CarMax, Inc vs Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF — how do they compare? CarMax, Inc trades at $58.5 (market cap $8.34B), while Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF trades at $49.67. The key difference: CarMax, Inc is trading nearer its 52-week high, Vanguard Sht-Term Inflation-Protected Sec Idx ETF nearer its low. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| KMX | VTIP | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $8.34B | — |
Sector | Consumer Cyclical | — |
52-Week High | $62.17 | $50.75 |
52-Week Low | $30.88 | $49.39 |
Enterprise Value | $26.85B | — |
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.
VTIP, the Vanguard Short-Term Inflation-Protected Securities ETF, trades at $49.67, up 0.08% with a bullish technical signal. The ETF focuses on short-term Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities, offering inflation hedging. Recent news highlights institutional buying and inflation concerns, with a dividend declared for July 2026. Technical indicators show mixed signals but overall positive momentum.
Outlook: VTIP provides inflation protection amid rising prices, with potential returns around 3.8% based on current inflation. Risks include interest rate volatility and Fed policy uncertainty. It suits investors seeking low-duration, inflation-linked income, but may underperform if inflation subsides unexpectedly.
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 index is a market-capitalization-weighted index that includes all inflation-protected public obligations issued by the US Treasury with remaining maturities of less than 5 years. The advisor attempts to replicate the target index by investing all, or substantially all, of its assets in the securities that make up the index, holding each security in approximately the same proportion as its weighting in the index.
Read more on VTIP →