Carmax Inc's Competitiveness
A competitive positioning analysis and financial ratio benchmarking of Carmax Inc (KMX) against its publicly traded competitors: sales growth, net income, profitability, valuation and market share, plus each peer's market capitalization, revenue, income and employees. Free below: the top 5 peers. Subscriber access adds the full competitor list and CSV downloads.
Key Findings: Carmax Inc vs Its Competitors
- TTM: Trailing 12-month revenue of 26,348M vs 248,579M combined for tracked competitors (9.6% combined share).
- Trending: Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+21.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months), vs accelerating (+2.9%) for its tracked peer group.
- Growth: Carmax Inc generated 6.2% revenue growth year over year in Q1 2026, vs 7.4% for its tracked competitors combined.
- Profitability: Its 2.3% net margin compares with 5.3% for the peer group.
- Scale: Carmax Inc ranks #9 of 38 companies by market capitalization in the Automotive Aftermarket industry, holding 2.8% of industry market cap.
- Peer revenue share: Carmax Inc accounted for 11.1% of combined revenue among its tracked peer group, down from 11.3% a year earlier.
- Peer differentiation: Revenue per employee of $0.95M compares with $0.48M for the peer group (2.0x).
Every figure above is sourced and cited in detail further down this page (Market Structure, Profitability & Cost Structure, Productivity vs Peers).
KMX Sales vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Carmax Inc reported revenue growth of 6.19 % year on year in Q1 2026, below its competitors' combined revenue growth of 7.38 %.
With a net margin of 2.32 %, Carmax Inc reported lower profitability than its competitors (5.25 %).
Carmax Inc generated 11.14 % of the combined sales of its peer group, down from 11.25 % a year earlier.
Carmax Inc vs. its Competitors, Q1 2026
Revenue growth, year on year
Net income growth, year on year
Net margin
Revenue run-rate vs trailing 12 months
TTM net margin
TTM = trailing twelve months. Run-rate annualizes the latest quarter (×4) and compares it to TTM. In millions of $. High-Confidence Competitors are named as a competitor directly in an SEC filing; Similar-Size Competitors are the closest peers by market-cap rank within the same industry; Similar Growth & Profitability Competitors are the closest peers by combined revenue growth, operating margin and ROIC, all independent of the competitor list.
TTM revenue, latest-quarter run-rate and net income/margin benchmarked across Carmax Inc and its 4 competitor groupings. Available under Commercial License.
| Entity | TTM Revenue | Rev Run-rate vs TTM |
|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Competitors combined | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
| Similar-Size Competitors (8) | $12,345M | +12.3% · Accelerating |
TTM revenue, run-rate and net margin benchmarking across Carmax Inc's competitor groups requires a Commercial License.
For context: the Automotive Aftermarket industry grew revenue 11.1% year over year, combined, vs 6.2% for Carmax Inc. Carmax Inc's share of combined industry revenue moved from 8.09% to 7.74%, a loss of 0.36 percentage points.
Carmax Inc's Competitor Quality Breadth
Share of each group, trailing 12 months: profitable (net margin > 0), expanding (revenue growth > 0), growing faster than the industry's own median, and financially distressed (Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below).
| Entity | Profitable | Expanding | Above Industry Growth | Distressed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | Yes | No | No | Yes |
| Competitors combined (16) | ||||
| High-Confidence Competitors (2) | ||||
| Similar-Size Competitors (10) |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Altman Z-Score is not shown here: it is not populated in the underlying data for any company. Percentages are of companies in each group that report the relevant metric, not of the full group size.
KMX Stock Performance relative to its Competitors
KMX Stock Performance relative to High-Confidence Competitors
KMX Stock Performance relative to Similar-Size Competitors
5 Best-Performing Tracked Competitors, Trailing 12 Months
| # | Competitor | TTM Share Price Return | vs U.S.A. 500 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Grupo Aval Acciones Y Valores S a | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 2 | Penske Automotive Group Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 3 | Lithia Motors Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 4 | Genuine Parts Co | 282.9% | Outperformed |
| 5 | Standard Motor Products Inc | 282.9% | Outperformed |
TTM share price return and U.S.A. 500 outperformance for Carmax Inc's best-performing tracked competitors requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months.
