Cars.com, Inc. (CARS)
NYSE:CARS
Earnings Data
Report Date
Apr 30, 2026Before Open (Confirmed)
Period Ending
2026 (Q1)Consensus EPS Forecast
0.46Last Year’s EPS
0.37Same Quarter Last Year
Moderate Buy
Based on 5 Analysts Ratings
Earnings Call Summary
Earnings Call Sentiment|Neutral
The call conveyed cautious optimism: the company delivered modest revenue growth, steady adjusted EBITDA margins, strong free cash flow conversion and demonstrated product and marketplace traction (AI features, AccuTrade IMS, Premium Plus uptake). However, growth remains low single-digit, GAAP net income declined appreciably year-over-year, OEM/national advertising remains a volatile headwind, and near-term margins will be impacted by acquisition-related losses and some elevated expenses. Management outlined a clear plan to prioritize marketplace integration, cost efficiencies, and product rollout with an expectation of reaccelerating growth over the short-to-medium term, but near-term guidance is conservative.Company Guidance
Modest Revenue Growth and Q4 Performance in Line with Guidance
Full-year 2025 revenue of $723.0M, up 1% year-over-year; Q4 2025 revenue of $183.9M, up 2% year-over-year and in line with guidance.
Dealer Revenue and Customer Expansion
Dealer revenue grew 3% year-over-year in Q4; dealer customer count closed Q4 at 19,544, up 338 customers year-over-year; marketplace contributed over 80% of unit growth and added >100 marketplace dealers sequentially for the third straight quarter.
Stable Profitability and Strong Cash Generation
Full-year adjusted EBITDA of $211.1M with adjusted EBITDA margin of 29.2% (essentially unchanged year-over-year); adjusted EBITDA to free cash flow conversion roughly 60%, delivering free cash flow of $125.7M for 2025.
Active Capital Allocation and Healthy Balance Sheet
Repurchased $86M of shares in 2025 (up 75% year-over-year), retiring roughly 9% of outstanding shares; net leverage ratio 1.9x and total liquidity $351.2M as of 12/31/2025; committed to at least $60M more in buybacks in 2026 with opportunistic repurchases and planned revolver paydown.
Marketplace and Product Traction — AI and New Offerings
Marketplace attracted 627M visits and ~26M average monthly unique visitors in 2025 with ~60% organic traffic; Carson AI search assistant now prompts 4x more saved vehicles and 3x more listing views; Premium Plus subscribers more than doubled from Q3 to Q4; AccuTrade subscribers grew to ~1,180 with average vehicles appraised per customer up 15% quarter-over-quarter; launched AccuTrade IMS and AI VIN videos (VIN videos showing early ~2x lift in website lead conversion).
Cost Efficiency Progress
Full-year adjusted operating expenses of $604M, down 2% year-over-year; Q4 adjusted operating expenses of $145.5M, down 3% year-over-year; headcount reduced to ~1,700 from 1,800 a year ago, with management citing ongoing efficiency gains.
CARS Earnings History
The table shows recent earnings report dates and whether the forecast was beat or missed. See the change in forecast and EPS from the previous year.
Beat
Missed
CARS Earnings-Related Price Changes
Report Date | Price 1 Day Before | Price 1 Day After | Percentage Change |
|---|---|---|---|
Feb 26, 2026 | $10.74 | $9.08 | -15.46% |
Nov 06, 2025 | $10.41 | $11.09 | +6.53% |
Aug 07, 2025 | $13.13 | $11.77 | -10.36% |
May 08, 2025 | $11.32 | $10.05 | -11.22% |
Earnings announcements can affect a stock’s price. This table shows the stock's price the day before and the day after recent earnings reports, including the percentage change.
FAQ
When does Cars.com, Inc. (CARS) report earnings?
Cars.com, Inc. (CARS) is schdueled to report earning on Apr 30, 2026, Before Open (Confirmed).
What is Cars.com, Inc. (CARS) earnings time?
Cars.com, Inc. (CARS) earnings time is at Apr 30, 2026, Before Open (Confirmed).
Where can I see when companies are reporting earnings?
You can see which companies are reporting today on our designated earnings calendar.
What companies are reporting earnings today?
You can see a list of the companies which are reporting today on TipRanks earnings calendar.
What is CARS EPS forecast?
CARS EPS forecast for the fiscal quarter 2026 (Q1) is 0.46.