Weiss Ratings Reaffirms "Hold (C)" Rating for Cars.com (NYSE:CARS)

Key Points

• Weiss Ratings has reiterated a "Hold (C)" rating for Cars.com (NYSE:CARS), following a mixed reception from other analysts, with Zacks Research upgrading it to "Strong Buy" and B. Riley setting a new price target of $22.
• Cars.com recently traded down 6.3% to $11.09 per share, with a market capitalization of $681.37 million and a PE ratio of 8.96.
• The company reported earnings of $0.41 per share for the last quarter, falling short of analyst expectations, and revenue decreased by 0.1% year-over-year to $178.74 million.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "hold (c)" rating reiterated by analysts at Weiss Ratings in a research note issued to investors on Wednesday,Weiss Ratings reports.

Other research analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Zacks Research upgraded Cars.com from a "hold" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, August 26th. Wall Street Zen downgraded Cars.com from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Friday, August 22nd. B. Riley restated a "buy" rating and set a $22.00 price target (up previously from $21.00) on shares of Cars.com in a research note on Friday, August 8th. Barrington Research restated an "outperform" rating and set a $25.00 price target on shares of Cars.com in a research note on Thursday, August 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. upgraded Cars.com from a "neutral" rating to an "overweight" rating and set a $14.00 price target on the stock in a research note on Thursday, July 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, four have assigned a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $17.50.

Cars.com Trading Down 6.3%

CARS traded down $0.74 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, hitting $11.09. 1,551,814 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 810,377. The company has a current ratio of 1.82, a quick ratio of 1.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.94. The company has a market cap of $681.37 million, a PE ratio of 8.96 and a beta of 1.76. The firm's fifty day moving average is $12.79 and its two-hundred day moving average is $11.92. Cars.com has a 1-year low of $9.56 and a 1-year high of $20.47.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 7th. The company reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $0.45 by ($0.04). The company had revenue of $178.74 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $179.43 million. Cars.com had a net margin of 5.71% and a return on equity of 17.43%. Cars.com's revenue for the quarter was down .1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $0.38 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Cars.com will post 1.19 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at Cars.com

In other news, insider Matthew B. Crawford sold 15,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 8th. The stock was sold at an average price of $11.77, for a total value of $176,550.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 98,461 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,158,885.97. This trade represents a 13.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 2.39% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Cars.com

Hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Hill Path Capital LP purchased a new stake in shares of Cars.com in the second quarter valued at $23,854,000. Brown Advisory Inc. purchased a new stake in Cars.com during the second quarter valued at about $16,456,000. Par Capital Management Inc. purchased a new stake in Cars.com during the second quarter valued at about $14,220,000. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Cars.com by 10.6% during the first quarter. Charles Schwab Investment Management Inc. now owns 923,314 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,406,000 after acquiring an additional 88,463 shares during the period. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership grew its position in Cars.com by 89.0% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 859,245 shares of the company's stock valued at $10,182,000 after acquiring an additional 404,603 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 89.15% of the company's stock.

Cars.com Company Profile

Cars.com Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a digital automotive marketplace that connects local car dealers to consumers in the United States. The company offers a suite of digital solutions that creates connections between individuals researching cars or looking to purchase a car with car dealerships and automotive original equipment manufacturers.

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