CARS.COM INC (CARS)
Communication Services · Automotive Digital Marketplace / AdTech · NYSE
Cars.com is a premier digital marketplace and technology partner that powers the automotive retail ecosystem with AI-driven tools, targeted media, and inventory management solutions.
What CARS.COM INC does
Cars.com Inc. is an audience-powered, data-driven technology platform that connects car shoppers with automotive dealerships and OEMs through its flagship marketplace and an interconnected ecosystem of digital solutions. The company provides AI-driven shopping tools, dealer websites, trade-in/appraisal technology, and proprietary in-market media advertising solutions to help retailers and manufacturers sell vehicles more efficiently.
Recent developments
In Q2 2026, the company reported 1% revenue growth YoY and a 103% increase in net income, driven by strong performance in its Marketplace segment and cost-saving initiatives. The company is actively executing a $90 million share repurchase program for 2026, having repurchased 6.2 million shares year-to-date.
From CARS.COM INC's filing of 2026-08-06.
Themes: automotive retail, AI-powered shopping tools, digital advertising, inventory management, marketplace platform
Fundamentals
- Price$9.71 as of 2026-10-09 close
- Market cap$520M as of 2026-08-03 (share count; price 2026-10-09)
- 1-year return-9.0% 2025-10-09 close $10.67 → 2026-10-09 close $9.71
- P/E22.33 as of 2026-10-09
- Net margin+2.8% FY2025, SEC XBRL
- ROE+4.2% FY2025, SEC XBRL
- Debt / equity0.98 as of 2026-09-03
- Revenue growth (YoY)+0.9% as of 2026-09-03
- Revenue CAGR (3y)+3.4% SEC XBRL
- Beta1.10 as of 2026-09-03
- Last reported earnings2026-08-06 SEC EDGAR Form 8-K (Item 2.02)
How CARS compares in its sector
- price-to-earnings ratiomiddle range 69 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-10-09
- net profit marginmiddle range 127 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-09-03
- operating marginmiddle range 123 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-09-03
- return on equitymiddle range 113 covered Communication Services peers, as of 2026-09-03
- 3-year revenue CAGRmiddle range 123 covered Communication Services peers
- free cash flow (absolute dollars, latest fiscal year)middle range 115 covered Communication Services peers, as of FY2025
Position among covered Communication Services companies that report each metric (minimum 5 peers). A relative position within our covered catalog — not a valuation, quality, or investment judgment. A higher percentile is simply a higher value (for P/E, more expensive on earnings — never "better"). Informational only.
How CARS.COM INC looks technically
CARS.COM INC (CARS) is trading 9.8% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend. Its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 47 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal. A strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 28, with sellers in control. Momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 34, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30). It made a new 20-day low about 4 trading days ago. It is 29.1% below its highest point of the past year.
Trend
8
| Distance from the 200-day | it is trading 9.8% below its 200-day average, the long-term trend line — a long-term downtrend | -9.8% |
|---|---|---|
| 50-day moving average | its average price over the last 50 trading days — a short-term trend line — is $11.38 | $11.38 |
| 200-day moving average | its average price over the last 200 trading days — the long-term trend line — is $10.76 | $10.76 |
| Swing structure | each recent peak has been lower than the one before it and each dip deeper — the pattern chart-watchers call a downtrend, which describes where price has already been and not where it goes next | lower highs and lower lows |
| Last swing turn | its last significant turn was a swing low 16 calendar days ago — the swings before that are what the structure reading is measured on | 16 sessions |
| Wave structure | its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in the fourth leg, a pullback against that downward direction; the labelling fails if price closes above 11. It is the only labelling that fits, though not with textbook proportions, and it describes the swings already printed, not what comes next. | possible downward five-wave sequence, in wave 4 (atypical proportions) |
| Since the 50/200 cross | its 50-day average crossed above its 200-day average about 47 trading days ago — a "golden cross", a bullish long-term signal | 47 sessions |
