CarMax, Inc vs Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. — how do they compare? CarMax, Inc trades at $57.72 (market cap $7.93B), while Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. trades at $176.74 (market cap $42.09B). The key difference: Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is far larger — about 5.3× CarMax, Inc's market cap. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMX | LYV | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $7.93B | $42.09B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Industrials |
52-Week High | $63.53 | $186.59 |
52-Week Low | $30.88 | $125.61 |
Enterprise Value | $26.44B | $43.59B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CarMax (KMX) trades at $55.89, down 2.51% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages but a neutral stance from oscillators. The company reported mixed earnings, with a Q2 2025 miss but subsequent beats in Q3 2025 and Q1 2026. Revenue has trended down from $31.9B in 2022 to $26.35B in 2025, though net income margin improved slightly to 1.89%. Recent news highlights a strategic turnaround under new CEO Keith Barr, with insider buying and positive analyst updates despite an ongoing legal investigation.
The outlook for KMX hinges on successful execution of its four-pillar strategy to boost volume and efficiency, offering potential upside if targets are met. However, high debt levels, margin pressure, and legal scrutiny pose significant risks. Analyst consensus is cautious with a hold-heavy rating and a price target of $48.91 below the current price, indicating skepticism about near-term growth.
Live Nation (LYV) trades at $180.84, up 0.34% today, with bullish technical signals from moving averages despite recent earnings misses. The company reported $25.2B revenue for 2025 with a slim 0.33% net margin, while valuation metrics show elevated P/E (117.49) and P/B (136.72) ratios. Recent news highlights executive share sales and ongoing legal scrutiny, though analyst consensus remains strongly bullish with an $200.20 price target.
Outlook remains mixed with strong revenue growth potential from concert demand and ticketing margins offset by profitability challenges and legal overhangs. The stock offers upside to analyst targets but faces execution risks amid high valuations and recent earnings volatility.
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 →