Carvana closes lower into year-end as Fed minutes loom and trading thins
29 December 2025
2 mins read

Carvana closes lower into year-end as Fed minutes loom and trading thins

NEW YORK, December 28, 2025, 11:10 PM ET — Market closed

  • Carvana shares fell 0.7% on Friday, closing at $438.47.
  • U.S. stocks ended little changed near record highs in holiday-thinned trading. 1
  • Investors head into the final sessions of 2025 with Fed meeting minutes and rate-cut expectations in focus. 2

Carvana Co. shares ended down 0.7% at $438.47 on Friday as U.S. markets drifted in a quiet post-Christmas session. 1

The stock has drawn fresh attention this month after Carvana joined the S&P 500, a shift that can pull in buying from funds that track the benchmark. 3

That matters heading into the final trading days of 2025, when thinner volumes can magnify swings and investors are looking for clues on the path for interest rates in 2026. 2

On Friday, the S&P 500 slipped 0.03% to 6,929.94, while the Dow fell 0.04% and the Nasdaq lost 0.09%, leaving the major indexes near record peaks. 1

Carvana traded between $436.74 and $446.39 in the session.

Moves across auto retailers were mixed, with CarMax up 0.2%, AutoNation down 0.3% and Lithia Motors down 0.6%.

No immediate company-specific catalyst was evident for the day’s slip, as broader markets lacked fresh drivers during the holiday lull. 1

S&P Dow Jones Indices said earlier this month that Carvana would be added to the S&P 500 effective prior to the open on Dec. 22 as part of its quarterly rebalance, a periodic reshuffling of index membership. 3

Reuters reported the inclusion capped a turnaround for the online used-car seller, known for its “car vending machine” marketing, after the company had faced deep investor skepticism in 2022. 4

The company last reported quarterly results in October, when it posted higher third-quarter profit and revenue as demand for used vehicles held up, Reuters reported. 5

Broader risk appetite has also held up late in the year as investors bet the economy can withstand a gradual easing cycle. “There are more investors that are buying in to the narrative that the economy is on pretty solid footing right now,” Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, said. 2

The Federal Reserve has cut rates by 75 basis points over its last three meetings of 2025 to a target range of 3.50% to 3.75%, Reuters reported. The minutes from its Dec. 9-10 meeting are due on Tuesday, Dec. 30. 2

Before next session, investors will watch whether thin year-end trading exaggerates moves in high-beta consumer discretionary stocks such as Carvana, even on modest headlines. 2

The Fed minutes are the next scheduled market catalyst, while traders also remain alert for any signals on President Donald Trump’s choice for the next Fed chair, with Jerome Powell’s term set to end in May. 2

Technically, the stock’s Friday range of $436.74 to $446.39 sets near-term reference points as the last sessions of the year get underway.

Carvana has not posted its next “upcoming event” on its investor relations site, leaving investors to focus on macro conditions that shape car affordability — particularly interest rates — until the company provides its next scheduled update. 6

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