CarMax, Inc vs Monster Beverage Corp — how do they compare? CarMax, Inc trades at $57.81 (market cap $8.26B), while Monster Beverage Corp trades at $45.43 (market cap $89.20B). The key difference: Monster Beverage Corp is far larger — about 10.8× CarMax, Inc's market cap. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMX | MNST | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.26B | $89.20B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $62.17 | $49.97 |
52-Week Low | $30.88 | $30.86 |
Enterprise Value | $26.77B | $87.49B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
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.
Monster Beverage (MNST) trades at $45.69, up 1.13% today. The stock shows strong fundamentals with Q2 2026 EPS of $0.60 beating estimates, driven by 20% revenue growth and a 23.08% net income margin. A 2-for-1 stock split occurred on August 11, 2026. However, technical indicators signal a bearish trend, with the current price below key resistance levels. Analyst consensus is bullish with a $51.14 price target, but high valuation ratios like a P/E of 42.16 pose risks.
Outlook: MNST's international expansion and earnings beats support growth, but stretched valuations and bearish technicals suggest near-term volatility. Investment opportunity lies in sustained profit margins, while risks include competitive pressures and premium pricing sensitivity.
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 →Monster Beverage is a leader in the energy drink subsegment of the beverage industry. The Monster trademark anchors the portfolio, and notable offerings include Monster Energy and Monster Ultra. The firm has also started to incubate new trademarks for emerging enclaves of the energy space, like Reign in performance energy. It is primarily a brand owner, outsourcing most of its manufacturing processes to third-party copackers. It primarily uses the Coca-Cola bottling system for distribution after a strategic agreement in which Coke became Monster's largest shareholder (nearly 20%) and that also included the exchange of certain businesses between the two firms. Most of Monster's revenue is generated in the United States, though international geographies are increasing in the mix.
Read more on MNST →