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CARS Stock Forecast: Cars.com, Inc. Price Predictions for 2026-2027

Last close, 9 Sept 2026
$11
−0.27% on the day

The 7 Wall Street analysts covering Cars.com, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $13 — +15.9% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 89 of 100 as at 8 Sept 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.

Market cap
$627.9M
Ticker Nerd rank
89 / 100
Median analyst target
$13
Analysts covering
7
Revenue$179.9M+0.7% y/y
Operating income$27.9M
Net income$14.3M
Free cash flow$10.0M
Quarterly, 8 quarters to 30 June 2026 · latest quarter's figure shown
Total return, dividends reinvested
1W
−3.2%
1M
−8.9%
YTD
−8.0%
1Y
−16.2%
From 52W high
−18.6%
From 52W low
+48.0%
$8
$14
52-week range, adjusted closes · the dot is the last close
Ticker Nerd rank

CARS stock analysis: one number for the whole business

Consensus tells you what everyone already believes. The model scores Cars.com, Inc. on its factor families — the same systematic rank behind the Ticker Nerd portfolio.

Where the model ranks itAs at 8 Sept 2026
89 / 100

Percentile across ~4,600 US stocks on Ticker Nerd’s systematic factor model. Higher is better. How the model is built and tested

Issuance
96
Value
94
Accruals
94
Volatility
78
Quality
68
Size
51
Revisions
50
Growth
50
Momentum
42

Issuance (96): The share count has been shrinking and the company is not leaning on new borrowing.

Momentum (42): The shares have been drifting down relative to others.

Built and run by Aslam Ghouse, an ex-Goldman Sachs quant trader with fourteen years in markets.

Wall Street

CARS stock forecast 2026-2027: analyst price targets & predictions

The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on CARS, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.

Share price and the analyst range, 12 monthsAdjusted close, US dollars
$8$10$12$14$16$18Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26CARSHigh $18Median $13Low $11

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Data provided by Twelve Data

What Wall Street says7 analysts
3 Buy3 Hold1 Sell
Low $11Median $13High $18

The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +15.9% from it.

Recent analyst actionsNewest first

Of the 20 most recent actions, 4 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.

DateFirmActionRatingTarget
7 Aug 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral$12 → $13
6 Aug 2026BTIGReiteratesBuy$14
8 May 2026B. Riley SecuritiesDowngradeNeutral—
8 May 2026B. Riley SecuritiesDowngradeNeutral$13
8 May 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral—
8 May 2026JP MorganMaintainsNeutral$10 → $11
8 May 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral—
8 May 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral$11 → $12
7 May 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy$13 → $14
7 May 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy—
13 Apr 2026DA DavidsonMaintainsBuy—
10 Apr 2026BTIGReiteratesBuy—
27 Feb 2026Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
27 Feb 2026JP MorganDowngradeNeutral—
26 Feb 2026BTIGMaintainsBuy—
14 Jan 2026UBSMaintainsNeutral—
18 Nov 2025DA DavidsonMaintainsBuy—
3 Nov 2025Barrington ResearchMaintainsOutperform—
14 Oct 2025JP MorganMaintainsOverweight—
6 Oct 2025UBSMaintainsNeutral—

Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Market Radar

This page is one stock. Monday covers all of them.

Computed off the Friday close and sent before the US open.

Market Radar reports the week’s largest rank changes across roughly 4,600 US stocks, the factor behind each one, and where the market went. CARS appears on the weeks it earns a place.

Free, every Monday. Unsubscribe any time.

Performance

CARS vs the S&P 500

Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.

Over the twelve months to 9 Sept 2026, Cars.com, Inc. returned −16.2% against +18.5% for the S&P 500, dividends included.

CARS vs S&P 500, last 12 monthsTotal return, rebased to 100
6080100120Oct 25Jan 26Apr 26Jul 26CARSS&P 500

Download this chart as an image — free to reuse; link this page as the source.

