CARSCommunication Services · Internet Content & InformationThe 6 Wall Street analysts covering Cars.com, Inc. hold a median 12-month price target of $13 — +34.0% from the last close. Ticker Nerd's systematic factor model, run across ~4,600 US stocks, ranks it 89 of 100 as at 3 Oct 2026 — inside the top quartile. Here, the model and the Street point the same way.
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.
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): The share count has been shrinking and the company is not leaning on new borrowing.
Momentum (43): 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.
The bullish and bearish analyst opinions on CARS, reported as data — targets and ratings, the market's view beside the model's.
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
The green dot is the last close — the median target sits +34.0% from it.
Of the 20 most recent actions, 4 moved their price target up and 0 moved it down.
| Date | Firm | Action | Rating | Target |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Aug 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | $12 → $13 |
| 6 Aug 2026 | BTIG | Reiterates | Buy | $14 |
| 8 May 2026 | B. Riley Securities | Downgrade | Neutral | — |
| 8 May 2026 | B. Riley Securities | Downgrade | Neutral | $13 |
| 8 May 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 8 May 2026 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Neutral | $10 → $11 |
| 8 May 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 8 May 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | $11 → $12 |
| 7 May 2026 | BTIG | Maintains | Buy | $13 → $14 |
| 7 May 2026 | BTIG | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 13 Apr 2026 | DA Davidson | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 10 Apr 2026 | BTIG | Reiterates | Buy | — |
| 27 Feb 2026 | Barrington Research | Maintains | Outperform | — |
| 27 Feb 2026 | JP Morgan | Downgrade | Neutral | — |
| 26 Feb 2026 | BTIG | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 14 Jan 2026 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | — |
| 18 Nov 2025 | DA Davidson | Maintains | Buy | — |
| 3 Nov 2025 | Barrington Research | Maintains | Outperform | — |
| 14 Oct 2025 | JP Morgan | Maintains | Overweight | — |
| 6 Oct 2025 | UBS | Maintains | Neutral | — |
Price targets and ratings are third-party analyst estimates, reported here as data. They are not Ticker Nerd forecasts, and they are frequently wrong.
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.
Both lines are total return — dividends reinvested — so the comparison is honest on both sides.
Over the twelve months to 5 Oct 2026, Cars.com, Inc. returned −21.5% against +17.0% for the S&P 500, dividends included.
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Data provided by Twelve Data
Not the forecast itself — the direction analysts are revising it. Revision direction is one of the model's factor families.
A margin means little on its own. Each bar marks where the figure sits across the whole US universe we score.
Cheaper than 40% of US stocks
Cheaper than 75% of US stocks
Cheaper than 65% of US stocks
Cheaper than 51% of US stocks
Higher than 29% of US stocks
Higher than 84% of US stocks
Higher than 93% of US stocks
Higher than 73% of US stocks
Higher than 59% of US stocks
Higher than 57% of US stocks
Higher than 76% of US stocks
Higher than 1% of US dividend payers
Bars mark the percentile across the ~4,600 US stocks Ticker Nerd covers, among those reporting the figure.
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 $536.9M and an enterprise value of $950.8M.
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.
Trailing P/E: 17.6×; forward P/E: 4.3× — the forward figure prices analyst consensus estimates, not reported earnings.
Forward dividend yield: 0.00%, paying out 0% of earnings.
Cars.com, Inc. employs 1,700 people — $427K of revenue per employee.
Data provided by Twelve Data
The nearest names by industry and size, scored by the same model — like for like.
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 →
Cars.com, Inc. announced that Trent Ziegler has been appointed Chief Financial Officer-Designate, effective October 19, 2026. The announcement was made via press release on September 30, 2026.
Why it matters — A change in the chief financial officer role marks a leadership transition at the company that investors and analysts following Cars.com may want to monitor.
Zacks Investment Research highlights recent unusual movements in the options market for Cars.com (CARS) stock and advises investors to pay close attention to the stock based on those options-market developments.
Why it matters — Options-market activity can signal how sophisticated traders view CARS stock, so the report flags a development that CARS watchers may want to monitor.
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 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.
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.
The 6 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.
Of the 6 analysts covering Cars.com, Inc., 2 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 3 Oct 2026. None of this is personal advice — it does not consider your circumstances.
As at 3 Oct 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).
No one can know that. What the data says: the median 12-month target from 6 analysts implies +34.0% from the last close, and Ticker Nerd's factor model ranks Cars.com, Inc. 89 out of 100 as at 3 Oct 2026. Analyst targets are third-party estimates and frequently wrong; none of this is personal advice.
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.
Cars.com, Inc. returned -21.5% over the 12 months to 5 Oct 2026, with dividends reinvested. Past performance does not indicate future returns.
Cars.com Inc. is a U.S.
The most recent item we track (PRNewsWire, 30 Sept 2026): "Cars.com Announces Chief Financial Officer Transition". Cars.com, Inc. announced that Trent Ziegler has been appointed Chief Financial Officer-Designate, effective October 19, 2026. The announcement was made via press release on September 30, 2026.
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
