Cars.com Inc. (NYSE:CARS) Given Consensus Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Cars.com Inc. (NYSE:CARS) has been assigned an average rating of “Moderate Buy” from the eight brokerages that are currently covering the firm, Marketbeat.com reports. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, three have given a hold rating, three have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month target price among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $14.6667.

CARS has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Cars.com from $11.00 to $12.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. DA Davidson reaffirmed a “buy” rating and issued a $13.00 price target on shares of Cars.com in a report on Monday, April 13th. B. Riley Financial cut Cars.com from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $13.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Friday, May 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on Cars.com from $10.00 to $11.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Barrington Research reissued an “outperform” rating and set a $25.00 price objective on shares of Cars.com in a report on Friday, February 27th.

Cars.com Stock Performance

Cars.com stock opened at $9.88 on Monday. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $9.44 and a 200 day simple moving average of $10.82. The company has a quick ratio of 1.87, a current ratio of 1.87 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.98. Cars.com has a 12-month low of $7.40 and a 12-month high of $13.97. The stock has a market capitalization of $552.01 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.97 and a beta of 1.64.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) last released 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 3.73% and a return on equity of 18.12%. The business had revenue of $180.22 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $180.16 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.37 earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up .7% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, research analysts anticipate that Cars.com will post 1.83 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Cars.com

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in Cars.com by 3.0% during the 4th quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 38,273 shares of the company’s stock worth $467,000 after purchasing an additional 1,119 shares during the last quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd raised its holdings in Cars.com by 12.3% during the 3rd quarter. iSAM Funds UK Ltd now owns 12,499 shares of the company’s stock worth $153,000 after purchasing an additional 1,367 shares during the last quarter. Vident Advisory LLC raised its holdings in 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 purchasing an additional 1,386 shares during the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its holdings in Cars.com by 30.0% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 7,025 shares of the company’s stock worth $83,000 after purchasing an additional 1,623 shares during the last quarter. Finally, State of Tennessee Department of Treasury raised its holdings in 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 worth $419,000 after purchasing an additional 1,859 shares during the last quarter. 89.15% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Cars.com Company Profile

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.