Cars.com Inc. (CARS) Earnings
Cars.com Inc. is expected to report next earnings on August 6, 2026 (in NaN days), with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.49. CARS has beaten EPS estimates in 2 of its last 12 reported quarters (average surprise -24.9% over the last four).
| Report date | EPS est | EPS actual | Surprise | Revenue | Rev. surprise |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 7, 2026 | $0.48 | $0.45 | -6.2% | $180M | +0.0% |
| Feb 26, 2026 | $0.56 | $0.12 | -78.6% | $184M | +0.3% |
| Nov 6, 2025 | $0.50 | $0.48 | -4.0% | $182M | -1.0% |
| Aug 7, 2025 | $0.46 | $0.41 | -10.9% | $179M | -1.7% |
| May 8, 2025 | $0.39 | $0.37 | -5.1% | $179M | -2.3% |
| Feb 27, 2025 | $0.52 | $0.49 | -5.8% | $180M | -2.4% |
| Nov 7, 2024 | $0.44 | $0.41 | -6.8% | $180M | -2.3% |
| May 9, 2024 | $0.09 | $0.01 | -88.9% | $180M | +0.4% |
| Feb 22, 2024 | $0.16 | $0.12 | -25.0% | $180M | +0.7% |
| Nov 2, 2023 | $0.10 | $0.07 | -30.0% | $174M | +0.7% |
| Aug 3, 2023 | $0.10 | $1.37 | +1270.0% | $168M | -0.5% |
| May 4, 2023 | $0.06 | $0.17 | +183.3% | $167M | +0.1% |
Source: company filings + earnings calendar. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
Earnings call summary
Q1 FY2026 · May 7, 2026
AI summary of management’s prepared remarks and analyst Q&A. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.
Management highlights
Toby discussed delivering on financial commitments, taking immediate cost actions to identify $25 to $30 million of recurring annualized operating cost savings, leveraging existing assets and data to launch new features like AI integrations for authentic AI platforms and Conversational Carson. Sonia discussed revenue in line with expectations, adjusted EBITDA beating guidance, detailed cost breakdown including product and technology, marketing and sales, general and administrative expenses, and focus on product integration and innovation to drive marketplace-centric strategy.
Guidance
Second quarter revenue growth is expected to be flat to up 2% year over year. Second quarter adjusted EBITDA margin is expected to be between 28% and 29%. Full year 2026 guidance: flat to 2% revenue growth and adjusted EBITDA margin of 29% to 30%.
Segment performance
Q1 revenue was $180.2 million, up 1% year-over-year, toward the high end of guidance. Adjusted EBITDA was $51 million, up slightly year-over-year, with adjusted EBITDA margin of 28.3% exceeding guidance by over a full percentage point. Dealer revenue growth was driven by enhanced value delivery across websites and marketplace, with dealer account growth up 140 customers year-over-year. OEM and national revenue was down $2 million year over year. Operating expenses were $163.6 million, down 5% year over year, with adjusted operating expenses at $145.9 million, down 6% year-over-year.