| Trend strength (14-day ADX) | a strong downtrend is in place — ADX, a 0–100 trend-strength gauge, is 28, with sellers in control | 28.4 |
Momentum
3
| 14-day RSI | momentum is neutral — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 34, neither overbought (above 70) nor oversold (below 30) | 34.4 |
|---|---|---|
| Position in its 14-day range | it is trading in the lower half of its 14-day range ($9.10 to $11.63) — its "stochastic" reading is 24 out of 100, where 0 would mean closing exactly at the 14-session low and 100 exactly at the high. This measures WHERE the price sits inside its recent range, which is a different question from the RSI beside it: RSI is a momentum gauge, measuring how FAST the price has been moving, so a stock can drift quietly to the bottom of its range with an ordinary RSI, or fall sharply and still sit in the middle. It has been climbing within that range over the last few sessions. | 24.1 |
| Since the MACD crossed zero | MACD, a trend-momentum gauge, is in negative territory (momentum leaning bearish) | 50 sessions |
Range
12
| 52-week high | its highest closing price over the past year (about 252 trading days) was $13.69 | $13.69 |
|---|---|---|
| From the 52-week high | it is 29.1% below its 52-week high (its highest price of the past year) | -29.1% |
| Above the 52-week low | it is 31.2% above its 52-week low (its lowest price of the past year) | +31.2% |
| Below the 52-week high | it is 29.1% below its highest point of the past year | 29.1% |
| Since a 20-day breakout | it made a new 20-day low about 4 trading days ago | 4 sessions |
| Since a 55-day breakout | it made a new 55-day low about 4 trading days ago | 4 sessions |
| All-time high | its highest closing price on record is $32.94 (set on 2018-07-13) | $32.94 |
| Given back of the 52-week move | over the past year its closes ranged ($7.58 to $13.50), and it has recovered roughly a third of its fall from last year’s high — 36% of it. Chart-watchers call 61.8%-65% given back the "golden pocket" — for this company that is $11.24 to $11.43. It is watched widely enough that orders cluster there, which is the honest reason it matters; it is not a forecast. | 36.0% |
| From the all-time high | it is 70.5% below its all-time high | -70.5% |
| Nearest price level | it is trading 3.2% below a resistance level at $10.02 — a price it turned at five times since 2025-04-04, most recently on 2026-09-23. Since 2024-10-09 it has 0 such levels below the current price and 15 above. Levels like these describe where the price has reversed or paused before; they are not a forecast of where it will go. | +3.2% |
| All-time low | its lowest closing price on record is $3.25 (set on 2020-04-03) | $3.25 |
| Above the all-time low | it is 198.8% above its all-time low | +198.8% |
Volatility
5
| Band width vs its own 6 months | day-to-day price swings are unusually wide versus its own recent history (wider than about 81% of the past ~6 months) | 81st percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Typical daily range | in a typical session it travels about $0.4436 between its high and its low — about 4.6% of its price. That is its "average true range" over the last 14 sessions, which also counts the distance from the previous close, so a day that opens well away from yesterday counts as the large move it was | $0.4436 |
| Bollinger bands (20-day, ±2σ) | most of its recent trading has stayed between about $9.07 and $12.02 — the "Bollinger bands", a range drawn two standard deviations either side of its 20-day average price, which widens when the stock gets more volatile and narrows when it settles | $9.07 – $10.55 – $12.02 |
| Typical daily range (% of price) | its price moves about 4.6% in a typical session — about typical for the companies we cover. This is the average gap between a session's high and low over the last 14 sessions, counting overnight moves, expressed against the current price so it can be compared with companies trading at any price | 4.6% |
| Stretch from the 200-day average | it is trading 2.4 daily ranges below its 200-day average price (9.8% below it in plain percentage terms) — a way of asking how far it has stretched from its own average in units of how far it normally moves in a day, so a calm company and a jumpy one can be compared on the same scale | 2.4 daily ranges below its 200-day average |
Volume
1
| Volume vs its 30-day average | trading volume is about normal versus its 30-day average | 0.74× |
|---|
Analyst
2
| Change in the average price target | analysts have cut their average price target by 1.0% since the prior reading | -0.9% |
