logo
Using options to buy the recent dip in this used car retail stock

Using options to buy the recent dip in this used car retail stock

CNBC5 hours ago

Despite beating earnings estimates and maintaining solid profit margins, Carvana (CVNA) has been under pressure recently, losing more than 9% in the last eight sessions — all on tariff scare headlines. While tariffs are a legitimate concern for many companies, this kind of sharp drop is a textbook example of a knee-jerk reaction — and the market is full of them. As a mean reversion trader, the goal is to identify these overreactions and take the other side when the setup aligns. In this case, I'm using a couple of key technical indicators to spot whether CVNA is setting up for a bounce: RSI (relative strength index): RSI is a flexible indicator that helps identify both trend reversals and continuations. In this case, the signal is pretty clear — RSI reversed course on 6/26 and has been climbing since, suggesting that the recent bearish momentum may be fading. Support/resistance: Support and resistance levels are often simple to spot — and in the chart below, you'll see clear support around the $280 level. What's interesting is that CVNA is starting to bounce right off that zone, reinforcing its significance. MACD (5,13,5): I like to bring the MACD indicator into my analysis from time to time because it's a solid tool for spotting early entry signals. While the standard MACD can lag a bit, I often use a short-term version to catch momentum shifts sooner. A bullish crossover — where the MACD line crosses above the signal line — typically acts as an early signal to consider getting into a trade. In this case, MACD hasn't confirmed the setup just yet, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on for potential confirmation. The trade setup: CVNA 305-310 bull call spread To take advantage of this mean reversion setup, I'm using a bull call spread — a strategy that allows me to risk as little as $250 per trade and scale up easily by adding more contracts. For instance, using 10 contracts means risking $2,500 for a shot at $2,500 in profit, as long as CVNA closes at or above $310 by expiration — just $3 above its current price. With the stock trading near $307, the trade is built by buying the $305 call and selling the $310 call. It's a simple, defined-risk structure that gives me upside exposure without tying up too much capital. I break down setups like this in detail in my book Mean Reversion Trading , and you can explore tons of real-world examples at tradingextremes.com . Here is my exact trade setup: Buy $305 call, July 18 expiry Sell $310 call, July 18 expiry Cost: $250 Potential Profit: $250 -Nishant Pant Founder: https://tradingextremes.com Author: Mean Reversion Trading Youtube, Twitter: @TheMeanTrader DISCLOSURES: None. All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Will Carvana Extend Its Streak of Record Retail Sales in Q2?
Will Carvana Extend Its Streak of Record Retail Sales in Q2?

Yahoo

time2 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Will Carvana Extend Its Streak of Record Retail Sales in Q2?

Carvana Co. CVNA reported retail unit sales of 133,898 in the first quarter of 2025, which increased 46% year over year and set a new record. This growth reflects the company's evolving customer offering, growing consumer awareness and trust and the operational advantages of scale, including increasing inventory selection. The significant rise in retail unit sales contributed to record quarterly revenues of $4.23 billion, up 38% year over year. The reciprocal tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imports could affect the cost of vehicles. However, Carvana expects that these higher tariffs are more likely to inflate prices of new vehicles relative to used ones, which could create a favorable pricing environment for the used vehicle market. Such conditions may particularly benefit business models focused on delivering strong consumer value, in which CVNA sees itself macroeconomic conditions remain steady, the company anticipates a sequential rise in retail unit sales in the second quarter, which could result in another all-time high. After delivering four consecutive quarters of retail unit growth exceeding 30%, the company has outlined a new long-term management goal. It plans to scale retail unit sales to 3 million annually within the next five to ten years. CVNA carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) at present. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks competitors, like Lithia Motors, Inc. LAD and Group 1 Automotive, Inc. GPI, have also registered growth in retail unit sales in the latest reported quarter and are expanding their geographical footprints to support further the first quarter of 2025, Lithia's retail new and used vehicle sales reached 91,990 and 107,326 units, respectively, suggesting a year-over-year rise of 7.4% and 4.8%, respectively. Strategic acquisitions and store expansions are boosting Lithia's sales. The company is focused on buying large, high-performing stores in the Southeast and South-Central United States. By also expanding its digital reach, Lithia aims to grow its U.S. market share to 5%, up from just over 1% 1's retail new and used vehicle sales totaled 56,099 and 59,618 units in the first quarter of 2025, marking an improvement of 26.6% and 21.2% year over year, respectively. Acquisitions of dealerships and franchises are boosting Group 1's sales. In May, Group 1 acquired a Lexus and an Acura dealership in Florida and a Mercedes-Benz dealership in Texas to support growth in its key cluster markets. Carvana has outperformed the Zacks Internet – Commerce industry year to date. CVNA shares have gained 51.4% compared with the industry's growth of 4.2%. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research From a valuation perspective, Carvana appears overvalued. Going by its price/sales ratio, the company is trading at a forward sales multiple of 3.28, higher than its industry's 1.98. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research The Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2025 and 2026 EPS has moved up 9 cents and down 13 cents, respectively, in the past seven days. Image Source: Zacks Investment Research Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report Group 1 Automotive, Inc. (GPI) : Free Stock Analysis Report Lithia Motors, Inc. (LAD) : Free Stock Analysis Report Carvana Co. (CVNA) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research ( Zacks Investment Research

