Cars.com Inc. (CARS) – What Are Brokerages Thinking About This Stock?

Cars.com Inc. (NYSE:CARS) has received a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the eight research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Four investment analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, three have assigned a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued a report on the stock in the last year is $15.25.

Several brokerages have commented on CARS. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Cars.com from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, October 9th. B. Riley Financial lifted their price objective on Cars.com from $13.00 to $15.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday. BTIG Research upped their target price on Cars.com from $14.00 to $16.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday. UBS Group decreased their target price on Cars.com from $13.00 to $11.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, October 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings cut Cars.com from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 29th.

Cars.com News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Cars.com this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Cars.com reported third-quarter adjusted earnings of $0.58 per share, above the $0.54 analyst consensus and up from $0.48 a year earlier. Net income more than doubled to $16.3 million, while adjusted EBITDA reached $55.8 million and its 30.7% margin exceeded guidance. Marketplace revenue grew 5%. Cars.com third-quarter results
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research raised its price target from $14 to $16 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling greater potential upside in its view.
• Positive Sentiment: B. Riley lifted its target from $13 to $15, although it kept a Neutral rating. The higher target adds support, but the unchanged rating suggests a measured outlook.
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $723.2 million–$737.7 million brackets the $728.7 million consensus; fourth-quarter guidance of $183.9 million–$187.6 million is also close to the $185.6 million estimate. Cars.com guidance and results
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly revenue of $181.9 million came in below analysts’ $183.1 million estimate and was up just 0.2% year over year. The modest top-line growth may offset some of the earnings and margin strength. Cars.com misses Q3 revenue estimates

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider Angelique Marks sold 57,980 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Monday, August 17th. The shares were sold at an average price of $11.94, for a total transaction of $692,281.20. Following the sale, the insider owned 149,636 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,786,653.84. The trade was a 27.93% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Jr. Donald A. Mcgovern sold 8,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, August 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $12.25, for a total transaction of $98,000.00. Following the sale, the director owned 102,900 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,260,525. This trade represents a 7.21% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. 3.36% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in shares of Cars.com in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $26,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in shares of Cars.com by 250.1% in the 3rd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,356 shares of the company’s stock worth $55,000 after buying an additional 3,826 shares during the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new position in Cars.com during the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $104,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Cars.com during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $144,000. Finally, Amundi bought a new position in Cars.com during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $192,000. 89.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Cars.com Stock Up 0.3%

Shares of NYSE CARS opened at $13.40 on Monday. The company has a current ratio of 2.03, a quick ratio of 2.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.99. Cars.com has a 12 month low of $7.40 and a 12 month high of $14.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $717.09 million, a PE ratio of 17.86 and a beta of 1.66. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $10.95 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $10.60.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) last posted its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.04. The firm had revenue of $181.88 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $183.05 million. Cars.com had a net margin of 5.92% and a return on equity of 19.86%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company posted $0.48 EPS. Equities analysts expect that Cars.com will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

About Cars.com

Cars.com Inc (NYSE: CARS) operates a digital automotive marketplace that connects consumers with automotive dealers and manufacturers. Its platform enables shoppers to research vehicles, compare listings, read reviews, obtain financing information and connect with sellers when buying new or used cars.

The company provides automotive retailers with digital marketing, advertising, inventory merchandising, website and digital retailing solutions, as well as data and analytics tools. Its portfolio includes the Cars.com marketplace and related brands and services focused on dealer reviews, vehicle financing, automotive content and customer engagement.

Cars.com primarily serves the United States automotive market, working with consumers, franchised and independent dealerships, original equipment manufacturers and other industry participants.