Hi, Shrewd!        Login  
Shrewd'm.com 
A merry & shrewd investing community
Best Of FKBest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd
Search
Shrewd'm.com Merry shrewd investors
Search
Best Of FKBest OfAll BoardsThe Shrewd’m WeeklyLearn to InvestHow to Become Shrewd


The week's question
In December 2024, in the thread "Re: BRK: Why Not XOM?", BreckHutHigh asked the members: "What about the long road trips with kids?" This week it is put to everyone again. The button below opens the small thread re-asking it - read what others have said so far, then give your own answer as an ordinary reply.
Answer this questionContinue to Shrewd'mThis note won't appear again
Investment Strategies / Falling Knives
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (8) |
Author: mungofitch 🐝🐝🐝 GOLD
SHREWD
  😊 😞

Number: of 1165 
Subject: Re: KMX - CarMax missed earnings estimate.
Date: 04/10/25 3:36 PM
Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
No. of Recommendations: 6
I admit to being not entirely clear on Mr Market's reasoning. (worst performer in the S&P today)

Carmax is primarily a "flow" business. They buy used cars, market them up a relatively constant amount, and sell them. Duds are sold at auction to other dealers, so there is a slight reputation for dependable cars. Profits are primarily a factor of turnover, not price levels---the price of cars is not that big a factor in their business success.

So, with that in mind, presumably the price of car *parts* is an even smaller issue for them. I'm sure they do some repairs before flipping a vehicle, but they are not in any significant way in the business of repairing cars at a fixed cost.

Is a car parts price hit that really that big a factor?

Other changes:
The average new car price is certain to jump upwards with this hour's estimated tariffs. Presumably that is good for the value of their current inventory, and also good for the relative attractiveness of used cars versus new. It may be a headwind to volumes going forward as affordability slides for both new and used as disposable incomes fall, but for many in the US a car is not really optional. In a very top level view, chaos causes ownership churn which is good for volume.

Seems a bit of an over-reaction, unless I'm really missing something.

Jim
Post New | Post Reply | Report Post | Recommend It!
Print the post
Members reply directly to mungofitch here — and replies get answered. Reading is free; so is joining the conversation. Join Shrewd'm »
This community has written 1,155 posts about Falling Knives. The article-length ones it recommended most:
FKA: DG · 25 recs · 2023
MTD – A Masterclass in Un-Swiss Capital Allocation · 17 recs · 2026
Alpha Metallurgical Resources (AMR) · 15 recs · 2026
Coloplast (CLPBY) · 12 recs · 2026
TSLA · 12 recs · 2025
Unthreaded | Threaded | Whole Thread (8) |


Announcements
Falling Knives FAQ
Contact Shrewd'm
Contact the developer of these message boards.

Best Of FK | Best Of | Favourites & Replies | All Boards | Followed Shrewds | Open Questions | Moving a community