Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. Increases Position in CarGurus, Inc. $CARG

Key Points

• Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management dramatically increased its CarGurus stake in Q4, ending with 536,629 shares worth about $22.8 million and representing roughly 0.56% of the company.
• CarGurus recently beat quarterly expectations, reporting EPS of $0.58 on revenue of $243.56 million, with sales up 8.2% year over year; it also issued Q2 2026 EPS guidance of $0.57 to $0.64.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed, with a consensus rating of Hold and an average price target of $38.23, while the stock was trading at $28.39, near its 52-week low of $26.39.

Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. lifted its position in CarGurus, Inc. (NASDAQ:CARG - Free Report) by 159,137.1% in the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 536,629 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 536,292 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. owned about 0.56% of CarGurus worth $22,787,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. purchased a new position in CarGurus during the third quarter valued at $46,000. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in CarGurus during the fourth quarter valued at $49,000. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC grew its stake in CarGurus by 491.7% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,639 shares of the company's stock valued at $55,000 after acquiring an additional 1,362 shares in the last quarter. Quantbot Technologies LP purchased a new position in CarGurus during the second quarter valued at $87,000. Finally, Quadrant Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in CarGurus during the third quarter valued at $148,000. 86.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several equities analysts recently weighed in on CARG shares. UBS Group raised their target price on shares of CarGurus from $33.00 to $37.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Oppenheimer cut their target price on shares of CarGurus from $40.00 to $38.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. DA Davidson cut their target price on shares of CarGurus from $37.50 to $33.50 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Friday, February 20th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of CarGurus from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their target price on shares of CarGurus from $36.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a "neutral" rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eight have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, CarGurus presently has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $38.23.

CarGurus Stock Down 0.9%

Shares of NASDAQ:CARG opened at $28.39 on Wednesday. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $34.36 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $34.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $2.56 billion, a P/E ratio of 18.68, a PEG ratio of 1.07 and a beta of 1.28. CarGurus, Inc. has a 52 week low of $26.39 and a 52 week high of $39.42.

CarGurus (NASDAQ:CARG - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, May 7th. The company reported $0.58 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.56 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $243.56 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $243.10 million. CarGurus had a net margin of 15.57% and a return on equity of 54.42%. The business's revenue was up 8.2% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the business earned $0.46 EPS. CarGurus has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.570-0.640 EPS. On average, analysts expect that CarGurus, Inc. will post 2.06 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Jennifer Ladd Hanson sold 2,499 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $35.61, for a total value of $88,989.39. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 98,191 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,496,581.51. This trade represents a 2.48% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CMO Dafna Sarnoff sold 5,445 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $33.04, for a total transaction of $179,902.80. Following the completion of the sale, the chief marketing officer owned 134,369 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,439,551.76. This trade represents a 3.89% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 12,852 shares of company stock worth $431,053 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 17.20% of the company's stock.

About CarGurus

CarGurus, Inc operates an online automotive marketplace designed to connect buyers and sellers of new and used vehicles. Through its proprietary search engine and data-driven pricing tools, the platform enables consumers to compare listings, assess fair market values and locate local dealers offering competitive deals. CarGurus also provides detailed vehicle history reports, dealer reviews and financing options to streamline the car-shopping process for both private parties and franchised dealerships.

The company's core product offerings include Instant Market Value (IMV), which leverages pricing algorithms to help buyers identify over- or under-priced vehicles, as well as dealer subscription services that grant automotive retailers access to lead generation tools, targeted advertising and dynamic pricing insights.

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