American Electric Power Company Inc vs CarMax, Inc — how do they compare? American Electric Power Company Inc trades at $124.02 (market cap $67.28B), while CarMax, Inc trades at $58.38 (market cap $8.26B). The key difference: American Electric Power Company Inc is far larger — about 8.1× CarMax, Inc's market cap, and American Electric Power Company Inc pays a 3.07% dividend while CarMax, Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AEP | KMX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $67.28B | $8.26B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $138.69 | $62.17 |
52-Week Low | $106.44 | $30.88 |
Enterprise Value | $120.17B | $26.77B |
Dividend Yield | 3.07% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AEP trades at $122.84, down 2.3% on the day, with a bearish technical signal. Recent Q2 2026 earnings missed estimates at $1.36 per share versus $1.48 expected, though revenue grew 7% year-over-year. The company raised full-year 2026 operating EPS guidance to $6.25–$6.55, supported by 69 GW of contracted load and a $78 billion capital plan. Analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with a $140.89 price target and no sell ratings.
The outlook is positive due to robust demand from data centers and infrastructure growth, but risks include high capital expenditures and interest expenses. Valuation metrics like a P/E of 21.42 are elevated, requiring sustained earnings growth to justify. The stock offers a stable dividend, with the next payment of $0.95 ex-dividend on August 10, 2026.
CarMax (KMX) trades at $58.78, up 1.03% today, with a bullish technical signal and strong analyst support. Recent earnings have beaten expectations, with Q3 2025 and Q1 2026 EPS surpassing estimates, though Q2 2025 missed. Revenue remains stable around $26.4 billion, but net income margin is thin at 0.84%. The stock is near its consensus price target of $53.09, with a high target of $66.00. Positive news includes a Zacks Strong Buy rating and partnerships to enhance customer experience.
The outlook for KMX is cautiously optimistic, driven by earnings beats and bullish technicals, but high debt and margin pressures pose risks. Investment opportunity lies in continued execution and market share gains, while risks include competitive pressures and economic sensitivity. Analyst consensus leans Hold, with 68.58% holding, suggesting a wait-and-see approach for further growth confirmation.
Trailing returns across standard periods
American Electric Power is one of the largest regulated utilities in the United States, providing electricity generation, transmission, and distribution to more than 5 million customers in 11 states. About 43% of AEP's of capacity is coal, with the remainder from a mix of natural gas (27%), renewable energy and hydro (19%), nuclear (7%), and demand response (4%). Vertically integrated utilities, transmission and distribution, and generation and marketing support earnings.
Read more on AEP →CarMax sells, finances, and services used and new cars through a chain of over 230 used retail stores. It was formed in 1993 as a unit of Circuit City and spun off into an independent company in late 2002. Used-vehicle sales typically account for about 83% of revenue and wholesale about 13%, with the remaining portion composed of extended service plans and repair. In fiscal 2022, the company retailed and wholesaled 924,338 and 706,212 used vehicles, respectively. CarMax is the largest used-vehicle retailer in the U.S. but still estimates that it has only about 4% U.S. market share of vehicles 0-10 years old in 2021. It seeks over 5% share by the end of calendar 2025 and revenue between $33 billion to $45 billion by fiscal 2026. CarMax is based in Richmond, Virginia.
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