Data provided by Twelve Data

Estimates

CARS analyst estimate revisions

Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.

Which way the estimates are movingNext fiscal year
EPS revision, 90 days
−0.3%
Analysts raising
3
Analysts cutting
2
Fundamentals

Cars.com, Inc. (CARS) financial data

A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.

Valuation
Trailing P/E
19.9×

Cheaper than 38% of US stocks

Price / sales
0.8×

Cheaper than 73% of US stocks

Price / book
1.4×

Cheaper than 60% of US stocks

EV / EBITDA
6.6×

Cheaper than 50% of US stocks

Growth & margins
Revenue growth (YoY)
0.7%

Higher than 29% of US stocks

Earnings growth (YoY)
103.5%

Higher than 84% of US stocks

Gross margin
83.2%

Higher than 93% of US stocks

Operating margin
15.5%

Higher than 73% of US stocks

Net margin
4.7%

Higher than 59% of US stocks

Returns & dividend
Return on equity
7.4%

Higher than 58% of US stocks

Return on assets
5.0%

Higher than 76% of US stocks

Dividend yield
—

Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.

Key statistics

Cars.com, Inc. (CARS) statistics: revenue, profit & scale

The headline figures, each with its date. Every row carries its own link — cite it straight from here.

  • Cars.com, Inc. has a market value of $627.9M and an enterprise value of $1.0B.

  • Revenue in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $725.6M. The latest quarter grew 0.7% year on year.

  • Net income over the same four quarters: $34.3M, a 4.7% net margin.

  • Diluted earnings per share, trailing twelve months: $0.57.

  • Free cash flow in the twelve months to 30 June 2026: $127.4M, after $22.4M of capital spending.

  • Cars.com, Inc. spent $99.7M on share buybacks in the twelve months to 30 June 2026.

  • Shares outstanding: 53.9M.

  • Trailing P/E: 19.9×; forward P/E: 4.4× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.

  • Cars.com, Inc. employs 1,700 people — $427K of revenue per employee.

Statement figures: company filings via Twelve Data, four quarters to 30 June 2026 · market figures as at 8 Sept 2026

Data provided by Twelve Data

Peers

CARS vs competitors

The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.

Its peer group, ranked by the same modelInternet Content & Information
CompanyMarket capTKN rank
CARSCars.com, Inc.$627.9M
89
NRDSNerdWallet, Inc.$638.5M
99
MAXMediaAlpha, Inc.$721.1M
88
GRPNGroupon, Inc.$770.6M
41
NXDRNextdoor Holdings, Inc.$826.2M
98
EVEREverQuote, Inc.$878.9M
86
TBLATaboola.com Ltd.$998.3M
92

Look up any of the roughly 4,600 stocks we score.

The rank is the raw material. Whether the rules would actually own Cars.com, Inc. — and when they’d sell — is the membership. See the Ticker Nerd 20 →

News

Latest CARS news & analysis

Cars.com Q2 Earnings Call Highlights

MarketBeat · 8 Aug 2026positive

Cars.com reported second-quarter revenue growth and higher profitability, driven by marketplace subscription gains that offset a decline in OEM and national advertising revenue. Management reaffirmed its full-year outlook.

Why it matters — A watcher of CARS would care because the quarter shows a revenue and profitability uptick from subscriptions despite weaker OEM and national advertising, with management standing by its full-year guidance.

Cars.com: Consumers And Dealers Are Leaving The Platform

Seeking Alpha · 7 Aug 2026negative

Cars.com is described as a value trap despite a recent 10% rally, with fundamentals deteriorating amid double-digit traffic declines and sequential dealer churn. A tough macroeconomic backdrop, including rising used vehicle prices and weaker consumer demand, is further pressuring sales volumes.

Why it matters — A CARS watcher would care because the report points to erosion of both consumer traffic and dealer retention, which are central to the company's core business and brand positioning.

