Cars.Com Financials
This page shows Cars.Com (CARS) financial statements, including the income statement, balance sheet, cash flow statement, and key financial ratios. View 11 years of annual fundamentals and quarterly data, with year-over-year growth rates and compound annual growth rates (CAGR). All figures are derived from SEC filings (10-K and 10-Q reports).
Financial Health Signals
Based on FY2025 annual data. Scores normalized against common benchmarks. How we calculate these scores
Cars.Com has an operating margin of 8.3%, meaning the company retains $8 of operating profit per $100 of revenue. This results in a moderate score of 41/100, indicating healthy but not exceptional operating efficiency. This is up from 7.4% the prior year.
Cars.Com's revenue grew a modest 0.6% year-over-year to $723.2M. This slow but positive growth earns a score of 34/100.
Cars.Com carries a low D/E ratio of 0.96, meaning only $0.96 of long-term debt for every $1 of shareholders' equity. This conservative leverage earns a score of 83/100, indicating a strong balance sheet with room for future borrowing.
Cars.Com's current ratio of 1.87 indicates adequate short-term liquidity, earning a score of 33/100. The company can meet its near-term obligations, though with limited headroom.
Cars.Com converts 20.4% of revenue into free cash flow ($147.4M). This strong cash generation earns a score of 76/100.
Cars.Com generates a 4.2% ROE, indicating limited profit relative to shareholders' investment. This results in a returns score of 21/100. This is down from 9.4% the prior year.
Cars.Com scores 0.23, below the 1.81 distress threshold. The score is driven primarily by a large market capitalization ($484.3M) relative to total liabilities ($589.9M). This indicates elevated financial distress risk and warrants close attention to liquidity and debt levels.
Cars.Com passes 6 of 9 financial strength tests. 3 of 4 profitability signals pass, 2 of 3 leverage/liquidity signals pass, both operating efficiency signals pass.
For every $1 of reported earnings, Cars.Com generates $7.56 in operating cash flow ($151.6M OCF vs $20.1M net income). This indicates profits are well-supported by actual cash generation, not accounting adjustments.
Cars.Com earns $2.0 in operating income for every $1 of interest expense ($60.3M vs $30.4M). This narrow margin raises concern about the company's ability to service its debt if operating income declines.
Key Financial Metrics
Earnings & Revenue
Cars.Com generated $723.2M in revenue in fiscal year 2025. This represents an increase of 0.6% from the prior year.
Cars.Com's EBITDA was $152.1M in fiscal year 2025, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization. This represents a decrease of 5.3% from the prior year.
Cars.Com reported $20.1M in net income in fiscal year 2025. This represents a decrease of 58.4% from the prior year.
Cars.Com earned $0.32 per diluted share (EPS) in fiscal year 2025. This represents a decrease of 55.6% from the prior year.
Cash & Balance Sheet
Cars.Com generated $147.4M in free cash flow in fiscal year 2025, representing cash available after capex. This represents a decrease of 1.5% from the prior year.
Cars.Com held $56.2M in cash against $451.5M in long-term debt as of fiscal year 2025.
Cars.Com had 59M shares outstanding in fiscal year 2025. This represents a decrease of 8.9% from the prior year.
Margins & Returns
Cars.Com's operating margin was 8.3% in fiscal year 2025, reflecting core business profitability. This is up 0.9 percentage points from the prior year.
Cars.Com's net profit margin was 2.8% in fiscal year 2025, showing the share of revenue converted to profit. This is down 3.9 percentage points from the prior year.
Cars.Com's ROE was 4.2% in fiscal year 2025, measuring profit generated per dollar of shareholder equity. This is down 5.2 percentage points from the prior year.
Capital Allocation
Cars.Com spent $86.9M on share buybacks in fiscal year 2025, returning capital to shareholders by reducing shares outstanding. This represents an increase of 76.7% from the prior year.
Cars.Com invested $4.3M in capex in fiscal year 2025, funding long-term assets and infrastructure. This represents an increase of 42.9% from the prior year.
