on shares of AutoZone in a research report on Wednesday, September 23rd. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eighteen have assigned a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $3,669.12.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on AZO

AutoZone Stock Up 2.3%

Shares of NYSE AZO traded up $64.35 during trading on Thursday, hitting $2,910.62. 172,435 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 264,784. The firm has a market capitalization of $47.53 billion, a P/E ratio of 19.05, a P/E/G ratio of 1.34 and a beta of 0.40. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $2,947.19 and a 200-day moving average price of $3,146.50. AutoZone, Inc. has a 1 year low of $2,730.65 and a 1 year high of $4,146.42.

AutoZone (NYSE:AZO – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, September 22nd. The company reported $56.05 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $55.51. AutoZone had a negative return on equity of 90.08% and a net margin of 12.65%.The business had revenue of $6.59 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $6.70 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $48.71 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 5.6% on a year-over-year basis. Research analysts predict that AutoZone, Inc. will post 172.12 EPS for the current fiscal year.

AutoZone announced that its board has initiated a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, June 16th that allows the company to buyback $1.50 billion in shares. This buyback authorization allows the company to purchase up to 3% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

AutoZone Profile

(Free Report)

AutoZone, Inc is a specialty retailer of automotive replacement parts, accessories and maintenance products. The company serves do-it-yourself customers as well as professional automotive repair shops, offering products such as batteries, brakes, filters, engine components, tools, fluids and other vehicle parts.

In addition to its retail stores, AutoZone provides commercial sales and delivery services for professional repair businesses. The company also operates ALLDATA, which offers automotive diagnostic, repair and shop-management software and information services to repair professionals.

Founded in 1979 and headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, AutoZone operates primarily in the United States, with additional stores and operations in Mexico and Brazil.