C3.ai Inc vs CarMax, Inc — how do they compare? C3.ai Inc trades at $10.26 (market cap $1.65B), while CarMax, Inc trades at $58.06 (market cap $8.26B). The key difference: CarMax, Inc is far larger — about 5× C3.ai Inc's market cap, and CarMax, Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, C3.ai Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AI | KMX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $1.65B | $8.26B |
Sector | Technology | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $19.66 | $62.17 |
52-Week Low | $7.76 | $30.88 |
Enterprise Value | $1.08B | $26.77B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
C3.ai (AI) trades at $10.40, up 1.76% with a bullish technical signal despite negative profitability metrics. The company reported Q1 2026 earnings beat but maintains negative net margins of -187.95%. Recent news highlights C3.ai being named a leader in AI platforms by Forrester Research, while technical indicators show RSI levels near 90 suggesting overbought conditions.
The stock faces significant fundamental challenges with persistent losses and negative cash flow, though revenue growth and leadership positioning in enterprise AI provide long-term potential. Analyst consensus is mixed with a $10.20 price target, indicating cautious optimism amid execution risks and competitive pressures in the AI software market.
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
C3.ai Inc is an enterprise artificial intelligence company. The company provides software-as-a-service applications that enable customers to rapidly develop, deploy, and operate large-scale Enterprise AI applications across any infrastructure. It provides solutions under three divisions namely, The C3 AI Suite, is a comprehensive application development and runtime environment that is designed to allow customers to rapidly design, develop, and deploy Enterprise AI applications of any type
Read more on AI →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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