CarMax, Inc vs Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF — how do they compare? CarMax, Inc trades at $58.6 (market cap $8.26B), while Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF trades at $97.36. The key difference: CarMax, Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Vanguard Real Estate Index Fund ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMX | VNQ | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.26B | — |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | — |
52-Week High | $62.17 | $100.95 |
52-Week Low | $30.88 | $87.00 |
Enterprise Value | $26.77B | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
CarMax (KMX) trades at $58.705, down 0.13% on the day, with a bullish technical signal from moving averages. The company reported mixed quarterly earnings, missing in Q2 2025 but beating in Q3 2025 and Q1 2026, with net income of $500.56M in 2025. Recent news includes a Zacks Strong Buy rating and a partnership with Sierra to enhance customer service, though ongoing legal investigations pose a headwind.
The stock's outlook is cautiously optimistic, supported by improving cash flow trends and analyst buy ratings, but risks include high debt levels and margin pressures. With a consensus price target of $53.09 below the current price, near-term upside may be limited despite positive momentum indicators.
VNQ, the Vanguard Real Estate ETF, trades at $97.31, up 0.21% on the day, but technical indicators signal a bearish trend with moving averages and overall signals pointing lower. The ETF's financial ratios are not disclosed in the provided data, limiting fundamental assessment. Recent news highlights institutional selling, with firms like City Holding Co. and Bank of America reducing positions, while media comparisons focus on VNQ's U.S. REIT exposure and low fees versus global alternatives.
Outlook remains cautious due to bearish technicals and institutional outflows, though the neutral oscillator reading and upcoming dividend in June 2026 offer some balance. Risks include interest rate sensitivity and real estate market volatility, but the ETF's low expense ratio and diversification provide a defensive income option for long-term investors amid economic uncertainty.
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 fund employs an indexing investment approach designed to track the performance of the MSCI US Investable Market Real Estate 25/50 Index, an index made up of stocks of large, mid-size, and small US companies within the real estate sector. The Advisor attempts to replicate the target index by seeking to invest all of its assets in the stocks that make up the index, in order to hold each stock in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index. It is non-diversified.
Read more on VNQ →