CarMax, Inc vs Boston Beer Company Inc — how do they compare? CarMax, Inc trades at $58.5 (market cap $8.34B), while Boston Beer Company Inc trades at $179.73 (market cap $1.86B). The key difference: CarMax, Inc is far larger — about 4.5× Boston Beer Company Inc's market cap, and CarMax, Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Boston Beer Company Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMX | SAM | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.34B | $1.86B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Consumer Staples |
52-Week High | $62.17 | $260.05 |
52-Week Low | $30.88 | $161.08 |
Enterprise Value | $26.85B | $1.63B |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CarMax (KMX) trades at $58.18, up 0.21% today, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The stock shows mixed earnings performance, beating expectations in Q3 2025 and Q1 2026 but missing in Q2 2025. Revenue has declined from $31.9B in 2022 to $26.35B in 2025, while net income margin improved slightly to 1.89%. Recent news includes partnerships to enhance customer experience and ongoing legal investigations into fiduciary duties.
Outlook is cautious with a consensus price target of $53.09 below the current price, indicating potential downside. Opportunities lie in operational improvements and AI integrations, but risks include high debt, competitive pressures, and legal scrutiny. Analyst sentiment is neutral with 68.58% hold ratings, suggesting wait-and-see approach amid volatility.
The Boston Beer Company (SAM) trades at $186.61, up 1.94% on the day, with a bullish technical signal driven by moving averages. The stock shows mixed fundamentals; while the P/E ratio of 22.66 and P/S of 0.99 suggest reasonable valuation, recent quarterly earnings have missed expectations, and the company faces volume declines in core brands. Positive cash flow and innovation in ready-to-drink products provide some offset. Analyst sentiment is cautious, with a consensus price target of $207.33 but a majority hold rating.
Outlook: Upside exists if new product growth accelerates and margins improve, but risks from weak demand and competitive pressure persist. The stock's trajectory hinges on reversing volume trends and achieving future earnings targets, making it a hold for now with watchful optimism.
Trailing returns across standard periods
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 →Boston Beer is a leader in U.S. high-end malt beverages and adjacent categories, with strong positions in craft beer, hard cider, and hard seltzer. The firm sells an array of flavor variants and package sizes, predominantly centered around four priority brands: Samuel Adams, Angry Orchard, Twisted Tea, and Truly Hard Seltzer. Its drinks are produced in both company-owned breweries as well as through third-party contract arrangements, and while the company primarily goes to market through independent wholesalers (as mandated by law), it operates a fairly large salesforce to induce demand across the value chain (distributors, retailers, and drinkers). The preponderance of revenue is generated domestically.
Read more on SAM →