Carmax Inc's Comment on Competition and Industry Peers
Publicly Traded Peers of Carmax Inc
Revenue and income for trailing 12 months, in millions of $, except employees| Company | Market Cap | Revenues |
|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | 8,038.47 | 26,348.11 |
| O Reilly Automotive Inc | 71,705.98 | 18,572.34 |
| Autozone Inc | 49,094.59 | 19,986.40 |
| Carvana Co | 44,745.38 | 25,060.00 |
| Genuine Parts Co | 17,678.99 | 25,070.54 |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | 13,621.38 | 32,918.50 |
| SUBTOTAL | 230,153.39 | 280,088.68 |
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Sources: Carmax Inc's official press releases and regulatory filings; CSIMarket.com's market research; and the financial filings and press releases of the other companies cited.
Updated on:
Focus of this report: publicly traded companies. Ten additional tables on Carmax Inc versus competitors, including market share analysis, are in the navigation menu under Competition. To download the tables, please subscribe.
Carmax Inc's Competitors Named by the Company
Competitive relationships identified from SEC filings and corroborating sources, each with a basis and confidence.| Competitor | Basis | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Manheim | Named by the company | 85% |
| Cox Enterprises | Named by the company | 85% |
| Carvana Co | Named by the company | 85% |
| Openlane inc | Named by the company | 85% |
| KAR Auction Services, Inc. | Named by the company | 85% |
| KAR | Named by the company | 85% |
| Lithia Motors Inc | Named by the company | 85% |
Filing basis, confidence, active dates and source counts for Carmax Inc's named competitors require a Commercial License.
Methodology: relationships are extracted from SEC filings (named-competitor disclosures) and corroborating sources. Named by the company = explicitly disclosed as a competitor; Inferred = derived from corroborating signals. Confidence reflects evidence strength.
Carmax Inc's Business Segment Mix vs Peers
Revenue by operating segment or division, as named and reported by each company. Segment names are the filer's own and are not standardized across companies. Do not assume a same-named or similarly-named segment is defined identically between two companies. Shares are of each company's own total revenue and are not required to sum to 100% (intersegment revenue, unallocated items).| Company | Largest Segment |
|---|---|
| Autozone Inc | Auto Parts Locations 100.00 % |
| Carvana Co | Reportable 99.97 % |
| Genuine Parts Co | North America Automotive 38.81 % |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | Retail automotive dealership 88.60 % |
| Lithia Motors Inc | Vehicle Operations 100.00 % |
Source: operating segment revenue as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API, leaf-level reportable segments only (parent roll-up segments are excluded where sub-segments are separately disclosed).
Carmax Inc's Productivity vs Peers Comparison
Revenue and income per employee, trailing 12 months, in $; market cap in millions of $| Company | Market Cap | Revenue / Employee | Income / Employee |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | 8,038 | 947,910 | 8,006 |
| O Reilly Automotive Inc | 71,706 | 199,868 | 28,522 |
| Autozone Inc | 49,095 | 153,742 | 19,063 |
| Carvana Co | 44,745 | 1,084,848 | 92,294 |
| Genuine Parts Co | 17,679 | 385,701 | 504 |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | 13,621 | 1,188,394 | 32,765 |
| PEERS TOTAL | 222,115 | 483,402 | 22,255 |
Carmax Inc's Geographic Revenue Exposure vs Peers
Revenue by country/region as reported in each company's most recent filing. Disclosure granularity varies by filer (some report by country, others by broad region) and is shown as disclosed.| Company | Largest Market |
|---|---|
| Genuine Parts Co | United States 64.03 % |
| Lithia Motors Inc | United States 77.37 % |
| Dorman Products Inc | United States 91.67 % |
| Standard Motor Products Inc | United States 70.29 % |
Source: revenue geography as reported in each company's SEC filings (10-K/10-Q), via the CSIMarket API. Percentages are of that company's own total consolidated revenue for its most recent reported period.
