CarMax, Inc vs Trade Desk Inc — how do they compare? CarMax, Inc trades at $56.41 (market cap $7.93B), while Trade Desk Inc trades at $18.5 (market cap $8.76B). The key difference: CarMax, Inc and Trade Desk Inc are close in size by market cap, and CarMax, Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Trade Desk Inc nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMX | TTD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $7.93B | $8.76B |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | Technology |
52-Week High | $63.53 | $89.76 |
52-Week Low | $30.88 | $17.33 |
Enterprise Value | $26.44B | $7.78B |
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.
The Trade Desk (TTD) trades at $18.68, down 76% year-to-date amid slowing revenue growth and executive turnover. Recent technical signals are bearish, with moving averages indicating selling pressure, while fundamentals show strong profitability with a 77.83% gross margin and 14.57% net margin. The company has beaten earnings estimates in two of the last three quarters but missed Q1 2026 expectations. Recent news highlights key executive appointments and a resolved dispute with Publicis Groupe.
Outlook: TTD faces headwinds from competitive pressure and growth deceleration, but current valuation at 21.13x P/E may attract value investors. Risks include market share loss to larger rivals and execution challenges. Analyst consensus price target of $25.23 suggests 35% upside potential, though sentiment remains divided with nearly equal buy and hold ratings.
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 →The Trade Desk Inc is engaged in providing a technology platform for ad buyers. Through its cloud-based platform ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize data-driven digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and channels, including display, video, audio, in-app, native and social, on a multitude of devices. Its products include Data Management Platform, Cross-Device Targeting, Video Advertising, Mobile Advertising, and others.
Read more on TTD →