# Cars.com Inc. Common Stock (CARS) fundamentals

Data as of 2026-09-08. NYSE, United States. Sector: Consumer Cyclical / Automobiles. Price $11.73, market value $628 million.

## Valuation
- **P/E (trailing): 20.6×** (5-yr avg 47.1×, 3-yr avg 24.4×). Cars.com Inc. Common Stock trades at 20.6× trailing earnings, well below its own five-year average of 47.1×: cheap by its own standards. The Consumer Cyclical median in the September 2026 study was 19.5×. Forward P/E is 4.5×, lower than trailing, so analysts expect earnings to grow.
- **Price / sales: 0.9×**. Each dollar of revenue is priced at 0.9×, a low multiple typical of thin-margin businesses or out-of-favour stocks.
- **Price / book: 1.4×**. The shares trade at 1.4× book value; book value is a meaningful part of the valuation.
- **EV / EBITDA: 6.5×**. Enterprise value is 6.5× operating earnings before depreciation, the multiple that ignores how the company is financed; below 8× is inexpensive for most sectors.
- **Free-cash-flow yield: 23.9%** (5-yr avg 13.5%). Free cash flow equals 23.9% of the market value, above its five-year average of 13.5%, so the shares are cheaper on cash than they have usually been. Above 5% is generally attractive.
- **Earnings yield: 4.9%**. The inverse of the P/E: 4.9% of the price is earned each year.

## Profitability
- **Operating margin: 11.4%**. 11.4% of revenue is left after running the business.
- **Net margin: 2.8%**. 2.8% of each dollar of sales reaches the bottom line.
- **Return on equity: 4.2%**. 4.2% on shareholders' equity is weak; the business earns little on the capital its owners have in it.
- **Return on invested capital: 7.6%**. Return on all capital, debt included, is 7.6%.
- **Return on assets: 3.2%**. Each dollar of assets produces 3.2% of profit.

## Growth
- **Revenue growth (1 yr): 0.6%** (3-yr 3.4%/yr, 5-yr 5.7%/yr). Revenue grew 0.6% over the last year, against 5.7% a year compounded over five years: growth is slowing.
- **EPS growth (1 yr): -55.6%** (3-yr 8.6%/yr). Earnings per share fell 55.6%, slower than revenue, so margins compressed.
- **Free-cash-flow growth (3 yr): 5.2%/yr**. Free cash flow has compounded at 5.2% a year over three years, keeping pace with earnings: the growth is real cash.

## Financial health
- **Debt to equity: 0.96**. Debt is 0.96 times equity, moderate leverage.
- **Net debt / EBITDA: 2.5×**. It would take 2.5 years of operating earnings to repay net borrowings, within the comfortable range.
- **Altman Z-score: 2.13**. A Z-score of 2.13 is in the grey zone; not distressed, not clearly safe.
- **Piotroski F-score: 5/9**. 5 of 9 checks pass: mixed.

## Dividends
- **Dividend: none**. Cars.com Inc. Common Stock does not currently pay a dividend.

## Analyst view
- **Analyst consensus: hold** (7 analysts). 7 analysts cover Cars.com Inc. Common Stock; the consensus is hold, with an average price target of $13.71 (+17% from the current price). Analyst opinion is shown for context; it is not part of the Fundamental Score.

## Price and momentum
- **Total return (1 yr): -13.9%** (YTD -3.9%, 3-mo 27.4%). The shares are down 13.9% over twelve months including dividends.
- **From 52-week high: -15.3%** (58.5% above the low). Trading 15% below its 52-week high.
- **200-day average: above**. The price sits above its 200-day moving average, the usual definition of an uptrend.
- **RSI (14-day): 47**. An RSI of 47 is neutral.
- **Beta (1 yr): 0.93** (volatility 46%). Beta of 0.93 against the S&P 500: the shares move roughly with the market.

Live score and charts: https://foliofundamentals.com/analyzer?s=CARS · Page: https://foliofundamentals.com/stocks/cars

Not investment advice.