Carmax Inc's Position in Industry Market Structure
Market-capitalization share and concentration across all 35 companies in Carmax Inc's industry classification, broader than the peer set above. Market cap in millions of $.Carmax Inc ranks #9 of 35 companies by market capitalization in its industry, holding 2.77 % of total industry market cap. The industry's Herfindahl-Hirschman Index (HHI) is 1,315, indicating a unconcentrated market structure (U.S. antitrust guidance: below 1,500 unconcentrated, 1,500 to 2,500 moderately concentrated, above 2,500 highly concentrated).
| Rank | Company | Market Cap | Industry Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | O Reilly Automotive Inc | 71,453 | 24.32 % |
| 2 | Autozone Inc | 48,652 | 16.56 % |
| 3 | Carvana Co | 45,989 | 15.65 % |
| 4 | Copart Inc | 25,662 | 8.74 % |
| 5 | Casey s General Stores Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 6 | Penske Automotive Group Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 7 | Murphy Usa Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 8 | Rush Enterprises Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
| 9 | Carmax Inc | 8,131 | 2.77 % |
| 10 | Lithia Motors Inc | 1,234 | 5.2% |
Market cap and industry share for the rest of Carmax Inc's industry peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation) across CSIMarket's industry classification, market capitalization as of 2026-09-28.
Carmax Inc's Same-Size Peers & Stock Performance
Peers chosen by closeness in market-cap rank within the same industry classification (not the named-competitor list above). Trailing 12-month total return, 3-month price momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio vs the broad U.S. market.| Rank | Company | Market Cap | TTM Return |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | Copart Inc | 25,662 | -39.36 % |
| 5 | Casey s General Stores Inc | 22,637 | 12.21 % |
| 6 | Penske Automotive Group Inc | 13,804 | 22.91 % |
| 7 | Murphy Usa Inc | 9,687 | 35.20 % |
| 8 | Rush Enterprises Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 9 | Carmax Inc | 8,131 | 25.44 % |
| 10 | Lithia Motors Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 11 | Autonation Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 12 | Cosan S a | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 13 | Openlane inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
| 14 | Asbury Automotive Group Inc | 1,234 | 12.3% |
Market cap, return, momentum, beta and Sharpe ratio for the rest of Carmax Inc's same-size peers requires a Commercial License.
Source: CSIMarket API (daily market-structure computation); returns and risk metrics as of 2026-09-28. Beta and Sharpe ratio are versus the broad U.S. equity market, not this industry.
Carmax Inc's Profitability & Cost Structure
Trailing 12-month margins from SEC-filed financials. Operating margin is compared to the Automotive Aftermarket industry median; gross margin, EBITDA margin and capital intensity are compared to the live industry average (38 companies).| Metric | Company | Industry | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | 10.50 % | 30.22 % (avg) | -19.7 pp |
| Operating Margin | - | industry median | - |
| EBITDA Margin | 3.30 % | 1.46 % (avg) | +1.8 pp |
| Capital Intensity (Capex / Revenue) | 1.93 % | 4.11 % (avg) | -2.2 pp |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. SG&A and R&D as a share of revenue have limited coverage as this data is backfilled and appear only where reported. Higher capital intensity is not inherently negative; it reflects the industry's asset requirements.
Carmax Inc's Valuation vs Competitive Position
Valuation multiples vs the Automotive Aftermarket industry average (38 companies, excluding loss-making/negative-equity outliers), alongside returns on capital for context on whether a premium or discount lines up with measurably stronger or weaker returns.| Metric | Company | Industry Average | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| P/E | 27.9x | 20.0x | +7.9x |
| EV / EBITDA | 27.3x | 12.6x | +14.7x |
| P/B | 1.0x | 3.1x | -2.1x |
| Return on Equity | 3.64 % | industry aggregate | -26.22 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | - | 5.20 % (avg) | - |
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. A valuation premium or discount is not, by itself, a judgment of over- or under-valuation. Compare it against the return and growth context shown elsewhere on this page.
