Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) Sees Large Volume Increase - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• DoorDash agreed to acquire Maplebear for approximately $17 billion, valuing the deal at about $65 per Instacart share. However, closing is not expected until late 2027 or early 2028, leaving investors exposed to regulatory, execution and DoorDash share-price risks.
• Instacart reported strong third-quarter growth, with revenue up 17% to roughly $1.09 billion, gross transaction value up 15% and adjusted EBITDA up 23% to $342 million. Still, earnings of $0.60 per share missed the consensus estimate of approximately $0.63–$0.64.
• CART trading volume rose 47% above its average, while analysts maintain a “Moderate Buy” consensus and an average price target of $58.53. Legal and political criticism of the proposed acquisition, along with recent insider selling, adds caution despite the deal premium.

Maplebear Inc. (NASDAQ:CART - Get Free Report) shares saw strong trading volume on Thursday. Approximately 6,776,898 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 47% from the average daily volume of 4,599,972 shares. The stock last traded at $57.9030 and had previously closed at $58.42.

Maplebear News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Maplebear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DoorDash agreed to acquire Maplebear for approximately $17 billion, with Instacart shareholders expected to receive consideration valued at about $65 per share in cash, DoorDash stock or a combination. The premium valuation provides a potential floor for CART shares, although the final value could vary with DoorDash’s stock price and transaction proration. DoorDash to acquire Instacart for $17 billion
• Positive Sentiment: Instacart’s third-quarter operating performance remained strong: gross transaction value increased 15% year over year, revenue rose 17% to approximately $1.09 billion, GAAP net income reached $147 million and adjusted EBITDA grew 23% to $342 million. The results support the strategic rationale for DoorDash’s grocery expansion. Instacart third-quarter 2026 financial results
• Neutral Sentiment: The transaction is not expected to close until late 2027 or the first half of 2028, leaving shareholders exposed to regulatory review, deal execution risks and fluctuations in DoorDash’s share price. DoorDash plans to buy Instacart
• Negative Sentiment: Maplebear reported third-quarter earnings of $0.60 per share, below consensus estimates of approximately $0.63–$0.64. Revenue beat expectations and increased about 17% year over year, but the profit miss may be weighing on the shares. Maplebear third-quarter earnings miss
• Negative Sentiment: New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani criticized the DoorDash-Instacart combination, warning it could result in higher prices and worse conditions for delivery workers. Separately, Brodsky & Smith announced an investigation into potential fiduciary-duty violations related to the sale, adding legal and regulatory overhang. Criticism of DoorDash's Instacart deal

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

CART has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Citizens Jmp upped their target price on shares of Maplebear from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the stock a "market outperform" rating in a report on Monday. Needham & Company LLC lifted their price target on shares of Maplebear from $55.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Barclays upped their price target on Maplebear from $69.00 to $77.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Weiss Ratings raised Maplebear from a "hold (c)" rating to a "hold (c+)" rating in a report on Thursday, October 15th. Finally, Benchmark boosted their price objective on Maplebear from $55.00 to $63.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Fourteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and six have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, Maplebear has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $58.53.

Maplebear Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $13.21 billion, a PE ratio of 31.19, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.10 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $48.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $43.15.

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.63 by ($0.03). Maplebear had a net margin of 11.97% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The business had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned $0.42 earnings per share. The business's quarterly revenue was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Maplebear Inc. will post 2.33 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Chris Rogers sold 24,665 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Monday, October 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total transaction of $1,479,900.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 867,911 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $52,074,660. This represents a 2.76% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Emily Reuter sold 50,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $2,750,000.00. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 599,337 shares of the company's stock, valued at $32,963,535. This represents a 7.70% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 309,928 shares of company stock worth $16,121,073. 24.00% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Maplebear

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Maplebear in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $750,477,000. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its position in Maplebear by 31.4% in the 1st quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 4,981,960 shares of the company's stock valued at $186,618,000 after purchasing an additional 1,189,287 shares in the last quarter. William Blair Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Maplebear in the 2nd quarter valued at about $86,462,000. Deutsche Bank AG acquired a new position in shares of Maplebear during the second quarter worth about $73,801,000. Finally, Goodnow Investment Group LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Maplebear during the second quarter worth approximately $69,898,000. 63.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Maplebear

Maplebear Inc, doing business as Instacart, operates a technology-enabled grocery marketplace that connects consumers with retailers and personal shoppers. Through its website and mobile applications, customers can order groceries and other household products for delivery or pickup from participating supermarkets, specialty food stores, convenience retailers and other merchants.

The company also provides retailers with e-commerce, fulfillment and advertising solutions. Its platform supports online storefronts, order management, delivery logistics, customer engagement and data-driven marketing, allowing retail partners to offer digital shopping services and reach consumers through Instacart's marketplace.

Founded in 2012, Maplebear serves customers across the United States and Canada.

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