CarMax [KMX] vs Lithia Motors [LAD] Detailed Stock Comparison

TLDR: Quick Comparison Summary

Based on 21 vital metrics comparison: CarMax Inc. wins in 5 metrics, Lithia Motors Inc. wins in 15 metrics, with 0 ties. Lithia Motors Inc. appears stronger overall.

View Metrics Details

Vital Metrics Comparison

Metric CarMax Inc. Lithia Motors Inc. Better
P/E Ratio (TTM) 22.95 8.55 Lithia Motors Inc.
Price-to-Book Ratio 0.93 0.98 CarMax Inc.
Debt-to-Equity Ratio 318.18 235.16 Lithia Motors Inc.
PEG Ratio -0.09 -0.30 CarMax Inc.
EV/EBITDA 23.20 11.14 Lithia Motors Inc.
Profit Margin (TTM) 0.89% 2.18% Lithia Motors Inc.
Operating Margin (TTM) 1.81% 3.89% Lithia Motors Inc.
EBITDA Margin (TTM) 1.81% 3.89% Lithia Motors Inc.
Return on Equity 4.08% 12.42% Lithia Motors Inc.
Return on Assets (TTM) 1.61% 4.22% Lithia Motors Inc.
Free Cash Flow (TTM) $1.24B $5.80M CarMax Inc.
Dividend Yield N/A 0.85% N/A
1-Year Return -21.03% -3.25% Lithia Motors Inc.
Price-to-Sales Ratio (TTM) 0.20 0.17 Lithia Motors Inc.
Enterprise Value $24.08B $21.73B CarMax Inc.
EV/Revenue Ratio 0.87 0.58 Lithia Motors Inc.
Gross Profit Margin (TTM) 10.18% 14.91% Lithia Motors Inc.
Revenue per Share (TTM) $188 $1,488 Lithia Motors Inc.
Earnings per Share (Diluted) $1.68 $32.31 Lithia Motors Inc.
Beta (Stock Volatility) 1.30 1.22 Lithia Motors Inc.
Short % of Float 12.25% 15.28% CarMax Inc.

CarMax Inc. vs Lithia Motors Inc. Stock Performance Analysis

Loading Price Chart...

Performance Comparison

Short-term Returns

Stock1D1W1M3M6MYTD
CarMax Inc.1.85%9.92%41.38%25.17%27.59%32.88%
Lithia Motors Inc.-1.55%5.68%17.79%22.21%-11.01%-7.15%

Long-term Returns

Stock1Y3Y5Y10Y15Y20Y
CarMax Inc.-21.03%-35.63%-54.70%2.27%75.25%225.46%
Lithia Motors Inc.-3.25%15.30%0.08%315.07%1,734.78%937.00%

Performance & Financial Health Analysis: CarMax Inc. vs Lithia Motors Inc.

MetricKMXLAD
Market Information
Market Cap i$5.43B$6.44B
Market Cap CategoryMid capMid cap
10 Day Avg. Volume i4,899,373296,211
90 Day Avg. Volume i3,603,631335,480
Last Close$52.21$308.52
52 Week Range$30.26 - $71.99$239.78 - $360.56
% from 52W High-27.48%-14.43%
All-Time High$155.98 (Nov 08, 2021)$417.98 (Mar 15, 2021)
% from All-Time High-66.53%-26.19%
Growth Metrics
Quarterly Revenue Growth-0.01%0.00%
Quarterly Earnings Growth-0.01%-0.36%
Financial Health
Profit Margin (TTM) i0.01%0.02%
Operating Margin (TTM) i0.02%0.04%
Return on Equity (TTM) i0.04%0.12%
Debt to Equity (MRQ) i318.18235.16
Cash & Liquidity
Book Value per Share (MRQ)$41.53$280.99
Cash per Share (MRQ)$0.87$14.73
Operating Cash Flow (TTM) i$1.78B$356.70M
Levered Free Cash Flow (TTM) i$-88,674,248$774.40M
Dividends
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield iN/A0.85%
Last 12-Month Dividend iN/A$2.20

Valuation & Enterprise Metrics Analysis: CarMax Inc. vs Lithia Motors Inc.

