CarMax will acquire the remaining stake in Edmunds that it does not already own
The shares of CarMax, Inc (NYSE:KMX) are down 4% at $127.50 before the bell, after the car retailer posted fourth-quarter profits of $1.27 per share, which topped analysts forecasts. The firm's revenue came in line with estimates, and KMX announced that it would acquire the remaining stake in auto information company Edmunds that it did not previously own in a cash-and-stock deal valued at $404 million.
CarMax stock has already started pulling away from its March 30 all-time peak of $136.54 during yesterday's session. In fact, the shares had been consolidating just below these highs for the better part of last month, though the 40-day has kept several pullback in check since February. For the year, KMX is up roughly 40%.
Most analysts have been optimistic on KMX, with nine in coverage calling it a "buy" or better, compared to just two "hold" or worse ratings. Meanwhile, the 12-month consensus price target is just a 1.3% discount to last night's close.
Option traders have been a bit more bullish than usual, too. This is per the equity's Schaeffer's 10-day call/put volume ratio of 1.46 at the International Securities Exchange (ISE), Cboe Options Exchange (CBOE), and NASDAQ OMX PHLX (PHLX), which stands in the 65th percentile of its annual range, suggesting calls are being picked up at a quicker than usual clip.
KMX could still be an interesting post-earnings play, and its options are relatively affordable at the moment. Its Schaeffer's Volatility Index (SVI) of 44% sits higher than just 14% of readings from the past year, meaning options players are pricing in relatively low volatility expectations on the stock right now.