|---|---|---|
| Change in the consensus rating | the analyst consensus rating has softened toward "sell" since the prior reading | 0.26 toward sell |
Candlestick patterns
2
| Since a hammer | 6 sessions ago, after a stretch of decline, it sold off hard during the session and then closed back near its high — a "hammer", the long lower wick showing the drop was bought back before the close | 6 sessions ago |
|---|---|---|
| Since a bearish engulfing | 7 sessions ago it opened above the previous session's close and finished below that session's open — a "bearish engulfing" pair, where one down day more than undid the up day before it | 7 sessions ago |
Price gaps
2
| Gap at the open | it opened on 2026-10-09 0.7% below the previous session's close — an overnight gap, the part of the move that happened while the market was shut, and traded back through that level before the close | -0.7% |
|---|---|---|
| Gap filled | a 2.4% gap up opened on 2026-09-24 has been "filled" 8 sessions ago — price traded back through the level the gap left behind, and it took 3 sessions to close | 8 sessions ago |
Price streaks
1
| Closing streak | it closed lower in its latest session, after a session that did not close lower — a single down day rather than a run | 1 session down |
|---|
Relative strength
4
| vs market, 1 month | over the past 1 month this stock lagged the market by 15.6 percentage points (the stock lost 13.5% while the market gained 2.1%) | -15.6% |
|---|---|---|
| vs market, 3 months | over the past 3 months this stock lagged the market by 15.5 percentage points (the stock lost 12.0% while the market gained 3.6%) | -15.5% |
| vs market, 6 months | over the past 6 months this stock lagged the market by 7.7 percentage points (the stock gained 6.8% while the market gained 14.5%) | -7.7% |
| vs market, 12 months | over the past 12 months this stock lagged the market by 25.0 percentage points (the stock lost 9.0% while the market gained 16.0%) | -25.0% |
Signal agreement
2
| Bullish technical signals | 1 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it is currently in a bullish state: a "golden cross" — its 50-day average is above its 200-day — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 1 of 9 |
|---|---|---|
| Bearish technical signals | 5 of the 9 technical signals we can compute for it are currently in a bearish state: trading below its 200-day average, MACD momentum is negative, a strong downtrend, with sellers in control, lagging the market over 6 months, trading below the Ichimoku cloud — these describe past price behaviour, not a forecast | 5 of 9 |
Trend (Ichimoku cloud)
1
| Vs the Ichimoku cloud | trading 16% below the Ichimoku cloud — a band drawn from where its own highs and lows sat up to 2026-09-02 and projected forward over today's price, the side traders read as an established downtrend, with the band above acting as the level that would have to be cleared. The band itself is moderate, spanning 4.6% of the share price. | -15.9% |
|---|
Volume-weighted price
2
| Vs this year’s average price paid | the price is 5% below the average price paid so far this year, so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $10.23 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 191 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -5.1% |
|---|---|---|
| Vs the average paid since it last reported | the price is 13% below the average price paid since it last reported on 2026-08-06 (its 10-Q), so the typical buyer over that stretch is under water. That average is $11.15 — a volume-weighted average of daily closes over 46 sessions, not a true tick-by-tick VWAP. | -12.9% |
Price levels it has turned at before
CARS last closed at $9.71 on 2026-10-09. Since 2024-10-09 it has turned at 0 prices below its last close and 15 above; the 3 nearest above are listed, nearest first.
| Level | Side | Distance | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| $10.02 | Resistance | 3.2% above the last close | turned there five times · 2025-04-04 to 2026-09-23 |
| $10.40 | Resistance | 7.1% above the last close | turned there three times · 2025-08-07 to 2026-05-29 |
| $10.68 | Resistance | 10.0% above the last close | turned there six times · 2025-03-19 to 2026-08-06 |
A level is a price this company reversed or paused at more than once — they describe past behaviour, not a forecast of where the price will go.
Wave structure
Its recent swings can be read as a five-part downward sequence — what Elliott-wave chartists call an impulse — now in leg 4 of five, a pullback against that direction.
