Here's our initial take on CarMax's (NYSE: KMX) fiscal 2026 first-quarter financial report.

Key Metrics

CarMax Stays Strong Across the Business

There were a lot of good things to see in CarMax's financial report for the first quarter of its 2026 fiscal year. Total vehicle unit sales were up nearly 6% year over year, lifted by extremely strong performance on the retail side. Comparable store used unit sales were up 8.1% from the year-ago period, and total revenue from retail used vehicles climbed 7.5%. The company bought 336,000 vehicles from consumers and dealers during the quarter, up 7%, and revenue from the sale of extended protection plans on used vehicles got an 11% boost.

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The biggest news came on the bottom line. Earnings of $1.38 per share were up 42%, as CarMax largely kept cost increases in check. Expense management efforts played a key role, along with stronger gross profit figures on its retail sales.

CarMax CEO Bill Nash put the results into perspective, noting that the latest quarter was the fourth consecutive period of positive retail comps and double-digit percentage gains in earnings per share. Nash attributed much of the gains to CarMax's workers and investment in technology, citing digital capabilities as supporting 80% of retail sales. Only 14% of sales occurred completely online, but the remainder used online channels to reserve, finance, trade in, or create a sales order for a vehicle.

Immediate Market Reaction

Investors reacted positively to the good news, sending CarMax shares up nearly 11% in the first hour of premarket trading after releasing its financial report on Friday morning. In particular, most of those following the used-car specialist had anticipated much less extensive growth in earnings.

The bounce higher came as CarMax stock had been trading near its worst levels in two years. Fears about consumer sentiment had caused some to question whether buyers would step in to purchase CarMax vehicles. The results showed that despite macroeconomic pressures, consumers were prone to be opportunistic about making purchases even on terms that were attractive for CarMax.

What to Watch

A couple of other notable things stood out in the report. First, CarMax opened two new stand-alone centers for auctions and vehicle reconditioning, one near Phoenix and the other near Dallas. These two facilities should help support relatively strong markets in those areas.

Also, CarMax accelerated its stock repurchase activity, spending $200 million to buy back about 3 million shares. That leaves the company with $1.74 billion of unspent but authorized capacity to do future repurchases. Shareholders should see that as a reflection of CarMax's belief that attractive industry conditions could last quite a while into the future.

Helpful Resources

• Full earnings report
• Investor relations page

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CarMax (NYSE:KMX) reported Q1 FY2026 earnings on June 20, 2025, with total sales rising 6% year over year to $7.5 billion, used unit comps up 8.1%, and record diluted EPS of $1.38, up 42% year over year. Management accelerated the share repurchase pace, advanced omnichannel and artificial intelligence (AI)-driven efficiency gains, and earmarked a $632 million principal balance of non-prime auto loans for a risk-mitigating securitization.

The following analysis focuses on fundamental shifts in funding strategy, operational advancements, and margin expansion relevant for long-term shareholders.

Milestone Non-Prime Securitization Enhances Capital Flexibility and Risk Mitigation

CarMax Auto Finance (CAF) originated over $2.3 billion in loans at a 41.8% penetration rate, and earmarked a $632 million principal balance of non-prime receivables for off-balance sheet sale -- the first such move for the company. CAF's total loan loss provisions climbed to $102 million, reflecting increased reserves on legacy 2022-2023 cohorts and preparation for full-spectrum lending, resulting in a reserve balance of $474 million, or 2.76% of managed receivables excluding loans held for sale.

"... during the quarter, we earmarked a held-for-sale pool of loans with a $632 million principal balance from our non-prime portfolio. That loan pool is intended to be fully sold off our balance sheet as a part of a non-prime securitization transaction. In the immediate term, this treatment removes the requirements to reserve for future losses expected on this pool of receivables. In the period in which the ABS transaction closes, capital book any gain realized by selling the financial interest in the loans. Also, risk of any financial impact from this pool due to future deterioration is removed once sold. This additional funding lever, as well as other off-balance sheet funding vehicles under consideration, will provide CarMax with significant flexibility, allowing us to mitigate risk while focusing on our growth plan."
— Jon Daniels, EVP, CarMax Auto Finance

This new periodic off-balance sheet securitization directly reduces retained credit risk in non-prime lending and potentially improves capital efficiency, enabling CarMax to safely scale full credit spectrum lending and CAF penetration without jeopardizing balance sheet stability or long-term earnings power.

Omnichannel Progress Drives Record Retail Volumes and All-Time High Margins

In Q1 FY2026, digital engagement supported 80% of retail sales (66% omni, 14% online), Net Promoter Score reached a new high, and retail unit comps rose for the fourth straight quarter. SG&A expense grew only 3% despite 9% higher retail unit sales, SG&A to gross profit leveraged by 180 basis points and achieved first-time "omnicost neutrality" on three key efficiency metrics versus both pre-omni and prior year benchmarks.

"We are off to a strong start in achieving our goal of omni cost neutrality in fiscal year 2026 for the first time across three key metrics. In the first quarter, we were both more efficient versus pre-OMNI and versus last year per used unit, per total unit, and as a percent of gross profit."
— Enrique Mayor-Mora, EVP & CFO

Consistent efficiency improvements through omnichannel integration and digital investments have translated into structurally higher profitability, supporting continued market share gains in a highly fragmented used vehicle retail sector.

AI-Driven Operational Advancements Significantly Lift Customer Experience and Cost Productivity

Deployment of the Sky AI virtual assistant and associated process automation drove a 30% year-over-year improvement in containment (customer self-service without human intervention), while consultant productivity increased 24% year over year, and customer response times improved by double digits. These advances contributed meaningfully to both top-line growth and cost leverage in the quarter.

"A key driver of these efficiency gains and experience enhancements has been our strategic deployment of AI technology across our operations. A few key metrics that illustrate the progress we are making year over year include Sky, our AI-powered virtual assistant, realized a 30% improvement in containment rate. Our customer experience consultants' productivity improved by 24%. And phone and web response rate SLAs improved by double digits."
— Enrique Mayor-Mora, EVP & CFO

The rapid adoption of generative and process AI is materially increasing labor and service efficiency, enabling CarMax to manage higher unit sales, improve customer satisfaction, and maintain cost discipline at scale, strengthening its competitive moat against both traditional dealerships and digital-only players.

Looking Ahead

Management expects continued positive retail unit comp growth and ongoing market share gains for the remainder of FY2026, with no change to its initial outlook. Service margin is forecast to remain positive for the full year, with the strongest gains concentrated in the first half of the year due to seasonality, and full-year marketing spend on a per-unit basis is anticipated to be flat. The company plans to execute at least one annual non-prime loan securitization going forward, with additional off-balance sheet CAF funding levers under evaluation; no quantitative guidance was provided for retail, wholesale, or auto finance penetration rates beyond qualitative growth targets.

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This article was created using Large Language Models (LLMs) based on The Motley Fool's insights and investing approach. It has been reviewed by our AI quality control systems. Since LLMs cannot (currently) own stocks, it has no positions in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends CarMax. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.