Cars.com Inc. (CARS) Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Seeking Alpha · 6 Aug 2026neutral

Seeking Alpha published the transcript of Cars.com Inc.'s (CARS) Q2 2026 earnings call. The document covers the company's second-quarter fiscal 2026 results and investor discussion.

Why it matters — The earnings call transcript provides CARS watchers with direct insight into the company's Q2 2026 performance and management commentary.

Cars.com (CARS) Beats Q2 Earnings Estimates

Zacks Investment Research · 6 Aug 2026positive

Cars.com (CARS) reported quarterly earnings of $0.51 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.49 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.41 per share a year ago.

Why it matters — A CARS watcher would care because the company exceeded analyst earnings expectations, marking a year-over-year improvement in quarterly profit.

Here's What Key Metrics Tell Us About Cars.com (CARS) Q2 Earnings

Zacks Investment Research · 6 Aug 2026neutral

Zacks discusses Cars.com's Q2 earnings, noting that the company's revenue and EPS show how the business performed in the quarter ended June 2026. The report examines how key metrics compare with Wall Street estimates and results from the prior year.

Why it matters — A Cars.com watcher would care because this analysis frames whether the company's quarterly revenue and earnings met analyst expectations versus year-ago levels.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions about CARS stock

What is the CARS stock price forecast for 2026-2027?

The 7 Wall Street analysts covering Cars.com, Inc. have a median 12-month price target of $13, with estimates ranging from $11 to $18. These are third-party analyst estimates, not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.

Is CARS stock a buy right now?

Of the 7 analysts covering Cars.com, Inc., 3 rate it a Buy, 3 a Hold and 1 a Sell. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model ranks Cars.com, Inc. 89 out of 100 across roughly 4,600 US stocks as at 8 Sept 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.

How does Ticker Nerd's model rank CARS?

As at 8 Sept 2026, Cars.com, Inc. ranks 89 out of 100 on Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model — a percentile across roughly 4,600 US stocks, built from its factor families. Its strongest factor family is Issuance (96 of 100).

Will CARS stock go up?

No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 7 analysts implies +15.9% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Cars.com, Inc. 89 out of 100 as at 8 Sept 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.

What is the CARS stock forecast for 2030?

No analyst covering Cars.com, Inc. publishes a 2030 price target — Wall Street targets run 12 to 18 months out. Sites quoting a 2030 price for CARS are extrapolating price history, which says nothing about the business. The furthest attributed numbers are the current analyst targets: $11 to $18 over the next 12 months.

How has CARS stock performed over the past year?

Cars.com, Inc. returned -16.2% over the 12 months to 9 Sept 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.

What does Cars.com, Inc. do?

Cars.com Inc. is a U.S.

What is the latest news on CARS?

The most recent item we track (MarketBeat, 8 Aug 2026): "Cars.com Q2 Earnings Call Highlights". Cars.com reported second-quarter revenue growth and higher profitability, driven by marketplace subscription gains that offset a decline in OEM and national advertising revenue. Management reaffirmed its full-year outlook.

Company

About Cars.com, Inc.

Cars.com Inc. is a U.S. automotive marketplace and digital solutions company that connects car shoppers with dealers and manufacturers. The Cars.com platform helps consumers research new and used vehicles, compare listings, read reviews, and access tools that support vehicle shopping and ownership decisions. Its ecosystem also includes Dealer Inspire for website creation and digital retailing, DealerRater for reputation management, FUEL for marketing services, CreditIQ for digital financing tools, and NewCars.com for new-vehicle discovery. The company serves local dealers, dealer groups, original equipment manufacturers, and other auto-related businesses, providing software and advertising solutions across the buying, selling, and trade-in process. Headquartered in Chicago and founded in 1998, Cars.com plays a central role in online automotive commerce by combining marketplace traffic, dealer technology, and data-driven services under one platform.

CEO Mr. Tobias Hartmann · 1,700 employees · United States · https://www.cars.com