Cars.com Inc. (CARS) Stock Price & Analysis

Cars.com Inc. (CARS) closed at USD 10.94 on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, up 1.30% on the day. The US market is currently closed; this is not a live price.

The prior close was USD 10.8; the Oct 28, 2026 session ranged USD 10.73–10.97 on volume of 587,184 shares. Market capitalization is $585.65M, with a 52-week range of USD 7.4–13.69 (NYQ). Source: Nexqual, retrieved October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Also available as compact Markdown for AI agents: nexqual.com/CARS.md

Key facts (CARS)

• Last four reported quarters (through Jun 30, 2026): revenue $726M, net income $34.3M (4.7% margin), free cash flow $150M (SEC filings).
• Valuation: P/E 17.1x (avg 24.5x at the last 3 fiscal year-ends), EV/EBITDA 6.4x, net debt $414M.
• Earnings quality: non-operating income -$29.2M vs operating income $83.1M over the last four quarters; P/E excluding non-operating income ≈11.0x (estimate: non-operating income taxed at the company's 35% effective rate).
• Insider open-market sales, last ~7 months: 3 Form 4 filings, $1.6M; 3 not under a Rule 10b5-1 plan ($1.6M); 1 by opportunistic insiders (1 outside 10b5-1 plans), 0 by routine insiders (three-year test, Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski 2012).
• Analysts: Hold (mean 2.67 on a 1–5 scale) (6 analysts), mean target USD 13.33 (range 11–17.5).
• Total return with dividends: 1Y +3.8% vs S&P 500 +13.6%; 5Y -16.0% vs S&P 500 +79.8%.
• Next earnings: 2026-11-05, EPS estimate USD 0.54, revenue estimate $183M.

Financials (SEC 10-K; TTM = last four 10-Q/10-K quarters) (CARS)

Fiscal years end Dec. EPS is split-adjusted.

Valuation (price ÷ last four quarters, through Jun 30, 2026) (CARS)

P/E 17.1x · P/E ex non-operating (est.) ≈11.0x · P/S 0.8x · EV/EBITDA 6.4x · EV/Sales 1.4x · P/FCF 3.9x · P/B 1.3x · FCF yield 25.58% · Earnings yield 5.86% · Buyback yield (TTM) 17.03% · Net debt $414M · EV $999M

P/E at fiscal year-ends: Dec 2025 38.5x, Dec 2024 24.2x, Dec 2023 10.9x.

Insider sales (SEC Form 4, open-market, last ~7 months) (CARS)

0 of 3 under a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan (scheduled in advance). Unplanned sales were timed by the insider.

% of holdings sold = shares sold ÷ (shares sold + all holdings the insider reported on that Form 4, direct and through trusts).

Insider type follows Cohen, Malloy & Pomorski (Journal of Finance, 2012). An insider who traded the stock in the same calendar month in each of the past three years is a routine trader; one who traded in each of those years without such a pattern is an opportunistic trader. In their study, trades by opportunistic insiders predicted future returns and trades by routine insiders did not. Counts open-market purchases and sales only (SEC Form 4 codes P and S) by that insider in that company. Not investment advice.

Analysts (CARS)

Consensus Hold (mean 2.67 on a 1–5 scale), 6 analysts; mean target USD 13.33 (low 11, high 17.5).

Rating changes, last 120 days:

Total return (dividends reinvested) (CARS)

CARS earnings history and stock reaction

EPS as reported against the analyst consensus before the release; surprise uses the cent-rounded figures shown (in dollars when EPS and consensus have opposite signs). Stock reaction = close before the results to close after (the first close following a release after the bell or before the open).

CARS recent SEC filings (last 120 days)

Source: SEC EDGAR. Quotes are the opening words of each item as filed; each form links to the filing. Insider Form 4 filings are listed in the insider sections.

CARS suppliers, customers and competitors (named in its 10-K)

Quoted from the company's 10-K filed Feb 26, 2026.

