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CarMax Inc (KMX) Stock Analysis

Falling Knife setup

SellVALUE-TRAP 1/5Moderate Confidence

Consumer Cyclical · Auto & Truck Dealerships

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $38.77: Quality below floor (2.4 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.1/10. Specifically: High short interest: 12%; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum.

CarMax is the largest U.S. retailer of used vehicles with 256 stores in 110 U.S. TV markets; sold 780,684 used vehicles at retail in fiscal 2026. Revenue from vehicle sales, wholesale auctions (538,203 vehicles), and CarMax Auto Finance (16.37B loan portfolio). Omni-channel... Read more

$38.77+25.0% A.UpsideScore 4.1/10#16 of 16 Auto & Truck Dealerships
Stop $36.42Target $48.45(resistance)A.R:R -0.6:1
Analyst target$41.69+7.5%13 analysts
$48.45our TP
$38.77price
$41.69mean
$19
$99

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $38.77: Quality below floor (2.4 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.1/10. Specifically: High short interest: 12%; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: Death cross, below all MAs, RSI 26, MACD bearish. Score 4.1/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 5/8 gates (clean insider activity, no SEC red flags, news events none recent, earnings proximity 48d clear, semi cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and favorable risk/reward ratio and death cross (50MA < 200MA). Suitability: moderate.

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Target reached (-6.4% upside)
Quality below floor (2.4 < 4.0)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)22.8
P/E (Fwd)13.7
Mkt Cap$5.4B
EV/EBITDA23.2
Profit Mgn0.9%
ROE4.1%
Rev Growth-1.2%
Beta1.30
DividendNone
Rating analysts26

Quality Signals

Piotroski F5/9

Options Flow

P/C0.91neutral
IV56%elevated
Max Pain$25-35.5% vs spot

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-02-12Item 5.02MEDIUM
    Keith Barr (age 55, former IHG CEO 2017-2023) appointed President and CEO effective March 16, 2026; joined the Board. Annual base salary 1.25M with 175%% target bonus. No reason cited for prior CEO departure.
    SEC filing →
  • 2026-04-09Item 5.02LOW
    Board nominated William C. Cobb (Frontdoor CEO, former H&R Block CEO) and James Kessler (RB Global CEO) as director nominees for 2026 Annual Meeting. Routine board nomination.
    SEC filing →
  • 2026-03-02Item 5.02LOW
    Amended and restated severance agreements with named executive officers: 1.5x salary+bonus for qualifying termination post-change-of-control. Routine compensatory arrangement.
    SEC filing →

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

4 floor-breakers

Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static

Macd
0.0
Volume
0.0
Obv
1.0
Ma Position
1.0
Rsi
3.0
Capitulation risk (RSI 26, below 200MA)Volume distribution (falling OBV)Below 200-MA, MA slope -7.6%/30d — confirmed downtrend

Revenue shrinking — -1.2% YoY. Growth thesis broken unless recovery story develops.static

Revenue Growth
2.2
Declining revenue: -1%
Low model confidence on this dimension (33%).

Quality below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static

Gross Margin
0.0
Fcf Quality
0.0
Net Margin
0.4
Operating Margin
0.7
Roa
1.1
Roe
1.4
Moat
5.0
Piotroski F
5.6
Current Ratio
7.6
Earnings quality RED FLAG: -36% FCF/NINo competitive moatQuality concerns

Ranks in the bottom of its industry peers on the composite signal. Better names in the same sector exist.static

Quality Rank
1.6
Growth Rank
2.5
Value Rank
4.8
GatesMomentum 1.0<4.5A.R:R -0.6=NEGATIVEDeath cross (50MA < 200MA)Insider activity: OKNo SEC red flagsNEWS EVENTS NONE RECENTEARNINGS PROXIMITY 48d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARFalling KnifeSuitability: Moderate
RSI
26 · Oversold
20D MA 50D MA 200D MADEATH CROSSSupport $37.55Resistance $49.44

Price Targets

$36
$48
A.Upside+25.0%
A.R:R-0.6:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0.5%
Max %1%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Target reached (-6.4% upside)
! Quality below floor (2.4 < 4.0)
! Momentum score 1.0/10 — below 4.5 minimum

Earnings

B
B
B
M
3/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-06-17 (48d)

Verdict History

reverse chrono — latest first
Loading history...
Verdicts are recorded on every nightly pipeline run. Rows capture transitions (verdict flips, score deltas ≥0.3, entry/TP/SL changes). Rows with a ▶ can be expanded to see the change reason. Aggregate cohort performance is tracked in the recommendation ledger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is KMX stock a buy right now?

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $38.77: Quality below floor (2.4 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 4.1/10. Specifically: High short interest: 12%; Below-average business quality; Negative price momentum. Chart setup: Death cross, below all MAs, RSI 26, MACD bearish. Prior stop was $36.42. Score 4.1/10, moderate confidence.

What is the KMX stock price target?

Take-profit target: $48.45 (+25.0% upside). Prior stop was $36.42. Stop-loss: $36.42.

What are the risks of investing in KMX?

Target reached (-6.4% upside); Quality below floor (2.4 < 4.0).

Is KMX overvalued or undervalued?

CarMax Inc trades at a P/E of 22.8 (forward 13.7). TrendMatrix value score: 6.6/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about KMX?

26 analysts cover KMX with a consensus score of 2.8/5. Average price target: $42.

What does CarMax Inc do?CarMax is the largest U.S. retailer of used vehicles with 256 stores in 110 U.S. TV markets; sold 780,684 used vehicles...

CarMax is the largest U.S. retailer of used vehicles with 256 stores in 110 U.S. TV markets; sold 780,684 used vehicles at retail in fiscal 2026. Revenue from vehicle sales, wholesale auctions (538,203 vehicles), and CarMax Auto Finance (16.37B loan portfolio). Omni-channel platform enables online, in-store, or combined purchasing.

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