Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) Given New $16.00 Price Target at BTIG Research

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) had its price target hoisted by BTIG Research from $14.00 to $16.00 in a research note issued to investors on Thursday morning, MarketBeat reports. BTIG Research currently has a buy rating on the stock.

Several other equities research analysts also recently issued reports on the company. UBS Group lowered their price target on Cars.com from $13.00 to $11.50 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, October 7th. Weiss Ratings cut Cars.com from a “hold (c)” rating to a “hold (c-)” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 29th. Finally, Zacks Research upgraded Cars.com from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research report on Friday, October 9th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, three have assigned a Buy rating and four have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $14.92.

Cars.com Price Performance

Shares of CARS stock opened at $13.53 on Thursday. Cars.com has a 12-month low of $7.40 and a 12-month high of $13.69. The firm has a market capitalization of $724.31 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.79 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a quick ratio of 2.00, a current ratio of 2.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.01. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $10.92 and a 200-day moving average of $10.59.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported $0.58 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.54 by $0.04. The business had revenue of $181.88 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $183.05 million. Cars.com had a return on equity of 18.82% and a net margin of 4.73%. The firm’s revenue was up .2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.48 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Cars.com will post 1.61 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Cars.com

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

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cars.com

A number of large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CARS. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio bought a new stake in Cars.com during the second quarter worth about $26,000. Versant Capital Management Inc grew its stake in Cars.com by 250.1% in the third quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 5,356 shares of the company’s stock valued at $55,000 after purchasing an additional 3,826 shares in the last quarter. Ritholtz Wealth Management bought a new position in Cars.com in the third quarter valued at approximately $104,000. Hennessy Advisors Inc. bought a new position in Cars.com in the second quarter valued at approximately $144,000. Finally, Amundi bought a new position in Cars.com in the second quarter valued at approximately $192,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 89.15% of the company’s stock.

Cars.com News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Third-quarter adjusted EPS was $0.58, topping consensus estimates of $0.54–$0.55 and rising from $0.48 a year earlier. Net income increased 113% year over year to $16.3 million. Cars.com Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability and marketplace trends were encouraging: adjusted EBITDA reached $55.8 million, with a 30.7% margin—120 basis points above guidance—and Marketplace revenue grew 5%. The company also repurchased $16 million of shares during the quarter. Cars.com Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: BTIG Research raised its price target from $14 to $16 and maintained a Buy rating, signaling improved analyst confidence. BTIG Research ratings
• Neutral Sentiment: Full-year 2026 revenue guidance of $723.2 million–$737.7 million and fourth-quarter guidance of $183.9 million–$187.6 million broadly bracket consensus estimates, suggesting expectations are largely unchanged.
• Negative Sentiment: Third-quarter revenue of $181.9 million missed the $183.1 million consensus estimate, while year-over-year revenue growth was limited to 0.2%, tempering the earnings beat. Cars.com Reports Third Quarter 2026 Results

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.