CARS Income Statement
| Metric | Q4'25 | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q4'24 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $183.9M+1.3% | $181.6M+1.6% | $178.7M-0.2% | $179.0M-0.8% | $180.4M+0.4% | $179.7M+0.4% | $178.9M-0.7% | $180.2M |
| Cost of Revenue | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gross Profit | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| R&D Expenses | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| SG&A Expenses | $19.2M-20.9% | $24.3M+12.2% | $21.7M-16.2% | $25.9M+55.6% | $16.6M-22.7% | $21.5M-6.4% | $23.0M+0.5% | $22.9M |
| Operating Income | $21.7M+29.4% | $16.8M+10.2% | $15.2M+136.0% | $6.5M-67.3% | $19.8M+72.7% | $11.5M+20.4% | $9.5M-25.3% | $12.7M |
| Interest Expense | -$7.4M+2.5% | -$7.6M+0.2% | -$7.6M+0.3% | -$7.7M+0.9% | -$7.7M+3.6% | -$8.0M+1.0% | -$8.1M+2.5% | -$8.3M |
| Income Tax | $7.5M+145.4% | $3.0M+2.9% | $3.0M+279.4% | $780K-72.2% | $2.8M-51.9% | $5.8M+16.0% | $5.0M+13836.1% | $36K |
| Net Income | $7.4M-3.4% | $7.7M+9.3% | $7.0M+448.2% | -$2.0M-111.6% | $17.3M-7.6% | $18.7M+64.5% | $11.4M+1351.7% | $784K |
| EPS (Diluted) | N/A | $0.12+9.1% | $0.11+466.7% | $-0.03 | N/A | $0.28+64.7% | $0.17+1600.0% | $0.01 |
CARS Balance Sheet
| Metric | Q4'25 | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q4'24 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1.1B-0.8% | $1.1B+0.6% | $1.1B-1.8% | $1.1B-2.5% | $1.1B-0.6% | $1.1B-0.2% | $1.1B-2.0% | $1.1B |
| Current Assets | $211.6M-0.4% | $212.4M+18.2% | $179.6M-1.7% | $182.7M-14.7% | $214.3M+7.2% | $199.9M+12.3% | $178.1M+0.5% | $177.2M |
| Cash & Equivalents | $56.2M+2.1% | $55.1M+98.8% | $27.7M-11.9% | $31.4M-38.0% | $50.7M+2.2% | $49.6M+70.5% | $29.1M-7.3% | $31.4M |
| Inventory | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Accounts Receivable | $131.9M+2.4% | $128.8M-3.0% | $132.9M+1.4% | $131.0M-2.1% | $133.7M+6.8% | $125.2M-2.6% | $128.5M+2.3% | $125.7M |
| Goodwill | $167.2M+0.4% | $166.6M-0.6% | $167.6M+1.4% | $165.2M+15.3% | $143.3M-1.8% | $145.8M+0.3% | $145.4M-0.5% | $146.1M |
| Total Liabilities | $589.9M-0.7% | $593.8M+2.1% | $581.4M-2.1% | $593.8M-1.1% | $600.4M-2.5% | $616.1M-1.2% | $623.7M-5.7% | $661.7M |
| Current Liabilities | $113.4M-2.9% | $116.8M+18.1% | $98.9M-10.8% | $111.0M-5.1% | $116.9M+4.9% | $111.4M-4.5% | $116.6M+6.6% | $109.4M |
| Long-Term Debt | $451.5M+0.1% | $451.2M-1.0% | $455.9M+0.1% | $455.6M+0.1% | $455.3M-2.1% | $465.0M-1.0% | $469.7M-0.9% | $473.8M |
| Total Equity | $472.5M-1.1% | $477.6M-1.2% | $483.2M-1.4% | $489.9M-4.2% | $511.5M+1.8% | $502.4M+1.1% | $496.9M+3.2% | $481.4M |
| Retained Earnings | -$941.5M+0.8% | -$948.9M+0.8% | -$956.5M+0.7% | -$963.6M-0.2% | -$961.5M+1.8% | -$978.9M+1.9% | -$997.6M+1.1% | -$1.0B |
