NEW YORK, January 2, 2026, 2:45 PM ET — Regular session
Carvana Co. shares were down about 5% at $401.17 in afternoon trading on Friday, extending a volatile start to the new year for the online used-car retailer. The stock traded between $390.87 and $426.90.
The move left Carvana lagging a mixed U.S. tape, with the S&P 500-tracking SPDR S&P 500 ETF up about 0.1% and the Nasdaq 100-tracking Invesco QQQ slightly lower.
That underperformance is drawing attention because Carvana entered 2026 after a sharp 2025 run and a late-December addition to the S&P 500, which can lift demand from index funds.
Rivals were steadier. CarMax rose about 1.5%, while AutoNation was slightly lower and online auto platforms CarGurus and Cars.com both slipped.
Broader U.S. stocks pared early gains in the first session of the year, with strength in some areas offset by declines in consumer discretionary shares, Reuters reported.
“The market is looking for direction,” Matthew Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak, said in a Reuters report on the week ahead. Reuters
Investors get a key macro read next week with the U.S. monthly employment report due on Jan. 9 at 8:30 a.m. ET, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics schedule.
Four days later, the consumer price index (CPI) — a widely watched inflation gauge — is scheduled for release on Jan. 13 at 8:30 a.m. ET, the BLS said.
Rate expectations matter for used-car sellers because financing costs can swing monthly payments and affordability, which feed directly into demand for vehicles. They also influence funding markets that underpin auto lending.
For Carvana specifically, the next major company catalyst is earnings. Nasdaq lists Feb. 18 as an estimated reporting date, noting the timing is derived from an algorithm rather than a company announcement.
Another near-term watchpoint is governance-related: a 2023 SEC filing shows Carvana’s tax-asset preservation plan — a shareholder-rights plan often called a “poison pill” that can deter an investor from building a large stake — is scheduled to run until Jan. 15, 2026 unless terminated earlier. SEC
Into the close, traders will be watching whether the stock stabilizes around the $400 level after Friday’s dip to $390.87, and whether risk appetite improves ahead of next week’s economic releases.
