Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) Downgraded by Sanford C. Bernstein to Market Perform

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) was downgraded by investment analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research note issued on Friday, Benzinga reports. They currently have a $65.00 target price on the stock, up from their previous target price of $60.00. Sanford C. Bernstein‘s price objective would indicate a potential upside of 15.30% from the stock’s current price.

CART has been the topic of a number of other reports. Guggenheim raised their price objective on shares of Maplebear from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, August 7th. Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of Maplebear in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $59.00 price objective on the stock. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Maplebear from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Oppenheimer upped their price objective on shares of Maplebear from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities started coverage on Maplebear in a research report on Tuesday, September 1st. They set a “neutral” rating and a $55.00 price target on the stock. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and eleven have issued a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $58.33.

Maplebear Price Performance

Shares of CART traded down $0.73 during trading hours on Friday, hitting $56.38. The stock had a trading volume of 6,289,867 shares, compared to its average volume of 4,708,924. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.05 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.85, a P/E/G ratio of 1.15 and a beta of 0.87. Maplebear has a 52 week low of $32.73 and a 52 week high of $62.00. The company’s fifty day moving average is $48.94 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.23.

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by ($0.03). The business had revenue of $1.09 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $1.07 billion. Maplebear had a net margin of 11.97% and a return on equity of 20.19%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.42 earnings per share. Equities analysts predict that Maplebear will post 2.31 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Maplebear news, CAO Lisa Blackwood-Kapral sold 3,016 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.58, for a total transaction of $149,533.28. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 34,699 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,720,376.42. This trade represents a 8.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Chris Rogers sold 24,665 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, October 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $60.00, for a total value of $1,479,900.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 867,911 shares in the company, valued at $52,074,660. The trade was a 2.76% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders sold 309,928 shares of company stock valued at $16,121,073. Insiders own 24.00% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Maplebear

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

Key Stories Impacting Maplebear

Here are the key news stories impacting Maplebear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DoorDash agreed to acquire Maplebear in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $17 billion, providing shareholders with a potential exit near $65 per share. The deal could deliver a substantial premium if it closes. DoorDash to acquire Instacart for $17B
• Positive Sentiment: Instacart reported solid operating growth in the third quarter: gross transaction volume increased 15%, revenue rose approximately 17% to about $1.1 billion, GAAP net income reached $147 million, and adjusted EBITDA climbed 23% to $342 million. Instacart Announces Third Quarter 2026 Financial Results
• Positive Sentiment: The combination could create scale in restaurant and grocery delivery, with management targeting at least $500 million in operational efficiencies and a stronger competitive position against Amazon and Walmart.
• Neutral Sentiment: Several shareholder law firms are investigating whether the $65 offer fairly values Maplebear and whether directors fulfilled their fiduciary duties. These investigations do not necessarily change the transaction terms but add legal and deal-completion uncertainty. CART Stock Alert shareholder investigation
• Negative Sentiment: Antitrust concerns are the main overhang. DoorDash already has a leading restaurant-delivery position, while Instacart is a major grocery-delivery platform; regulators and local officials have warned that the merger could reduce competition, increase prices, or weaken gig-worker bargaining power. Closing is not expected until late 2027 or early 2028, creating a lengthy period of regulatory and execution risk. DoorDash’s $17 billion bet on Instacart faces a long regulatory road ahead
• Negative Sentiment: Maplebear’s quarterly EPS of $0.60 missed consensus estimates near $0.63-$0.64, and the company suspended forward guidance and canceled its scheduled earnings call following the acquisition announcement. Maplebear Q3 earnings miss estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Citizens JMP, Barclays, Needham and Cantor Fitzgerald each downgraded the stock, with Barclays cutting its price target to $65 from $77. The broad shift toward neutral or hold ratings signals reduced conviction in additional standalone upside while the merger is pending.

Maplebear Company Profile

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.