Carvana Shares Rebound as Mark Walter Selloff Fears Ease

Carvana shares surged nearly 9.3% on Wednesday (August 19), after plummeting 14% over the prior two days, according to Bloomberg. The decline came after a report claimed billionaire Mark Walter, CEO of Guggenheim Partners and TWG Global, would not be able to sell his stake in the online car retailer immediately. Walter is currently under federal investigation due to his investment empire, and he has agreed to sell the Los Angeles Lakers, as reported by Hunterbrook Media on August 18.

Walter's stake in Carvana, which stands at around 4%, was pledged as collateral to Citigroup, according to Bloomberg.

The recent stock price drop was attributed to a supply issue rather than a fundamental one, and the news that Walter would not be able to sell his stake "relieved those concerns for now," contributing to the stock's recovery, said Matt Maley, chief market strategist at Miller Tabak + Co., as reported by Bloomberg.

The Wall Street Journal reported on August 17 that the federal investigation is centered on entities that served as intermediaries between Walter-owned insurance companies that made loans to businesses controlled by Walter. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and the U.S. Attorney's Office in Manhattan are among the agencies leading the probe. Neither Walter nor his businesses have been charged with any crimes or found liable for any civil penalties, according to the report.

A TWG Global spokesman stated, per the report, that the company has always acted in good faith, and insinuations that they attempted to circumvent their obligations are false. Carvana reported on July 29 that it set records in retail units sold, Q2 net income, and adjusted EBITDA during the second quarter. The automotive eCommerce retailer saw a 38% year-over-year increase in retail units sold, with 197,000 units sold, net income of $513 million, and adjusted EBITDA of $769 million.

The company's retail unit sales growth occurred during a quarter in which the industry experienced a decline of about 4 points year-over-year.