Carmax Inc's Multi-Year Financial Trajectory
Fiscal-year revenue growth, operating margin, return on invested capital and P/E, as reported in SEC filings.| Metric | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue Growth | 4.99 % | 9.69 % | -4.71 % | 56.70 % | 7.73 % | -15.85 % | -2.46 % | -0.15 % |
| Operating Margin | 3.95 % | 3.89 % | 3.11 % | 2.72 % | 0.44 % | 0.84 % | 0.61 % | 0.58 % |
| Return on Invested Capital | 3.52 % | 3.49 % | 2.51 % | 3.03 % | 0.47 % | 0.73 % | 0.51 % | 0.48 % |
| P/E | 14.6x | 18.4x | 22.0x | 18.5x | 18.4x | 22.0x | 26.7x | 13.2x |
Source: CSIMarket API, fiscal-year figures. P/E is this company's own historical ratio at each fiscal year end and can swing sharply around an earnings trough: that is real, not a data error.
Carmax Inc's BCG Growth-Share Matrix
Relative market share (vs Carmax Inc's largest competitor by market cap) against industry revenue growth, using the standard textbook thresholds (1.0x share, 10% growth) a common framework, not a precision instrument.
Carmax Inc falls in the Dog quadrant: relative market share of 0.11x vs its largest competitor, in an industry growing revenue 2.1% (median, trailing 12 months).
Source: CSIMarket API (market-cap share and industry revenue growth). The 10% growth and 1.0x share lines are standard textbook thresholds, not derived from this industry's own distribution.
Carmax Inc's Competitive Forces (Porter's Five Forces)
Only the forces this data can support honestly are shown; the other three are marked as such rather than guessed.| Force | Assessment | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Competitive Rivalry | High | Industry HHI of 1,315 (see Industry Market Structure & Concentration above) |
| Barriers to Entry | Lower than typical for the industry | Capital intensity (capex / revenue) of 1.93 % vs industry average 4.11 % (see Profitability & Cost Structure above) |
| Supplier Power | Not covered on this page | See Carmax Inc's dedicated suppliers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Buyer Power | Not covered on this page | See Carmax Inc's dedicated customers page for concentration and dependency data |
| Threat of Substitutes | - | No systematic data source for cross-product substitution exists in this system; not estimated |
Note: this is a partial, data-grounded application of the framework, not a complete strategic assessment. Rivalry and barriers-to-entry readings are mechanical translations of the HHI and capital-intensity figures shown elsewhere on this page, not independent judgments.
Carmax Inc's Industry Attractiveness & Competitive Strength
A CSIMarket composite, not a standard field: each axis is an equal-weighted average of three factors already shown elsewhere on this page (industry growth, industry profitability and rivalry for attractiveness; relative market share, profitability and growth vs industry for strength). Disclosed as a designed methodology, not a precision measurement.
Carmax Inc falls in the Low attractiveness / Low strength cell: Harvest / Divest.
Source: CSIMarket API, trailing 12 months. Each axis score is a simple 1(low)/2(medium)/3(high) average across its three inputs -- a transparent, disclosed simplification, not a validated academic scoring model.
Carmax Inc's SWOT
Every point below is a fixed rule applied to a metric already shown elsewhere on this page (Market Structure, Profitability, Valuation, Run-Rate, Stock Performance, Quality Breadth) not an independent strategic assessment. A blank quadrant means no rule was met, not that none apply.Strengths
- Latest-quarter revenue run-rate is accelerating (+21.7% annualized vs trailing 12 months).
- Outperforming the U.S.A. 500 over the trailing 12 months.
Weaknesses
- Return on equity 26.2 points below the industry aggregate.
