Is Carvana Stock a Buy at $5 per Share?

: CVNA | Carvana Co.  News, Ratings, and Charts

CVNA – Online used cars retailer Carvana (CVNA) is reportedly trying to restructure its debt load. Trading below $5, does the stock deserve a place in your portfolio now? Read on to find out….

Internet retailer Carvana Co. (CVNA) operates an e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars in the United States. The company’s platform enables customers to research, inspect, obtain financing, and purchase a vehicle.

According to Bloomberg Law, CVNA is speaking with lawyers and investment bankers about options for managing its debt load after facing plunging used car prices that raised solvency issues. Moreover, high costs led to the company cutting 1,500 employees, or 8% of its workforce, last month.

The stock has declined 98.1% year-to-date and 82.7% over the past six months to close its last trading session at $4.32. It is down 38.7% over the past month. It is trading below its 50-day moving average of $10.22 and 200-day moving average of $41.38.

Here are the factors that could affect CVNA’s performance in the upcoming months:

Poor Bottom Line

For the fiscal third quarter that ended September 30, CVNA’s net sales and operating revenues decreased 2.7% year-over-year to $3.39 billion. Net loss attributable to CVNA rose 784.4% from the prior-year quarter to $283 million. Net loss per share of Class A common stock increased 602.6% from the prior-year period to $2.67.

Weak Profitability

CVNA’s trailing-12-month gross profit margin of 10.81% is 69.6% lower than the industry average of 35.58%. Its trailing-12-month EBITDA margin and net income margin of negative 6.32% and 5.99% compare to the industry averages of 11.11% and 5.14%, respectively.

Its trailing-12-month ROCE, ROTC, and ROTA of negative 264.04%, 10.77%, and 9.04% compare to the respective industry averages of 12.93%, 6.59%, and 4.45%.

Bleak Analyst Estimates

The consensus EPS estimate of negative $2.14 for the quarter ending December 2022 indicates a 109.8% year-over-year decline. Likewise, the consensus revenue estimate for the same quarter of $3.20 billion reflects a decrease of 14.7% from the prior-year period.

Moreover, CVNA has missed consensus EPS estimates in all four trailing quarters. Street EPS estimate for fiscal 2022 of negative $10.07 reflects a decline of 517.8% year-over-year.

POWR Ratings Reflect Bleak Prospects

CVNA’s POWR Ratings reflect the company’s bleak outlook. The stock has an overall F rating, equating to a Strong Sell in our proprietary rating system. The POWR Ratings are calculated by considering 118 different factors, each weighted to an optimal degree.

Our proprietary rating system also evaluates each stock based on eight distinct categories. CVNA has a Stability grade of F, in sync with its five-year beta of 2.31.

The stock also has an F grade for Sentiment and Quality, consistent with bleak analyst estimates and poor profitability.

In the 58-stock Internet industry, it is ranked last. The industry is rated F.

Click here to see the additional POWR Ratings for CVNA (Growth, Value, and Momentum).

View all the top stocks in the Internet industry here.

Bottom Line

CVNA is currently facing a debt burden that could hamper the company’s operations. Moreover, its bleak profitability scenario is concerning. With analysts downgrading the stock recently, CVNA might be best avoided now.

How Does Carvana Co. (CVNA) Stack up Against Its Peers?

While CVNA has an overall POWR Rating of F, one might consider looking at its industry peers, Travelzoo (TZOO), trivago N.V. (TRVG), and Yelp Inc. (YELP), which have an overall B (Buy) rating.

Want More Great Investing Ideas?

3 Stocks to DOUBLE This Year


CVNA shares fell $0.14 (-3.24%) in premarket trading Thursday. Year-to-date, CVNA has declined -98.14%, versus a -17.36% rise in the benchmark S&P 500 index during the same period.


About the Author: Anushka Dutta


Anushka is an analyst whose interest in understanding the impact of broader economic changes on financial markets motivated her to pursue a career in investment research. More...


More Resources for the Stocks in this Article

TickerPOWR RatingIndustry RankRank in Industry
CVNAGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating
TZOOGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating
TRVGGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating
YELPGet RatingGet RatingGet Rating

Most Popular Stories on StockNews.com


How Much Resistance @ 6,000 for Stocks?

The post-election rally was an exciting burst for the stock market. With that the S&P 500 (SPY) made new highs just above 6,000. Since then stocks have struggled begging the question: what happens next? 44 year investing veteran Steve Reitmeister provides the answers along with his top 11 stocks to buy now.

3 Streaming Stocks Benefiting from Cord-Cutting Trends

As streaming continues to dominate the digital entertainment landscape, the global streaming market presents a lucrative investment opportunity. So, it could be ideal to invest in fundamentally solid streaming stocks Netflix (NFLX), Walt Disney (DIS), and Roku (ROKU). Read further...

3 Gold Stocks to Buy as Safe-Haven Demand Grows

Gold is a stable investment now due to its role as a safe-haven asset during economic uncertainty, rising demand, industrial use, and growth, bolstered by central bank purchases and interest rate cuts. Therefore, investors should consider investing in top gold stocks such as Newmont (NEM), Barrick Gold (GOLD), and Agnico Eagle Mines (AEM). Read more...

3 AI Stocks Transforming Industries and Driving Future Growth

With rapid digitalization, rapid adoption, and development, as well as surging demand, the AI market is on the rise. Amid this backdrop, investors could buy fundamentally solid AI stocks NVIDIA Corporation (NVDA), Microsoft (MSFT), and Meta Platforms (META) poised for substantial gains. Continue reading...

Does Trump Change Stock Market Outlook?

The rally of the S&P 500 (SPY) after the election gives a sense that investors are happy that Trump was elected. But perhaps there is more to this story than meets the eye. That’s why Steve Reitmeister shares his updated market outlook taking into account the pros and cons of Trumps proposed new policies. This comes with a preview of his top 11 stocks to buy now.

Read More Stories

More Carvana Co. (CVNA) News View All

Event/Date Symbol News Detail Start Price End Price Change POWR Rating
Loading, please wait...
View All CVNA News