CARS Cash Flow Statement
| Metric | Q4'25 | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q4'24 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $37.1M-36.9% | $58.8M+124.3% | $26.2M-11.0% | $29.5M-1.8% | $30.0M-44.2% | $53.8M+52.6% | $35.3M+5.3% | $33.5M |
| Capital Expenditures | $385K-31.1% | $559K-77.9% | $2.5M+212.1% | $811K-15.0% | $954K+0.7% | $947K+142.2% | $391K-44.8% | $708K |
| Free Cash Flow | $36.7M-37.0% | $58.3M+145.9% | $23.7M-17.3% | $28.6M-1.4% | $29.1M-45.0% | $52.8M+51.6% | $34.9M+6.4% | $32.8M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -$14.1M-127.2% | -$6.2M+26.1% | -$8.4M+59.5% | -$20.7M-272.7% | -$5.6M+15.0% | -$6.5M-0.9% | -$6.5M-7.8% | -$6.0M |
| Financing Cash Flow | -$22.1M+12.6% | -$25.2M-14.9% | -$22.0M+19.8% | -$27.4M-19.6% | -$22.9M+14.6% | -$26.8M+13.5% | -$31.0M+11.9% | -$35.2M |
| Dividends Paid | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Share Buybacks | $22.6M+14.6% | $19.7M-14.8% | $23.1M+7.3% | $21.5M+59.6% | $13.5M-36.7% | $21.3M+304.9% | $5.3M-42.1% | $9.1M |
CARS Financial Ratios
| Metric | Q4'25 | Q3'25 | Q2'25 | Q1'25 | Q4'24 | Q3'24 | Q2'24 | Q1'24 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Operating Margin | 11.8%+2.6pp | 9.3%+0.7pp | 8.5%+4.9pp | 3.6%-7.4pp | 11.0%+4.6pp | 6.4%+1.1pp | 5.3%-1.8pp | 7.1% |
| Net Margin | 4.0%-0.2pp | 4.2%+0.3pp | 3.9%+5.0pp | -1.1%-10.7pp | 9.6%-0.8pp | 10.4%+4.1pp | 6.4%+5.9pp | 0.4% |
| Return on Equity | 1.6%-0.0pp | 1.6%+0.1pp | 1.5%+1.9pp | -0.4%-3.8pp | 3.4%-0.4pp | 3.7%+1.4pp | 2.3%+2.1pp | 0.2% |
| Return on Assets | 0.7%-0.0pp | 0.7%+0.1pp | 0.7%+0.9pp | -0.2%-1.7pp | 1.6%-0.1pp | 1.7%+0.6pp | 1.0%+1.0pp | 0.1% |
| Current Ratio | 1.87+0.0 | 1.820.0 | 1.82+0.2 | 1.65-0.2 | 1.83+0.0 | 1.79+0.3 | 1.53-0.1 | 1.62 |
| Debt-to-Equity | 0.96+0.0 | 0.940.0 | 0.94+0.0 | 0.93+0.0 | 0.89-0.0 | 0.93-0.0 | 0.95-0.0 | 0.98 |
| FCF Margin | 20.0%-12.1pp | 32.1%+18.8pp | 13.3%-2.7pp | 16.0%-0.1pp | 16.1%-13.3pp | 29.4%+9.9pp | 19.5%+1.3pp | 18.2% |
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cars.Com's annual revenue?
Cars.Com (CARS) reported $723.2M in total revenue for fiscal year 2025. This represents a 0.6% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Revenue measures the total income earned from the company's primary business operations before any expenses are deducted.
How fast is Cars.Com's revenue growing?
Cars.Com (CARS) revenue grew by 0.6% year-over-year, from $719.2M to $723.2M in fiscal year 2025.
Is Cars.Com profitable?
Yes, Cars.Com (CARS) reported a net income of $20.1M in fiscal year 2025, with a net profit margin of 2.8%.
What is Cars.Com's EBITDA?
Cars.Com (CARS) had EBITDA of $152.1M in fiscal year 2025, measuring earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization.