MetricKMX (Apr 26, 2026)LAD (Apr 24, 2026)
Price Ratios
P/E Ratio (TTM) i22.958.55
Forward P/E i12.196.86
PEG Ratio i-0.09-0.30
Price to Sales (TTM) i0.200.17
Price to Book (MRQ) i0.930.98
Market Capitalization
Market Capitalization i$5.43B$6.44B
Enterprise Value i$24.08B$21.73B
Enterprise Value Metrics
Enterprise to Revenue i0.870.58
Enterprise to EBITDA i23.2011.14
Risk & Other Metrics
Beta i1.301.22
Book Value per Share (MRQ) i$41.53$280.99

Financial Statements Comparison: CarMax Inc. vs Lithia Motors Inc.

Financial Metrics

Loading Financial Charts...

Revenue

Operating Margin

Profit Margin

Long Term Debt

Income Flow Analysis

Financial Statements Comparison

Income Statement

MetricKMX (2026)LAD (2025)
Revenue/Sales i25.88B37.63B
Cost of Goods Sold i23.07B31.90B
COGS % of Revenue i89.2%84.8%
Gross Profit i2.81B5.73B
Gross Margin i10.8%15.2%
Research & Development iN/AN/A
Operating Income (EBIT) i-409.76M1.43B
Operating Margin i-1.6%3.8%
EBITDA i1.75B2.32B
EBITDA Margin i6.8%6.2%
Pre-Tax Income i383.43M1.11B
Pre-Tax Income % of Revenue i1.5%2.9%
Income Tax i136.14M282.50M
Income Tax % of Revenue i0.5%0.8%
Net Income (Profit) i247.29M825.90M
Profit Margin i1.0%2.2%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity Metrics

MetricKMX (2026)LAD (2025)
Cash & Equivalents i122.83M341.80M
Total Current Assets i5.31B7.86B
Total Current Assets % of Revenue i20.5%20.9%
Total Current Liabilities i2.41B6.70B
Total Current Liabilities % of Revenue i9.3%17.8%
Long-Term Debt i17.73B10.34B
Long-Term Debt % of Revenue i68.5%27.5%
Total Shareholders Equity i5.89B6.63B
Retained Earnings i4.04B6.52B
Retained Earnings % of Revenue i15.6%17.3%
Property, Plant & Equipment i679.32M1.01B

Cash Flow Statement Comparison

MetricKMX (2026)LAD (2025)
Operating Cash Flow i1.18B519.00M
Operating Cash Flow % of Revenue i4.5%1.4%
Capital Expenditures i418,000N/A
Free Cash Flow i1.24B5.80M
FCF Margin i4.8%0.0%
Debt Repayment i-15.28B-17.18B
Common Stock Repurchase i-642.79M-960.90M

Short Interest & Institutional Ownership Analysis

MetricKMXLAD
Shares Short i15.09M2.35M
Short Ratio i4.816.63
Short % of Float i12.25%15.28%
Shares Outstanding i141.80M23.50M
Float Shares i133.15M20.55M
% Held by Insiders i0.45%1.11%
% Held by Institutions i108.06%105.61%
% Held by Public i-8.51%-6.72%

Dividend Analysis & Yield Comparison: CarMax Inc. vs Lithia Motors Inc.

MetricKMXLAD
Last 12-Month Dividend iN/A$2.20
Last 12-Month Dividend Yield iN/A0.85%
3-Year Avg Annual Dividend iN/A$2.11
3-Year Avg Dividend Yield iN/A0.18%
3-Year Total Dividends iN/A$6.32
Ex-Dividend DateN/AMar 06, 2026