CarMax, Inc vs Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. — how do they compare? CarMax, Inc trades at $52.61 (market cap $7.64B), while Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. trades at $170.33 (market cap $39.92B). The key difference: Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is far larger — about 5.2× CarMax, Inc's market cap, and CarMax, Inc is more actively traded (3,610,116 versus 1,982,609). Which is the better fit depends on your goals — on Pluang, investors hold CarMax, Inc for 49 Days and Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. for 72 Days on average.
| KMX | LYV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $7.64B | $39.92B |
Volume | 3,610,116 | 1,982,609 |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Media |
52-Week High | $64.22 | $188.46 |
52-Week Low | $30.88 | $125.61 |
Typical Hold Time | 49 Days | 72 Days |
Enterprise Value | $25.34B | $42.13B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CarMax (KMX) trades at $53.79, up 0.96% with recent earnings beats driving positive momentum. The stock shows bearish technical signals but strong fundamental improvements with Q2 2026 EPS of $1.16 beating estimates by 58%. Revenue grew 19.5% to $7.9 billion in the latest quarter, while the company's Shift into GEAR strategy shows early success. Valuation metrics remain reasonable with P/E of 25.37 and P/S of 0.28, though net margins remain thin at 1.06%.
KMX presents a turnaround story with improving operational execution but faces margin pressure and high debt levels. The consensus price target of $58.89 suggests 9.5% upside potential, though analyst sentiment remains cautious with 62% hold ratings. Key risks include used car market volatility and interest rate sensitivity, while catalysts include continued execution of the growth strategy and potential share buybacks.
LYV trades at $171.34, up 0.29% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages and neutral oscillators. The company reported Q2 2026 earnings that beat expectations with EPS of $1.05 versus $0.66 expected, driven by strong attendance and record deferred revenue. Revenue for 2025 reached $25.20 billion, though net income margin narrowed to 1.96%. Analyst consensus is strongly bullish with 40 buy ratings and a $208.18 price target, reflecting optimism around live event demand.
The outlook for LYV remains positive given robust fan demand and strategic expansions, but high valuation multiples, debt levels, and regulatory scrutiny pose risks. Earnings visibility is supported by $6.4 billion in deferred revenue, though margin pressure and legal uncertainties could temper near-term gains. The stock offers growth exposure to the experience economy, yet investors should weigh execution risks against bullish analyst sentiment.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
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.
Read more on KMX →Live Nation is the largest live entertainment firm in the world with over 570 million fans served in 44 countries in 2018 by the company's concert and ticketing platforms. Via either owning, operating, or holding exclusive booking rights, Live Nation controls over 235 venues including the House of Blues, the Hollywood Palladium, and Spark Arena in New Zealand. Live Nation also owns one of the largest ticketing services, Ticketmaster, which sold over 480 million tickets for over 12,000 clients in 2018. The firm's artist management agencies have over 400 clients. This large live entertainment footprint helped Live Nation become one of the largest advertising and sponsorship platforms aimed at music fans. Liberty Media owns 33% of Live Nation, held under its SiriusXM tracking stock.
Read more on LYV →