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Cars.com (CARS) Reports Q1 Earnings: What Key Metrics Have to Say

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For the quarter ended March 2026, Cars.com (CARS - Free Report) reported revenue of $180.22 million, up 0.7% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $0.45, compared to $0.37 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $180.03 million, representing a surprise of +0.11%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of -6.25%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $0.48.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.

Here is how Cars.com performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:
  • Monthly Average Revenue Per Dealer (ARPD): $2,473.00 versus the two-analyst average estimate of $2,477.50.
  • Dealer Customers: 19,390 versus the two-analyst average estimate of 19,537.
  • Revenue- Dealer: $163.01 million versus $162.12 million estimated by two analysts on average. Compared to the year-ago quarter, this number represents a +2.4% change.
  • Revenue- Other: $2.94 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $3.05 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -18.4%.
  • Revenue- OEM and National: $14.28 million versus the two-analyst average estimate of $15.04 million. The reported number represents a year-over-year change of -12.3%.

View all Key Company Metrics for Cars.com here>>>

Shares of Cars.com have returned +21.6% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +11.4% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), indicating that it could outperform the broader market in the near term.

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