Wells Fargo & Company Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) Stock

Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) had its price target raised by research analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $425.00 to $475.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has an “overweight” rating on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s price target would indicate a potential upside of 24.16% from the stock’s previous close.

A number of other research analysts also recently weighed in on CVNA. Barclays reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $475.00 price target (up from $430.00) on shares of Carvana in a report on Thursday. BTIG Research raised their price objective on Carvana from $455.00 to $485.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday. Citigroup lowered their target price on Carvana from $550.00 to $465.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 19th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft dropped their target price on Carvana from $600.00 to $519.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $520.00 price target (up from $485.00) on shares of Carvana in a research report on Thursday. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, seventeen have given a Buy rating and seven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, Carvana currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $466.13.

Carvana Stock Down 3.3%

Shares of NYSE:CVNA opened at $382.57 on Thursday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $336.94 and a 200 day simple moving average of $371.95. Carvana has a 52 week low of $250.89 and a 52 week high of $486.89. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.05, a quick ratio of 2.73 and a current ratio of 4.09. The company has a market cap of $83.73 billion, a PE ratio of 46.54 and a beta of 3.55.

Shares of Carvana are scheduled to split on Thursday, May 7th. The 5-1 split was announced on Friday, March 13th. The newly minted shares will be issued to shareholders after the market closes on Wednesday, May 6th.

Carvana (NYSE:CVNA) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $1.69 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.58 by $0.11. The company had revenue of $6.43 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $6.12 billion. Carvana had a net margin of 6.40% and a return on equity of 41.46%. As a group, research analysts expect that Carvana will post 6.97 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director J Danforth Quayle sold 2,900 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $309.97, for a total transaction of $898,913.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 41,913 shares in the company, valued at approximately $12,991,772.61. This represents a 6.47% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, VP Stephen R. Palmer sold 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $393.04, for a total value of $393,040.00. Following the transaction, the vice president directly owned 37,192 shares in the company, valued at approximately $14,617,943.68. This represents a 2.62% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders sold 79,920 shares of company stock valued at $29,201,797. Corporate insiders own 15.19% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Carvana

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CVNA. Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Carvana by 3,547.9% during the first quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp now owns 14,154 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,450,000 after purchasing an additional 13,766 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Carvana by 6.8% in the first quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 3,739 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,175,000 after buying an additional 237 shares during the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC boosted its holdings in shares of Carvana by 6.3% during the 1st quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 235,769 shares of the company’s stock worth $73,820,000 after buying an additional 14,042 shares during the period. Whipplewood Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Carvana during the 1st quarter worth $36,000. Finally, Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. grew its stake in Carvana by 4.1% in the 1st quarter. Resona Asset Management Co. Ltd. now owns 40,772 shares of the company’s stock valued at $12,634,000 after buying an additional 1,603 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 56.71% of the company’s stock.

Carvana News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Carvana this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results: Carvana reported record retail unit sales, revenue and profit (EPS and revenue beat consensus), driving confidence in growth and profitability execution. Carvana Announces Record First Quarter 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Broad analyst upgrades: Multiple firms raised price targets and ratings after the quarter (Needham to $600, Morgan Stanley to $510, JPMorgan to $465, Wells Fargo to $475, BTIG to $485, etc.), signaling strong buy-side conviction on upside from current levels. Wall Street Showers Carvana With Price Target Hikes
• Positive Sentiment: Industry demand tailwinds: Management and coverage note inflation-driven used-car demand and capacity expansion (reconditioning and capex) that support faster unit growth and longer-term scaling. Carvana Sets Records as Inflation Drives Used Car Demand
• Neutral Sentiment: Valuation focus: Recent rally (roughly a 1‑month surge) has drawn attention to Carvana’s premium P/E and elevated multiples, prompting some investors to reassess upside relative to valuation. Assessing Carvana Valuation After Recent Share Price Strength
• Negative Sentiment: Contrasting analyst signal: DA Davidson raised its target to $335 but kept a “neutral” rating — that target implies downside versus recent levels and injects caution into the upgrade momentum. DA Davidson Price Target Note
• Negative Sentiment: Profit vs. margin trade-off: Despite record profit, management flagged lower per‑unit margins and higher operating costs, which could cap near‑term margin expansion and leave some investors taking profits. Q1 Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Immediate market reaction: The stock trimmed gains after the print — some traders sold into the headline beat, producing a short-term pullback despite fundamentally positive results. Stock Reaction After Earnings

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.