This labelling fails — stops being a possible reading at all — if it closes above $11.00.
It is the only labelling that fits these swings, though its proportions are not the textbook ones.
On past moves of this shape the leg has usually ended somewhere between $10.53 and $11.00 — that is where it has tended to end if the count holds, not a forecast of where the price goes.
This reading has stood for 7 trading days, since 2026-10-01.
Read from daily closes as of 2026-10-09.
An Elliott-wave count describes the swings already printed and the level that would disprove it. It is not a forecast, a target, or advice.
Screens: Trading below the 200-day moving average · Pulled back from the 12-month high · lagging the market · Under water since its last earnings report (below the anchored VWAP) · Trading below the Ichimoku cloud · Elliott wave 4 pullbacks | Learn: moving average · golden cross · adx · rsi · breakout · fifty two week high low
Based on daily closing prices as of 2026-10-09. Describes past price behavior only — informational, not financial advice.
Analyst consensus
- Consensus ratingHold (2.83 mean, 1=Strong Buy…5=Strong Sell) — 6 analysts
- Mean price target$13.58 range $11.00 – $17.50; median $13.00
Analyst estimates, as of 2026-10-07. These are third-party analyst opinions and price targets, aggregated — not a recommendation, prediction, or advice from stocks-llm. Informational only.
Analyst EPS estimate for CARS
- Consensus EPS estimate$0.5311 next reporting period, as of 2026-10-07
- Estimate change, 30 days-$0.04178 (-7.3%) from $0.5729, on 2026-09-02, 35-day window
- Readings revised upward13% of 8 comparable readings
The consensus estimate for the next reporting period, and how it has moved between readings of that SAME period. A change is measured only between readings estimating one period — when a company reports, the consensus moves to the next quarter and the two numbers are not comparable. Informational only, not a forecast and not advice.
Key risks (from latest filing)
["Dependence on the automotive retail ecosystem and fluctuations in vehicle supply/demand.","Intense competition for consumer traffic and dealer marketing budgets.","Exposure to macroeconomic volatility, including interest rates and inflationary/affordability pressures on consumers."]
What changed in the latest 10-Q
AI-assisted comparison of CARS's 10-Q filed 2026-08-06 against the prior one filed 2026-05-07.
Management's Discussion & Analysis (MD&A)
- Added:
- Newer filing adds a 'Six Months Ended June 30' column to the Overview of Results table with revenue of $360,157 for 2026 and $357,763 for 2025, and net income of $19,241 for 2026 and $4,996 for 2025.
- Newer filing adds a note indicating the $8.5 million workforce reduction expense was substantially all paid during the three months ended June 30, 2026, whereas the older filing stated it was expected to be paid during that period.
- Newer filing adds a 'Six Months Ended June 30' column to Key Operating Metrics with Traffic of 302,552 for 2026 and 332,123 for 2025 (9% decline), and Average Monthly Unique Visitors of 24,300 for 2026 and 27,848 for 2025 (13% decline).
- Newer filing adds explanation that UVs and Traffic declines 'primarily reflects intentional marketing shifts towards effectively capturing high-intent consumer demand.'
- Newer filing adds Dealer Customers comparison to March 31, 2026 (19,390) showing a 0% change, with explanation that an increase in marketplace customers was offset by a decrease in digital solutions customers.
- Newer filing adds ARPD comparison to the three months ended March 31, 2026, showing a 1% increase, attributed to continued benefits of adoption of new marketplace packages and ongoing improvements in value delivery.
- Newer filing adds a Results of Operations section comparing the three months ended June 30, 2026 to June 30, 2025, including a table beginning with Dealer revenue of $163,348 for 2026 versus $158,??? for 2025 (truncated).
- Removed:
- Older filing's Overview of Results table for the three months ended March 31 shows Revenue of $180,223 for 2026 and $179,024 for 2025, and Net income (loss) of $4,978 for 2026 and $(2,013) for 2025; these figures are not present in the newer filing.
