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KMXCarMax IncSell5.6·$52.62
SellModerate Confidence
Investment thesis

With the stock already trading above its near-term price target, negative free cash flow, no identifiable competitive moat, declining revenue, RSI deep in overbought territory, and a 12% short position, the current setup does not support new investment — the risk/reward is unfavorable and the fundamental quality floor has not been met.

Thesis pillars

  • Revenue Contraction No Moat→Stable
  • Overbought Late Cycle Distribution Risk↑Improving
  • Negative Fcf Quality Concern→Stable
  • +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning

Full reasoning →

Open full analysis

CarMax Inc (KMX) Stock Analysis

SellVALUE-TRAP 1/5ValueGrowthModerate Confidence

Consumer Cyclical · Auto & Truck Dealerships

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $52.62: Quality below floor (3.9 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.6/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 2.00; Below-average business quality.

CarMax operates 256 used car stores in 110 U.S. television markets, making it the nation's largest used vehicle retailer; it sold 780,684 retail used vehicles and 538,203 wholesale vehicles in fiscal 2026. Revenue flows from retail sales, wholesale auction fees, and CarMax Auto... Read more

$52.62+3.5% A.UpsideScore 5.6/10#8 of 15 Auto & Truck Dealerships
QualityF-score7 / 9FCF yield8.94%
Stop $48.94Target $54.48(analyst − 13%)A.R:R 0.4:1
Analyst target$62.62+19.0%13 analysts
$54.48our TP
$52.62price
$62.62mean
$43
$96

Sell if holding. Engine safety override at $52.62: Quality below floor (3.9 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.6/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 2.00; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Score 5.6/10, moderate confidence.

Passes 5/8 gates (positive momentum, clean insider activity, earnings proximity 62d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on favorable risk/reward ratio. Suitability: moderate.

news + 30-day 8-K events · 5-min refresh

Recent developments

updated 2026-10-16

Recent Developments — CarMax Inc

Generated 2026-10-16T11:42:17Z.

TrendMatrix Research · upcoming catalyst calendar

Upcoming dated catalysts

Thu, Dec 17, 202662d to earnings· next earnings call

Thesis

Rewards
No bull case signals
Risks
Quality below floor (3.9 < 4.0)

Key Metrics

P/E (TTM)24.1
P/E (Fwd)14.0
Mkt Cap$7.1B
EV/EBITDA22.2
Profit Mgn1.0%
ROE4.7%
Rev Growth17.7%
Beta1.23
DividendNone
Rating analysts25

Quality Signals

Piotroski F7/9

Options Flow

P/C2.00bearish
IV78%elevated

Material Events(8-K, last 90d)

  • 2026-06-08Item 5.02LOW
    VP/Controller Jill Livesay notified retirement effective July 31, 2026. CFO Enrique Mayor-Mora designated as principal accounting officer upon her retirement. No disagreement with company's operations, policies, or accounting practices cited.
    SEC filing →
  • 2026-05-12Item 5.02LOW
    Board nominee Robert T. O'Shaughnessy (former PulteGroup EVP/CFO) to stand for election at 2026 Annual Meeting. Directors Shira Goodman and Mitchell Steenrod retiring; not standing for re-election. No disagreement cited.
    SEC filing →
  • 2026-04-09Item 5.02LOW
    Board nominees William C. Cobb (CEO of Frontdoor) and James Kessler (CEO of RB Global) nominated for election at the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders. No departures cited.
    SEC filing →

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

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About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.

Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.

Conflicts and positions. The TrendMatrix editorial team frequently holds personal long-term positions in securities discussed. We disclose positions held at the time of publication on each piece. We maintain a trading-window policy: we do not initiate or close positions in the same direction as a TrendMatrix publication within 24 hours before or 72 hours after publication.

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Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.

Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

Rating Breakdown

2 floor-breakers

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

Quality Rank
1.3
Value Rank
4.5
Growth Rank
7.3

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

Gross Margin
0.0
Net Margin
0.5
Operating Margin
1.1
Roa
1.2
Roe
1.6
Moat
4.9
Piotroski F
7.8
Current Ratio
8.0
Fcf Quality
10.0
Excellent cash conversion: 216% FCF/NINo competitive moatStrong Piotroski F-Score: 7/9
GatesA.R:R 0.4 < 1.5@spotMomentum 5.0<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)Executive change: officer departure/appointmentMomentum 5.0>=4.5Insider activity: OKEARNINGS PROXIMITY 62d clearSEMI CYCLE PEAK CLEARMATERIALS CYCLE PEAK CLEARSuitability: Moderate
RSI
38 · Neutral
↓ 20D MA↓ 50D MA↑ 200D MAGOLDEN CROSSSupport $49.05Resistance $63.67

Price Targets

$49
$54
A.Upside+3.5%
A.R:R0.4:1

Position Sizing

ConvictionNone
Suggested %0%
Max %0%
RegimeSteady

Risk Alerts

! Quality below floor (3.9 < 4.0)
! asymmetry at 0.4 (below the engine's 1.5 threshold)@spot

Earnings

B
B
B
B
4/4 beats
Next Earnings2026-12-17 (62d)

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 $52.62: Quality below floor (3.9 < 4.0) triggers a hard block regardless of the otherwise-positive setup — overall score 5.6/10. Specifically: Elevated put/call ratio: 2.00; Below-average business quality. Chart setup: No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed. Prior stop was $48.94. Score 5.6/10, moderate confidence.

What is the KMX stock price target?

Take-profit target: $54.48 (+3.5% upside). Prior stop was $48.94. Stop-loss: $48.94.

What are the risks of investing in KMX?

Quality below floor (3.9 < 4.0).

Is KMX overvalued or undervalued?

CarMax Inc trades at a P/E of 24.1 (forward 14.0). TrendMatrix value score: 6.6/10. Verdict: Sell.

What do analysts say about KMX?

25 analysts cover KMX with a consensus score of 3.4/5. Average price target: $63.

What does CarMax Inc do?CarMax operates 256 used car stores in 110 U.S. television markets, making it the nation's largest used vehicle...

CarMax operates 256 used car stores in 110 U.S. television markets, making it the nation's largest used vehicle retailer; it sold 780,684 retail used vehicles and 538,203 wholesale vehicles in fiscal 2026. Revenue flows from retail sales, wholesale auction fees, and CarMax Auto Finance, which managed a $16.37 billion auto loan portfolio as of February 28, 2026.

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