Carvana Co. (CVNA)

Carvana Co., based in Arizona, is an e-commerce platform for buying and selling used cars. The platform enables customers to complete a purchase or sale, secure financing, and schedule delivery or pickup online. The company is the second-largest used automotive retailer in the U.S. The company completed its initial public offering (IPO) on the New York Stock Exchange on April 28, 2017. The company competes in the $1.2 trillion retail auto industry in the U.S., $840 billion of which consists of used car sales. The auto industry accounted for 22% of the U.S. retail economy in 2022. Carvana's sales account for 1.5% of used car sales -- the largest dealer brand market share in the U.S. The company employs approximately 23,100 people (as of year-end 2025) and the shares are a component of the S&P 500 index.

The major stocks indices are lower at midday, pulling back for a second session after a previous four-day furious rally. While that normal ebb and flow for stocks is to be expected and is indeed healthy, pressure today is coming from geopolitics more than earnings and corporate developments. U.S. and Israeli ships will be blocked from passage through the Strait of Hormuz under the terms of a draft plan detailed by Iranian state news. In no surprise, oil is up over 1% in response.

The Vickers Top Buyers & Sellers is a daily report that identifies the five companies the largest insider purchase transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions as well as the five companies the largest insider sales transactions based on the dollar value of the transactions.

AI is helping lift profits at consumer companies on multiple levels. It allows companies to better understand their customers, which can improve target marketing and customization. Companies can hone menus, goods, and services to achieve broader appeal and to reach new audiences. Consumer companies are also harnessing AI technology to help with processes, inventory control, and supply-chain management, and in many other ways. By way of examples, restaurants are using smart robots to take orders, and prep and serve food. They also have front and back offices, and AI is helping make both more efficient and cost effective. As well, consumer companies utilize a lot of data, and AI helps elevate the use of that data. We recently concluded our five-part webinar series on AI, looking at how different industries are using AI. Our final event spotlighted consumer companies. For this week's list, we offer details on the BUY-rated stocks we highlighted during the webinar.