Using options to buy the recent dip in this used car retail stock
Using options to buy the recent dip in this used car retail stock

CNBC

time5 hours ago

  • CNBC

Using options to buy the recent dip in this used car retail stock

Despite beating earnings estimates and maintaining solid profit margins, Carvana (CVNA) has been under pressure recently, losing more than 9% in the last eight sessions — all on tariff scare headlines. While tariffs are a legitimate concern for many companies, this kind of sharp drop is a textbook example of a knee-jerk reaction — and the market is full of them. As a mean reversion trader, the goal is to identify these overreactions and take the other side when the setup aligns. In this case, I'm using a couple of key technical indicators to spot whether CVNA is setting up for a bounce: RSI (relative strength index): RSI is a flexible indicator that helps identify both trend reversals and continuations. In this case, the signal is pretty clear — RSI reversed course on 6/26 and has been climbing since, suggesting that the recent bearish momentum may be fading. Support/resistance: Support and resistance levels are often simple to spot — and in the chart below, you'll see clear support around the $280 level. What's interesting is that CVNA is starting to bounce right off that zone, reinforcing its significance. MACD (5,13,5): I like to bring the MACD indicator into my analysis from time to time because it's a solid tool for spotting early entry signals. While the standard MACD can lag a bit, I often use a short-term version to catch momentum shifts sooner. A bullish crossover — where the MACD line crosses above the signal line — typically acts as an early signal to consider getting into a trade. In this case, MACD hasn't confirmed the setup just yet, but it's definitely worth keeping an eye on for potential confirmation. The trade setup: CVNA 305-310 bull call spread To take advantage of this mean reversion setup, I'm using a bull call spread — a strategy that allows me to risk as little as $250 per trade and scale up easily by adding more contracts. For instance, using 10 contracts means risking $2,500 for a shot at $2,500 in profit, as long as CVNA closes at or above $310 by expiration — just $3 above its current price. With the stock trading near $307, the trade is built by buying the $305 call and selling the $310 call. It's a simple, defined-risk structure that gives me upside exposure without tying up too much capital. I break down setups like this in detail in my book Mean Reversion Trading , and you can explore tons of real-world examples at . Here is my exact trade setup: Buy $305 call, July 18 expiry Sell $310 call, July 18 expiry Cost: $250 Potential Profit: $250 -Nishant Pant Founder: Author: Mean Reversion Trading Youtube, Twitter: @TheMeanTrader DISCLOSURES: None. All opinions expressed by the CNBC Pro contributors are solely their opinions and do not reflect the opinions of CNBC, NBC UNIVERSAL, their parent company or affiliates, and may have been previously disseminated by them on television, radio, internet or another medium. THE ABOVE CONTENT IS SUBJECT TO OUR TERMS AND CONDITIONS AND PRIVACY POLICY . THIS CONTENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSITUTE FINANCIAL, INVESTMENT, TAX OR LEGAL ADVICE OR A RECOMMENDATION TO BUY ANY SECURITY OR OTHER FINANCIAL ASSET. THE CONTENT IS GENERAL IN NATURE AND DOES NOT REFLECT ANY INDIVIDUAL'S UNIQUE PERSONAL CIRCUMSTANCES. THE ABOVE CONTENT MIGHT NOT BE SUITABLE FOR YOUR PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES. BEFORE MAKING ANY FINANCIAL DECISIONS, YOU SHOULD STRONGLY CONSIDER SEEKING ADVICE FROM YOUR OWN FINANCIAL OR INVESTMENT ADVISOR. Click here for the full disclaimer.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store