Stock fact sheet · data as of
CarMax, Inc. (KMX): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Consumer Cyclical · Auto - Dealerships · United States · Blend
Is KMX undervalued?
KMX closed at 52.62 on 16 Oct 2026, 22% below the GLS average fair value of 67.30 from 8 models (4 of them above the price). That is a moderate margin of safety: the stock passes the "below fair value" rule of the Sunday Scan, and the Wheel Score gives it 22 of the 25 Value points.
The 8 models disagree widely: GLS Growth gives 3.69 while 10 Cap gives 203.55. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
The nightly engine files KMX under Blend.
Nine valuation models for KMX
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 59.65 | +13% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 45.38 | -14% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 78.53 | +49% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 31.40 | -40% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 3.69 | -93% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 203.55 | +287% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 93.33 | +77% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | - | - | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend; no value tonight |
| EPV | 22.89 | -56% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -106.86 | -303% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 61.00 | +16% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
On financial health KMX scores 7/9 (Piotroski): most of the nine tests - positive earnings and cash flow, falling debt, rising margins and turnover - are passed, which is the kind of balance sheet a wheel trader is happy to be assigned. The GLS Moat score is low at 3.1 out of 10, which says the ten-year record of revenue, earnings, margins and returns on capital has been inconsistent - growth and shocks rather than steady compounding.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 1.0%, ROE 4.2%, ROA 0.9% - with debt at 3.02 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 15.3%. Debt of 3.02 times equity is on the high side for the sector and is worth checking against the cash flow before treating the stock as a long-term hold.
CarMax, Inc. pays no dividend, so the DDM model does not apply and a covered-call holder earns only the premium and any price gain. Revenue comes mainly from Used Vehicles 82%, Wholesale Vehicles 18% (quarter Q2 FY2027).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 10/10 on the GLS smart-money scales; the last recorded Congressional buy was on 19 Aug 2026.
| Piotroski F-score | 7 / 9 | ROIC | 1.0% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 3.1 / 10 | ROE | 4.2% |
| Debt / equity | 3.02 | ROA | 0.9% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 15.3% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 10 / 10 |
Wheel Score 81: Prime
KMX scores 81 out of 100 on the Wheel Score, in the Prime band (80 and above), which fewer than one stock in twenty reaches on any night. The score blends five things a wheel trader checks before selling a cash-secured put: the margin of safety (Value, 22/25), Piotroski health (16/20), the GLS moat (5/15), the option premium on offer (20/20) and how easily the stock trades (19/20).
Implied volatility is 45% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% range the Wheel Score pays full marks for: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. The option chain is deep: 78,530 contracts of open interest across all expiries, which means tight fills at most strikes.
Volume runs at 3.8M shares a day on a market cap of $7.5B, with a beta of 1.23 - a high beta, so the stock tends to move more than the market and a strike can be gapped through; the Stability part of the Wheel Score gives that 19 of 20.
| Part | Points | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | 22 / 25 | 22% margin of safety | |
| Health | 16 / 20 | Piotroski 7/9 | |
| Moat | 5 / 15 | moat 3.1/10 | |
| Premium | 20 / 20 | implied volatility 45% | |
| Stability | 19 / 20 | 3.8M shares/day, $7.5B cap, beta 1.23 |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls; it is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. The walkthrough lesson shows how the score fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 17 Dec 2026, 62 days away - outside the window of a 30-45-day put sold today.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Auto - Dealerships
The 12 companies below are the closest to CarMax, Inc. by market cap within the Auto - Dealerships industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RUSHB Rush Enterprises, Inc. | 56.62 | 86.44 | +34% | 39No options | $6.7B |
| LAD Lithia Motors, Inc. | 295.31 | 571.63 | +48% | 45Weak | $6.5B |
| ALTB Alpine Auto Brokers Inc. | 10.00 | 0.0102 | -97609% | 17No options | $10.0B |
| AN AutoNation, Inc. | 159.80 | 295.09 | +46% | 75Good | $5.3B |
| RUSHA Rush Enterprises, Inc. | 43.78 | 72.26 | +39% | 88Prime | $5.1B |
| OPLN OPENLANE, Inc. | 36.98 | 47.45 | +22% | 77Good | $4.5B |
| PAG Penske Automotive Group, Inc. | 194.79 | 157.80 | -23% | 58Fair | $12.8B |
| VVV Valvoline Inc. | 30.39 | 21.92 | -39% | 54Fair | $3.9B |
| ABG Asbury Automotive Group, Inc. | 169.87 | 478.77 | +65% | 77Good | $3.0B |
| GPI Group 1 Automotive, Inc. | 239.80 | 323.14 | +26% | 77Good | $2.9B |
| BGSI Boyd Group Services Inc. | 81.65 | 64.45 | -27% | 29No options | $2.3B |
| DRVN Driven Brands Holdings Inc. | 11.96 | 20.91 | +43% | 78Good | $2.0B |
Screen the whole market the same way
A free GLS Equity account gets you nightly fair value and the Wheel Score on ~7,400 US stocks, a watchlist, the scanner preview and the Sunday Scan - the same eight-rule screen, emailed every week. Pro adds the full put and call scanners, unlimited watchlists with alerts and the trade journal.
Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about KMX
Is KMX undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, moderately: at 52.62 the stock trades 22% below the average fair value of 67.30 (data as of 16 Oct 2026).
What is the Wheel Score of KMX and what does it mean?
KMX scores 81 out of 100 (Prime). The Wheel Score blends the margin of safety (25 points), Piotroski health (20), the GLS moat (15), the option premium on offer (20) and trading stability (20) into one number that ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned. 80 and above is Prime, 65-79 Good, 50-64 Fair, under 50 Weak.
What is the GLS fair value for KMX?
67.30 per share as of 16 Oct 2026 - the simple average of the 8 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does CarMax, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 17 Dec 2026, 62 days from the data date of 16 Oct 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does KMX have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 422 listed contracts with 78,530 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 45% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.