Duke Energy Corp vs CarMax, Inc — how do they compare? Duke Energy Corp trades at $123.38 (market cap $96.05B), while CarMax, Inc trades at $58.34 (market cap $8.26B). The key difference: Duke Energy Corp is far larger — about 11.6× CarMax, Inc's market cap, and Duke Energy Corp pays a 3.52% dividend while CarMax, Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| DUK | KMX | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $96.05B | $8.26B |
Sector | Utilities | Consumer Cyclical |
52-Week High | $133.46 | $62.17 |
52-Week Low | $113.99 | $30.88 |
Enterprise Value | $188.56B | $26.77B |
Dividend Yield | 3.52% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
Duke Energy (DUK) trades at $122.97, up 1.46% today, with a bearish technical signal but strong fundamentals. Recent earnings beat estimates for three consecutive quarters, with Q2 2026 EPS at $1.43 versus $1.30 expected. The company maintains solid profitability, with a net income margin of 15.78% and ROE of 10.01%. Cash flow trends show consistent operational strength, though investing outflows remain high due to infrastructure spending.
The outlook is mixed: analyst consensus is a Buy with a $136.17 price target, but technical indicators signal near-term caution. Key risks include regulatory scrutiny and high debt levels, while opportunities lie in data-center demand growth and dividend stability. Investors should weigh strong fundamentals against bearish technicals and macroeconomic headwinds.
CarMax (KMX) trades at $58.20, showing modest near-term weakness with a 0.99% daily decline. The stock maintains a bullish technical stance with strong moving average support and trades near key support at $58. Fundamentally, the company reported Q1 2026 earnings beat with $0.34 EPS versus $0.23 expected, though revenue trends show slight contraction from $26.4B in 2025 to projected $26.3B in 2026. Recent positive developments include AI partnership enhancements and strong institutional recognition.
CarMax presents a mixed investment case with technical strength offset by fundamental challenges. The bullish moving average configuration and recent earnings beats provide near-term support, but declining revenue trends and thin 0.84% net margin limit upside potential. Key risks include ongoing fiduciary investigations and competitive pressure in the used car market. Analyst consensus remains cautious with 68.6% hold ratings and $53.09 price target below current levels.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
Duke Energy is one of the largest U.S. utilities, with regulated utilities in the Carolinas, Indiana, Florida, Ohio, and Kentucky that deliver electricity to nearly 8 million customers. Its natural gas utilities serve more than 1.5 million customers. Duke operates in three major segments: electric utilities and infrastructure
Read more on DUK →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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