- Older filing's Key Operating Metrics for the three months ended March 31 shows Traffic of 159,562 for 2026 and 170,088 for 2025 (6% decline), and Average Monthly Unique Visitors of 25,794 for 2026 and 29,048 for 2025 (11% decline); these figures are not present in the newer filing.
- Older filing's Dealer Customers comparison to December 31, 2025 (19,544, a 1% decrease) is not present in the newer filing.
- Older filing's explanation attributing Q1 2026 UVs/Traffic declines to 'pull-forward consumer demand in the prior year period leading up to the anticipated announcement of automotive tariffs' plus 'marketing efficiencies' is not present in the newer filing.
- Older filing's ARPD comparisons to March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2025 (both flat at $2,473) are not present in the newer filing.
- Older filing's Results of Operations section comparing the three months ended March 31, 2026 to March 31, 2025, including a table beginning with Dealer revenue of $163,007 versus $159,144, is not present in the newer filing.
- Reworded:
- Newer filing changes the reporting period under review from the three months ended March 31 (older) to the three and six months ended June 30 (newer).
- Newer filing updates Dealer Customers period-end comparison from March 31, 2026 vs March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2025 (older) to June 30, 2026 vs June 30, 2025 and March 31, 2026 (newer).
- Newer filing updates ARPD period comparisons from Q1 2026 vs Q1 2025 and Q4 2025 (older) to Q2 2026 vs Q2 2025 and Q1 2026 (newer).
- Newer filing changes the ARPD growth attribution from 'ongoing improvements in value delivery, including upgrades in website offerings, and adoption of new marketplace packages, partially offset by declines in dealer media' (older) to 'adoption of new marketplace packages and ongoing improvements in value delivery, partially offset by declines in dealer media' (newer).
- Newer filing changes Dealer Customers Q2 explanation from older's Q1 explanation that a 1% increase was primarily due to marketplace customer growth partially offset by digital solutions decline; newer states Dealer Customers remained flat as marketplace customer increase was offset by digital solutions decrease.
- Newer filing's table appears truncated mid-row in the provided text (Dealer revenue for 2025 cut off), limiting full comparison of Results of Operations.
- Notes:
- The newer filing text is truncated in the Results of Operations table, so detailed financial comparison beyond the opening lines is not possible from the provided excerpts.
- This comparison is limited to the MD&A sections provided; other sections of the filings were not reviewed.
AI-assisted comparison of two SEC filing sections. It describes wording and theme changes only, makes no materiality, legal, or investment judgement, and is not financial advice. Informational only — not financial advice.
Insider activity (SEC Form 4)
0 open-market purchases and 2 open-market sales by insiders in the last 90 days, of which we have read Form 4 filings through 2026-10-05. The 5 days since 2026-10-05 have not been checked yet.
- Last 90 days · read to 2026-10-050 buys · 2 sells ($790281) — 2 selling insiders
- Last 180 days · read to 2026-10-050 buys · 4 sells ($2M) — 3 selling insiders
Activity heuristic: net selling (a transparent product heuristic from the counts above, not a prediction or advice)
Most recent open-market transaction: 2026-08-20. Based on Form 4 filings read through 2026-10-05; anything filed since is not yet included.
View full insider trading history → View SEC Form 3/4/5 filingsAsk about CARS's insider activity →
Only open-market purchases (SEC code P) and sales (code S) are counted here. Option exercises, vesting/awards, gifts, and shares withheld for taxes are excluded — they are compensation or mechanical, not open-market conviction. Sales may be planned and non-discretionary (e.g. a Rule 10b5-1 plan) and are not necessarily bearish; open-market buying is not a recommendation to buy. Informational only — not financial advice.
Institutional ownership (13F)
5 institutional 13F filers reported holding CARS as of 2026-06-30 (quarter-end position, filed within 45 days).
- Distinct 13F filers 5
- Reported shares held 15,500,861
- Reported value $169,579,419
reported quarterly holdings change (2026-03-31 → 2026-06-30): 0 new, 1 increased, 4 decreased, 0 exited. Change counts cover only managers that filed 13F reports in BOTH quarters, derived between two quarter-end snapshots — not same-day trades; a single manager is never said to have "bought" or "sold".
