Why CarMax Stock Crashed Today

Core Insights - CarMax reported disappointing earnings for its fiscal second quarter, with profits of $0.64 per share and sales of $6.6 billion, falling short of analyst expectations of $1.03 per share and $7 billion in sales [1][3][4] - Year-over-year sales declined by 6%, which is worse than the company's 5.4% decline in retail sales, indicating weaker customer demand and lower prices [3][4] - The overall car demand is weakening, as CarMax purchased 2.4% fewer cars for resale, reflecting management's outlook on market demand [4] Financial Performance - CarMax's profits plunged by 25% year over year, contrary to analyst expectations for growth [4][5] - The company is cutting selling, general, and administrative spending by $150 million over the next 18 months in response to the challenging quarter [5] - With a market capitalization of $6.9 billion and trailing profits of $521 million, CarMax's valuation stands at 13.2 times earnings, which may appear attractive given analysts' long-term earnings growth forecast of 16% [6] Market Outlook - Analysts were caught off guard by the unexpected earnings decline, raising concerns about the reliability of future growth predictions [6] - If the current trend continues, despite the seemingly low valuation, CarMax stock could be viewed as a sell [7]