CARS company outlook (results filed Aug 6, 2026)

• “Third Quarter 2026 • Revenue is expected to be flat to up 2% year-over-year, driven by continued Dealer revenue growth and Marketplace improvement.”
• “OEM and National revenue is expected to reflect ongoing pressure in OEM advertising investment. • Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be between 28.5% and 29.5%, reflecting continued operating efficiencies and cost savings.”
• “Full Year 2026 The Company reaffirms its full year 2026 guidance: • Revenue is expected to be flat to up 2% year-over-year • Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be between 29.0% to 30.0% Q2 2026 Earnings Call As previously announced, management will hold a conference call and webcast today at 8:00 a.m.”

Quoted word-for-word from the SEC 8-K results press release.

CARS analyst estimates and revisions

CARS options: expected move

Options price a move of about ±16.0% (±$1.75) by Nov 20, 2026, which includes earnings on Nov 5, 2026. Over the last 8 reports the stock moved ±8.6% on average.

30-day implied volatility 63.3% vs 43.1% realized over the last 30 trading days. Put/call ratio (volume) —. Cboe delayed quotes (15 min). Expected move = at-the-money straddle.

Key Statistics (as of October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC)

Technical Analysis (CARS)

Nexqual's technical model rates CARS "BUY" based on 4 bullish and 2 bearish signals across 127 daily candles, as of October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Analyst Ratings (CARS)

Wall Street analysts rate CARS "Hold" based on 6 analysts, with a mean price target of USD 13.33 (range USD 11–17.5), per Nexqual as of October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Earnings (CARS)

Recent Earnings History

Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Financials & Fundamentals (CARS)

Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Financial Health Score (CARS)

Nexqual rates Cars.com Inc.'s overall financial health "Solid" across five dimensions, as of October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Ownership (CARS)

Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Leadership (CARS)

Cars.com Inc. is led by Tobias Hartmann, CEO & Director, per Nexqual as of October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Major Backers & Investors (CARS)

Notable institutional backers of Cars.com Inc. include FMR, LLC, Fidelity, Pale Fire Capital SE, according to Nexqual as of October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

Active Investors

Index Funds (Passive)

Source: Nexqual, October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC.

From Cars.com Inc.'s Latest SEC 10-K Filing (filed 2026-02-26)

Key Strengths & Strategy (as disclosed to the SEC)

• Led by our product first innovation strategy, industry-leading brand, high-quality audience and differentiated technology solutions, we are executing on our vision to be essential to the success of the automotive industry which we believe will drive accelerated growth in our subscription based revenue and cash flow.
• Our integrated platform helps sellers expand their consumer influence and engagement across the entire purchasing journey, ultimately increasing sales, creating operational efficiencies and improving profitability.
• A high-quality audience, at scale, enables our industry-leading platform.
• Leveraging industry-leading brand recognition, we capture the majority of our traffic organically.

Legal & Regulatory Risks (Item 1A, quoted)

• The increased use, development and regulation of generative AI, including generative AI and agentic AI technologies, could materially and could materially and adversely affect our business, results of operations and financial condition.
• Our business may be affected by climate change, including physical risks and regulatory changes that may increase our operating costs and impact our ability to deliver services to our customers.
• Risks Related to Data Privacy and Security
• We operate in a regulatory climate in which there is uncertainty as to the applicability of various laws and regulations related to our business. Our business could be significantly affected by different interpretations or applications of existing laws or regulations, future laws or regulations, including changes to the corporate tax rate or actions or rulings by judicial or regulatory authorities.

Source: SEC EDGAR 10-K, official filing. Curated by Nexqual.

Peers & Related Stocks

Data source: Nexqual — market data, technical indicators, analyst consensus, earnings, SEC EDGAR filings. Last updated: October 29, 2026 at 05:58 UTC. This page is informational and not investment advice.

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