Institutional holdings are quarter-end long positions reported on SEC Form 13F-HR, filed up to 45 days after the quarter ends — they are delayed, are not real-time trades, exclude short positions and most non-US securities, and are not investment advice. Any increase/decrease is a reported change between two quarterly snapshots, not a same-day purchase or sale. These are quarter-end snapshots from the 13F filings on SEC EDGAR, filed within 45 days — not real-time, and any change is a difference between two quarterly reports, not a same-day trade. Informational only — not financial advice.
Ask about CARS's institutional holders → See what each manager we track holds →
Short interest (FINRA)
CARS had 7,082,670 shares of reported short interest as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (delayed, bi-monthly; not real-time).
CARS had 13.2% of its shares outstanding sold short as of the 2026-09-15 FINRA settlement date (percent of FLOAT would be higher — float is not disclosed in the source). FINRA reported 14.61 days to cover at the same settlement.
- Reported short interest (shares) 7,082,670
- Short interest (% of shares outstanding) 13.2%
- Prior settlement (shares) 6,801,313
- Reported change 4.14%
- Days to cover (reported) 14.61
Reported to FINRA as of the 2026-09-15 settlement date. Short interest is reported to FINRA and published on a delayed, bi-monthly schedule (as of a settlement date, disseminated roughly eight business days later) — it is NOT real-time, does not cover every venue or all US trading, and is not a short-squeeze prediction or investment advice. Days-to-cover is the value FINRA reports; percent of float is not shown because the source file carries no share-count denominator — where a percent appears it is of shares OUTSTANDING, the larger base, and is therefore a floor on percent of float. Informational only — not financial advice.
Competitors & peers
- AutoTrader (Cox Automotive)
- CarGurus (CARG)
- TrueCar (TRUE)
- Edmunds (Cox Automotive)
- CarsDirect (Internet Brands)
AI-enriched competitor set. Linked names are companies covered by stocks-llm; other named peers are shown for reference only.
Compare CARS vs…
CARS.COM INC is found in…
Frequently asked questions
What does CARS.COM INC (CARS) do?
Cars.com Inc. is an audience-powered, data-driven technology platform that connects car shoppers with automotive dealerships and OEMs through its flagship marketplace and an interconnected ecosystem of digital solutions. The company provides AI-driven shopping tools, dealer websites, trade-in/appraisal technology, and proprietary in-market media advertising solutions to help retailers and manufacturers sell vehicles more efficiently.
What sector is CARS.COM INC (CARS) in?
CARS.COM INC (CARS) is classified in the Communication Services sector. Its industry is Automotive Digital Marketplace / AdTech. It trades on NYSE.
Who are CARS.COM INC's (CARS) competitors?
Notable peers of CARS.COM INC (CARS) include AutoTrader (Cox Automotive), CarGurus, TrueCar, Edmunds (Cox Automotive) and CarsDirect (Internet Brands). This peer set is informational only — not financial advice.
Is CARS.COM INC (CARS) overbought or oversold right now?
CARS.COM INC (CARS) is currently neither overbought nor oversold — its 14-day RSI (a 0–100 momentum gauge) is 34, in the neutral middle (as of 2026-10-09). RSI describes recent price momentum, not a forecast — informational only, not financial advice.
Where does stocks-llm's data on CARS come from?
Fundamentals come from SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest; prices are market data, as of 2026-09-03; company filings and profile facts come from SEC EDGAR. All figures are delayed daily-close data shown with their as-of date — informational only, not financial advice.
Fundamentals: SEC XBRL company filings for the figures marked with a fiscal year, and market data, as of 2026-09-03 for the rest. Filings: SEC EDGAR. Prices are delayed daily-close data.
Last updated 2026-10-09.
Informational only — NOT financial advice. All figures are delayed daily-close data from SEC EDGAR & market data, shown with their as-of date.