Stephens Raises Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) Price Target to $485.00

Key Points

• Stephens raised its price target on Carvana to $485 (from $430), implying about a 26.5% upside, joining a broader analyst re‑rating that has pushed consensus to a "Moderate Buy" with an average target near $462.22.
• Q1 results beat expectations — EPS $1.69 vs. $1.58 and revenue $6.43B vs. $6.12B with record retail unit sales — but management flagged weaker per‑unit margins and rising costs, while the stock now trades at elevated multiples (P/E ~46.6).
• Corporate actions and ownership: a 5‑for‑1 stock split takes effect May 7, insiders have recently sold shares (about 56,170 shares last quarter), and institutional investors own roughly 56.7% of the stock (market cap ≈ $83.9B).

Carvana (NYSE:CVNA - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by research analysts at Stephens from $430.00 to $485.00 in a research note issued on Thursday,MarketScreener reports. Stephens' price objective would indicate a potential upside of 26.53% from the company's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently commented on the stock. Jefferies Financial Group decreased their target price on shares of Carvana from $485.00 to $475.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, April 14th. Royal Bank Of Canada dropped their price target on shares of Carvana from $500.00 to $440.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Bank of America increased their price objective on shares of Carvana from $360.00 to $410.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 21st. Citigroup restated an "outperform" rating on shares of Carvana in a research report on Friday. Finally, Gordon Haskett dropped their target price on shares of Carvana from $350.00 to $335.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Monday, April 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and seven have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Carvana presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $462.22.

Carvana Trading Down 3.2%

NYSE:CVNA opened at $383.30 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.15, a current ratio of 4.31 and a quick ratio of 2.73. The firm has a market capitalization of $83.89 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 46.63 and a beta of 3.61. Carvana has a one year low of $250.89 and a one year high of $486.89. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $336.94 and a 200-day moving average price of $371.95.

Carvana shares are set to split on the morning of Thursday, May 7th. The 5-1 split was announced on Friday, March 13th. The newly issued shares will be payable to shareholders after the closing bell on Wednesday, May 6th.

Carvana (NYSE:CVNA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.69 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.11. Carvana had a return on equity of 46.63% and a net margin of 6.40%.The firm had revenue of $6.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Sell-side analysts forecast that Carvana will post 6.97 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Thomas Taira sold 3,770 shares of Carvana stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, April 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $341.00, for a total value of $1,285,570.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 58,564 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $19,970,324. The trade was a 6.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director J Danforth Quayle sold 2,900 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.97, for a total value of $898,913.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 41,913 shares in the company, valued at $12,991,772.61. This represents a 6.47% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 56,170 shares of company stock valued at $20,020,204. 15.19% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CVNA. Federated Hermes Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Carvana by 124.9% in the 3rd quarter. Federated Hermes Inc. now owns 265,921 shares of the company's stock worth $100,316,000 after buying an additional 147,683 shares during the last quarter. Gavilan Investment Partners LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Carvana during the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,030,000. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA lifted its holdings in shares of Carvana by 11.2% in the 3rd quarter. Massachusetts Financial Services Co. MA now owns 637,462 shares of the company's stock valued at $240,476,000 after acquiring an additional 64,424 shares during the last quarter. Strs Ohio grew its position in Carvana by 89.9% in the third quarter. Strs Ohio now owns 37,756 shares of the company's stock worth $14,243,000 after acquiring an additional 17,878 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Intech Investment Management LLC grew its position in Carvana by 301.4% in the third quarter. Intech Investment Management LLC now owns 7,230 shares of the company's stock worth $2,727,000 after acquiring an additional 5,429 shares in the last quarter. 56.71% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Carvana News

Here are the key news stories impacting Carvana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat expectations: Carvana reported record retail unit sales (187,393 units), revenue and EPS of $1.69 that topped estimates — management highlighted record GAAP operating income and adjusted EBITDA, underpinning the bullish reaction. Carvana Announces Record First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Needham issued a bullish forecast and raised its price target sharply (to $600), citing strong growth and margin progress — a highly visible endorsement that lifts investor conviction. Needham & Company LLC Issues Positive Forecast for Carvana NYSE: CVNA Stock Price
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG also upgraded its outlook and raised its target, joining multiple firms that bumped targets after the quarter — the analyst momentum is pressuring upside estimates and supporting the rally. BTIG Research Issues Positive Forecast for Carvana NYSE: CVNA Stock Price
• Positive Sentiment: Wider analyst re-rating: several brokerages (Morgan Stanley, JPMorgan, Wells Fargo and others) raised price targets and overweight/buy ratings after Q1, signaling broad Wall Street confidence and increasing potential upside. Wall Street Showers Carvana With Price Target Hikes
• Neutral Sentiment: Consensus sentiment is now around "Moderate Buy" as brokerages update models; this consensus supports demand but also sets expectations higher. Carvana Co. NYSE: CVNA Receives Consensus Rating of "Moderate Buy" from Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation is being debated: recent share strength has pushed CVNA to a premium P/E and elevated multiples versus peers — investors are weighing growth vs. current valuation. Assessing Carvana (CVNA) Valuation
• Negative Sentiment: Price pullback / profit-taking: despite the upbeat quarter, CVNA experienced an intraday pullback after the print (reported ~3% drop in one coverage piece) as some traders booked gains and digested shorter-term risks. Carvana (CVNA) Stock Drops 3% After First Quarter Earnings Despite Revenue Surge
• Negative Sentiment: Margin pressure and rising costs flagged: the company reported strong unit and revenue growth but noted weaker per‑unit margins and higher operating costs — a read-through that could temper near-term margin expansion expectations. Carvana Co (CVNA) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Highlights

Carvana Company Profile

Carvana Co is an online-only retailer of used vehicles that operates a consumer-facing e-commerce platform for buying and selling cars. The company markets and sells inspected, reconditioned pre-owned vehicles through its website, where shoppers can browse inventory, view detailed 360-degree photos and vehicle history reports, finance purchases, and arrange delivery or pickup. Carvana's model is built around a digital end-to-end car buying experience that aims to simplify vehicle transactions compared with traditional dealerships.

Its products and services include direct retail sales of used cars, trade-in and purchase offers for consumer vehicles, vehicle financing and related protection products, and a seven-day return policy that allows customers to test a vehicle in everyday use.

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