Carvana is on track to disrupt the U.S. used vehicle retail market, positioning itself as the next major "retail category killer," according to a recent note from Stephens analysts.
Initiating coverage of the company with an Overweight rating and a $190 price target, Stephens said Carvana's unique digital approach and scalability are key drivers of its potential dominance in the industry.
"CVNA combines a digital, virtual showroom with a regionally centralized back end that enables economies of scale and generates superior financial metrics in virtually every area of the business," wrote the firm.
Stephens added that Carvana delivers a "higher quality, more convenient,
lower cost consumer experience."
Despite holding only 1% of the market share, Stephens says Carvana is already "the most profitable used vehicle player on a per-unit basis" and is expected to achieve positive EBITDA by the end of the year.
"The retail used vehicle market is in excess of $1T," says Stephens. "Not only is it the largest consumer vertical, but it is also the most fragmented with the largest player accounting for only 2% of the market."
The firm's analysts argue that the used vehicle market is "well below average in terms of sophistication and best practices" compared to other consumer industries, positioning Carvana to disrupt the status quo.
Drawing comparisons to retail giants like Home Depot (NYSE:HD) and Ulta, Stephens believes Carvana is in the "early stages of becoming the next U.S. retail category killer."
With limited competition and a fragmented market, Stephens believes Carvana's digital model and scale are set to revolutionize the used vehicle retail space, much like Walmart (NYSE:WMT) and Costco (NASDAQ:COST) transformed traditional retail decades ago.