Cars.com

CARS

Market cap $536M

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Cars.com is a value trap despite a post-Q1 earnings rebound. The company faced flat revenue trends and weak dealer retention, which stands in stark contrast to larger rival CarGurus. Traffic is declining, while the company is facing flat dealer counts and flat average revenue (compared to mid-teens growth for CarGurus).

Cars.com NYSE: CARS reported first-quarter 2026 revenue near the high end of its guidance range and said it is moving ahead with cost reductions, product integration and artificial intelligence initiatives aimed at strengthening its automotive marketplace.

Cars.com Inc. (CARS) Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

The headline numbers for Cars.com (CARS) give insight into how the company performed in the quarter ended March 2026, but it may be worthwhile to compare some of its key metrics to Wall Street estimates and the year-ago actuals.

Cars.com (CARS) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.45 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.48 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.37 per share a year ago.

Revenue grew in line with guidance to $180.2 million, up 1% year-over-year Net income increased to $5.0 million compared to net loss of ($2.0) million in the prior year Adjusted EBITDA grew to $51.0 million, up 1% year-over-year; Adjusted EBITDA margin of 28.3% outperformed guidance of 26% to 27% Net cash provided by operating activities was $39.8 million compared to $29.5 million in the prior year Share repurchases totaled 3.8 million shares for $33 million through April 30, 2026; 2026 repurchase target has been increased to $90 million CHICAGO, May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc . (NYSE: CARS), a trusted audience-powered and data-driven technology platform that simplifies buying and selling cars, today released its financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2026.

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

New VIN-Specific, AI-Powered Video Ads — Fueled by Real-Time Shopper Demand and Closed-Loop Attribution — Deliver 47% Lift in Influenced Sales CHICAGO, April 27, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Car-shopping marketplace Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) today shared new data around its powerful artificial intelligence (AI) video advertising solution that automatically converts dealer inventory into shopper-ready video assets. A pilot program was announced earlier this year at NADA Show 2026, and the company officially rolled out its first live campaign in March.

CHICAGO, April 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc . (NYSE: CARS), a trusted audience-powered and data-driven technology platform that simplifies buying and selling cars, today shared an update on the Company's progress against key business initiatives previously announced on its February 2026 earnings call.