How much debt does Cars.Com have?
As of fiscal year 2025, Cars.Com (CARS) had $56.2M in cash and equivalents against $451.5M in long-term debt.
What is Cars.Com's operating margin?
Cars.Com (CARS) had an operating margin of 8.3% in fiscal year 2025, reflecting the profitability of core business operations before interest and taxes.
What is Cars.Com's net profit margin?
Cars.Com (CARS) had a net profit margin of 2.8% in fiscal year 2025, representing the share of revenue converted into profit after all expenses.
What is Cars.Com's return on equity (ROE)?
Cars.Com (CARS) has a return on equity of 4.2% for fiscal year 2025, measuring how efficiently the company generates profit from shareholder equity.
What is Cars.Com's free cash flow?
Cars.Com (CARS) generated $147.4M in free cash flow during fiscal year 2025. This represents a -1.5% change compared to the previous fiscal year. Free cash flow represents the cash a company generates after accounting for capital expenditures, and is widely used to assess financial flexibility and shareholder value.
What is Cars.Com's operating cash flow?
Cars.Com (CARS) generated $151.6M in operating cash flow during fiscal year 2025, representing cash generated from core business activities.
What are Cars.Com's total assets?
Cars.Com (CARS) had $1.1B in total assets as of fiscal year 2025, including both current and long-term assets.
What are Cars.Com's capital expenditures?
Cars.Com (CARS) invested $4.3M in capital expenditures during fiscal year 2025, funding long-term assets and infrastructure.
What is Cars.Com's current ratio?
Cars.Com (CARS) had a current ratio of 1.87 as of fiscal year 2025, which is generally considered healthy.
What is Cars.Com's debt-to-equity ratio?
Cars.Com (CARS) had a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.96 as of fiscal year 2025, measuring the company's financial leverage by comparing total debt to shareholder equity.
What is Cars.Com's return on assets (ROA)?
Cars.Com (CARS) had a return on assets of 1.9% for fiscal year 2025, measuring how efficiently the company uses its assets to generate profit.
What is Cars.Com's Altman Z-Score?
Cars.Com (CARS) has an Altman Z-Score of 0.23, placing it in the Distress Zone (elevated bankruptcy risk). The Z-Score combines five financial ratios—working capital, retained earnings, EBIT, market capitalization, and revenue relative to total assets—to predict the likelihood of bankruptcy. Scores above 2.99 indicate financial safety while scores below 1.81 suggest financial distress. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
What is Cars.Com's Piotroski F-Score?
Cars.Com (CARS) has a Piotroski F-Score of 6 out of 9, indicating neutral financial health. The F-Score evaluates nine binary signals across profitability (positive ROA, positive cash flow, improving ROA, earnings quality), leverage (decreasing debt, improving liquidity, no share dilution), and operating efficiency (improving gross margin, improving asset turnover). Scores of 7–9 indicate strong and improving fundamentals. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
Are Cars.Com's earnings high quality?
Cars.Com (CARS) has an earnings quality ratio of 7.56x, considered cash-backed (high quality). This ratio compares operating cash flow to net income. A ratio above 1.0x means the company generates more cash than its reported earnings, indicating sustainable, cash-backed profits. Ratios below 1.0x suggest earnings rely on accounting accruals rather than actual cash generation. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
Can Cars.Com cover its interest payments?
Cars.Com (CARS) has an interest coverage ratio of 2.0x, meaning it can struggle to cover its interest obligations. This ratio divides operating income by interest expense. Ratios above 5x indicate strong debt-servicing ability, while ratios below 2x suggest the company may face difficulty meeting interest payments if earnings decline. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.
How financially healthy is Cars.Com?
Cars.Com (CARS) scores 48 out of 100 on our Financial Profile, indicating moderate overall financial health. This composite score evaluates six dimensions: profitability (operating margin), revenue growth, leverage (debt-to-equity), liquidity (current ratio), cash flow quality (free cash flow margin), and shareholder returns (return on equity). Each dimension is normalized against standard financial benchmarks. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.