As the Q2 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the vehicle retailer industry, including Camping World (NYSE: CWH) and its peers.

Buying a vehicle is a big decision and usually the second-largest purchase behind a home for many people, so retailers that sell new and used cars try to offer selection, convenience, and customer service to shoppers. While there is online competition, especially for research and discovery, the vehicle sales market is still very fragmented and localized given the magnitude of the purchase and the logistical costs associated with moving cars over long distances. At the end of the day, a large swath of the population relies on cars to get from point A to point B, and vehicle sellers are acutely aware of this need.

The 4 vehicle retailer stocks we track reported a mixed Q2. As a group, revenues missed analysts’ consensus estimates by 0.5%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 6.1% since the latest earnings results.

Best Q2: Camping World (NYSE: CWH)

Founded in 1966 as a single recreational vehicle (RV) dealership, Camping World (NYSE: CWH) still sells RVs along with boats and general merchandise for outdoor activities.

Camping World reported revenues of $1.98 billion, up 9.4% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 5.2%. Overall, it was a very strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

Marcus Lemonis, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of CWH stated, “I am unbelievably pleased with our Company’s financial performance in the quarter, driven by volume, margin performance and aggressive cost controls. We continue to surgically manage our inventory to find volume and gross profit opportunities leveraging our new and used supply chains, our contract manufacturing relationships, our sophisticated data analytics, and the strength of our balance sheet to put the right inventory on the ground at the right time and the right price. Our nimbleness is a true testament to the differentiation and durability of our model.”

Camping World pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth of the whole group. Investor expectations, however, were likely higher than Wall Street’s published projections, leaving some wishing for even better results (analysts’ consensus estimates are those published by big banks and advisory firms, not the investors who make buy and sell decisions). The stock is down 4.4% since reporting and currently trades at $16.86.

Is now the time to buy Camping World? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

CarMax (NYSE: KMX)

Known for its transparent, customer-centric approach and wide selection of vehicles, Carmax (NYSE: KMX) is the largest automotive retailer in the United States.

CarMax reported revenues of $7.55 billion, up 6.1% year on year, in line with analysts’ expectations. The business had a very strong quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 7.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $59.35.

Is now the time to buy CarMax? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q2: America's Car-Mart (NASDAQ: CRMT)

With a strong presence in the Southern and Central US, America’s Car-Mart (NASDAQ: CRMT) sells used cars to budget-conscious consumers.

America's Car-Mart reported revenues of $341.3 million, down 1.5% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 5%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA and EPS estimates.

America's Car-Mart delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 21.9% since the results and currently trades at $34.77.

Read our full analysis of America's Car-Mart’s results here.

Lithia (NYSE: LAD)

With a strong presence in the Western US, Lithia Motors (NYSE: LAD) sells a wide range of vehicles, including new and used cars, trucks, SUVs, and luxury vehicles from various manufacturers.

Lithia reported revenues of $9.58 billion, up 3.8% year on year. This number lagged analysts' expectations by 2%. Zooming out, it was actually a strong quarter as it recorded a solid beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ gross margin estimates.

The stock is up 9.8% since reporting and currently trades at $337.07.

Read our full, actionable report on Lithia here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s series of rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has cooled significantly from its post-pandemic highs, drawing closer to the 2% goal. This disinflation has occurred without severely impacting economic growth, suggesting the success of a soft landing. The stock market thrived in 2024, spurred by recent rate cuts (0.5% in September and 0.25% in November), and a notable surge followed Donald Trump’s presidential election win in November, propelling indices to historic highs. Nonetheless, the outlook for 2025 remains clouded by potential trade policy changes and corporate tax discussions, which could impact business confidence and growth. The path forward holds both optimism and caution as new policies take shape.

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