Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) Given New $11.00 Price Target at JPMorgan Chase & Co.

Key Points

• JPMorgan Chase raised its price target on Cars.com from $10 to $11 while maintaining a "neutral" rating, implying roughly a 7% downside from current levels.
• Cars.com reported Q1 EPS of $0.45 (vs. $0.48 consensus) with revenue of $180.22M roughly in line, but margins and operating cash flow beat guidance (adjusted EBITDA margin 28.3% and operating cash flow $39.8M).
• Management increased the 2026 share buyback target to $90M (about $33M completed through April), and analysts maintain a consensus "Hold" rating with an average target price of $14.83.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by investment analysts at JPMorgan Chase & Co. from $10.00 to $11.00 in a research note issued on Friday,Benzinga reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the stock. JPMorgan Chase & Co.'s price target would suggest a potential downside of 6.98% from the company's current price.

A number of other research firms have also weighed in on CARS. Weiss Ratings lowered Cars.com from a "hold (c-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 1st. Zacks Research raised Cars.com from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 15th. BTIG Research increased their price objective on Cars.com from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Thursday. UBS Group reaffirmed a "neutral" rating on shares of Cars.com in a research note on Friday. Finally, Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $25.00 price target on shares of Cars.com in a report on Friday, February 27th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of "Hold" and an average target price of $14.83.

Cars.com Price Performance

Shares of Cars.com stock traded down $0.51 on Friday, hitting $11.83. The company had a trading volume of 608,487 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,221,573. Cars.com has a 52 week low of $7.40 and a 52 week high of $13.97. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.87 and a quick ratio of 1.87. The company has a market cap of $687.40 million, a PE ratio of 36.95 and a beta of 1.64. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.23 and a 200-day simple moving average of $10.83.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.45 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.48 by ($0.03). Cars.com had a net margin of 2.77% and a return on equity of 17.31%. The firm had revenue of $180.22 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $180.16 million. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $0.37 earnings per share. The business's revenue for the quarter was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. Research analysts expect that Cars.com will post 1.83 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Cars.com

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in shares of Cars.com by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 38,273 shares of the company's stock valued at $467,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119 shares in the last quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd lifted its position in shares of Cars.com by 12.3% in the third quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd now owns 12,499 shares of the company's stock worth $153,000 after buying an additional 1,367 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC boosted its stake in shares of Cars.com by 3.3% during the 3rd quarter. Vident Advisory LLC now owns 43,023 shares of the company's stock worth $526,000 after acquiring an additional 1,386 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets increased its holdings in shares of Cars.com by 30.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,025 shares of the company's stock valued at $83,000 after acquiring an additional 1,623 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury increased its holdings in shares of Cars.com by 5.3% during the 4th quarter. State of Tennessee Department of Treasury now owns 36,904 shares of the company's stock valued at $419,000 after acquiring an additional 1,859 shares during the last quarter. 89.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Stories Impacting Cars.com

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

• Positive Sentiment: Company boosted buyback program and has been repurchasing shares — management increased the 2026 repurchase target to $90M and completed ~$33M (3.8M shares) through April 30, which reduces share count and supports EPS going forward. Cars.com reaffirms 2026 revenue outlook
• Positive Sentiment: Margins and cash generation beat guidance — Q1 adjusted EBITDA margin was 28.3% (above guidance of 26–27%) and operating cash flow improved to $39.8M, signaling strong operating leverage. Cars.com Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade — BTIG raised its price target to $14 and initiated/maintained a "buy" stance, implying meaningful upside from current levels. BTIG price target raise via Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue roughly in line with expectations — Q1 revenue was $180.22M, up ~1% year-over-year and essentially in line with consensus, so top-line growth remains modest. Cars.com reports Q1 in line
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call & presentation provide color on execution and priorities (product, audience monetization, capital return); see transcript and slides for management commentary. Earnings call transcript Earnings presentation
• Negative Sentiment: EPS missed estimates — reported $0.45 vs. consensus $0.48, which likely triggered some selling despite margin strength. Zacks: CARS misses Q1 EPS
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 revenue guidance range is slightly below consensus midpoint ($178.7M–$182.3M vs. ~$180.8M), which may temper near-term upside expectations. Q2 revenue guidance in press release

About Cars.com

Cars.com operates as a leading online automotive marketplace in the United States, connecting car shoppers with new and used vehicle listings from dealerships and private sellers. The platform enables consumers to research makes and models, compare prices, read expert and user reviews, and access tools such as TrueCost to estimate ownership expenses over time. Through its website and mobile applications, Cars.com aims to simplify the car-buying process by aggregating detailed vehicle data, payment calculators, and dealership ratings into a single user-friendly experience.

On the dealer side, Cars.com provides a suite of marketing and lead-generation services designed to help automotive retailers reach potential buyers and manage their online presence.

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