- Low relative market share vs the industry leader (0.11x).
- Piotroski F-Score of 2 or below, the standard financial-distress signal.
Opportunities
No rule matched.
Threats
No rule matched.
Methodology: mechanical, rule-based SWOT. Each bullet reuses a figure already sourced and cited elsewhere on this page; nothing here is generated narrative or independent analyst judgment.
Carmax Inc's Financial Strength vs Peers Comparison
Quick ratio, working capital, debt to equity and asset turnover, trailing 12 months| Company | Quick Ratio | Working Capital | Debt / Equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | 0.38 | 6.01 | 3.01 |
| O Reilly Automotive Inc | 0.03 | 0.76 | - |
| Autozone Inc | 0.03 | 0.88 | - |
| Carvana Co | 1.38 | 4.08 | 1.21 |
| Genuine Parts Co | - | 1.12 | 1.05 |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | 0.01 | 0.97 | 0.41 |
Quick ratio = cash / current liabilities; working capital ratio = current assets / current liabilities; asset turnover = revenue / total assets. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Carmax Inc's Revenue and Income Growth vs Peers
Quarterly revenue and net income growth, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Revenue Y/Y | Income Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | Q2 2026 | +6.2 % | -11.8 % |
| O Reilly Automotive Inc | Q2 2026 | +8.1 % | +7.0 % |
| Autozone Inc | Q2 2026 | +8.4 % | +5.4 % |
| Carvana Co | Q2 2026 | +52.4 % | +66.6 % |
| Genuine Parts Co | Q2 2026 | +6.0 % | -10.7 % |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | Q2 2026 | +11.1 % | -2.1 % |
| PEERS TOTAL | +6.1 % | +18.6 % |
Growth is shown only where both periods are positive. Peers in the Blank Checks industry are excluded.
Carmax Inc's Peers' Costs of Sales and Capital Expenditures
Context for revenue growth: peer costs and capex, year over year and quarter over quarter| Company | Period | Costs Y/Y | Capex Y/Y |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | Q2 2026 | +7.4 % | -24.4 % |
| O Reilly Automotive Inc | Q2 2026 | +8.1 % | +2.3 % |
| Autozone Inc | Q2 2026 | +9.7 % | -0.1 % |
| Carvana Co | Q2 2026 | +58.7 % | +64.5 % |
| Genuine Parts Co | Q2 2026 | +5.9 % | -16.4 % |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | Q2 2026 | +7.1 % | -0.8 % |
Carmax Inc's Returns and Turnover vs Peers
ROA, ROI and ROE (trailing 12 months), receivables and inventory turnover| Company | ROA | ROI | ROE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | 0.83% | 0.88% | 3.64% |
| O Reilly Automotive Inc | 15.79% | 32.79% | - |
| Autozone Inc | 12.38% | 26.27% | - |
| Carvana Co | 16.60% | 17.20% | 50.39% |
| Genuine Parts Co | 0.16% | 0.36% | 0.72% |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | 5.08% | 5.36% | 15.91% |
ROA = net income / total assets; ROI = net income / investments; ROE = net income / equity; turnover ratios use trailing 12 month revenue (receivables) and cost of sales (inventory).
Carmax Inc's Valuation vs Peers
P/E, price to sales, PEG, price to cash flow and price to book| Company | P/E | Price / Sales |
|---|---|---|
| Carmax Inc | 36.25 | 0.31 |
| O Reilly Automotive Inc | 27.55 | 3.86 |
| Autozone Inc | 20.05 | 2.46 |
| Carvana Co | 10.44 | 1.79 |
| Genuine Parts Co | 492.81 | 0.71 |
| Penske Automotive Group Inc | 15.01 | 0.41 |
| PEERS AVERAGE | 19.33 | 0.82 |
P/E = price / diluted EPS (trailing 12 months); PEG = P/E divided by EPS growth; the average row divides the peers' combined market cap by their combined income, sales, cash flow and equity.