Cars.Com Financials
Cars.Com (CARS) reported $723.2M in revenue for fiscal year 2025, up 0.6% from the prior fiscal year. This page shows its 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).
Cars.com runs a cash-generative, low-capex model where accounting earnings understate the business's recurring cash output and capital returns shape the story.
In the latest year, operating cash flow was$151.6M against net income of just$20.1M , which implies reported profit is being pulled around far more by accounting charges than by weak cash collection. Depreciation and amortization of$91.8M versus capex of only$4.3M shows why that happens: earnings absorb heavy non-cash expense, but the business does not need comparable reinvestment to keep free cash flow strong.
Management is using much of that surplus cash for share repurchases, with buybacks rising from
Recent top-line growth is doing more stabilizing than leveraging the income statement. Revenue moved from
Financial Health Signals
Scored against operating companies for FY2025. Each of the six dimensions is a percentile rank within that peer group; the overall is their average, with missing dimensions counted as zero out of six. A high score means strong standing among peers, not absolute cross-industry strength. How this score is calculated →
Health score ≠ stock price. This rates the quality of Cars.Com's business: profitability, growth, balance sheet strength. It doesn't tell you whether the stock is a good buy at today's price. Not financial advice. Use it alongside valuation analysis and your own research.
Cars.Com has an operating margin of 8.3%, meaning the company retains $8 of operating profit per $100 of revenue. This strong profitability earns a score of 71/100, reflecting efficient cost management and pricing power. 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 40/100.
Cars.Com has elevated debt relative to equity (D/E of 0.96), meaning the company relies heavily on borrowed funds. This high leverage results in a low score of 24/100, reflecting increased financial risk.
Cars.Com's current ratio of 1.87 indicates adequate short-term liquidity, earning a score of 54/100. 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 87/100.
Cars.Com earns a strong 4.3% return on equity (ROE), meaning it generates $4 of profit for every $100 of shareholders' equity. This efficient capital use earns a returns score of 65/100. This is down from 9.4% the prior year.
Cars.Com scores 0.42, below the 1.81 distress threshold. The score is driven primarily by a large market capitalization ($665.9M) relative to total liabilities ($589.9M). This indicates elevated financial distress risk and warrants close attention to liquidity and debt levels.
Distress-screening estimate for non-financial companies. Not computed for banks or insurers, where the Altman model does not apply.
Cars.Com passes 6 of 8 computable financial strength tests (1 of the nine could not be computed from available data). 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 $7.54 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 $1.98 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 58.3% 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.
Not reported for fiscal year 2025.
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 4.3% in fiscal year 2025, measuring profit generated per dollar of shareholder equity. This is down 5.2 percentage points from the prior year.
Not reported for fiscal year 2025.
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.
Not reported for fiscal year 2025.
CARS Income Statement
Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.
| Metric | TTM | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $725.6M | $723.2M+0.6% | $719.2M+4.3% | $689.2M+5.4% | $653.9M+4.8% | $623.7M+13.9% | $547.5M-9.8% | $606.7M-8.4% | $662.1M+5.7% | $626.3M-1.1% | $633.1M+6.1% | $596.5M |
| Cost of Revenue | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $90.4M+38.0% | $65.5M+15.4% | $56.8M+22.2% | $46.5M |
| Gross Profit | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | $571.7M+2.0% | $560.7M-2.7% | $576.3M+4.8% | $550.0M |
| SG&A Expenses | $88.5M | $91.1M+8.5% | $84.0M+15.0% | $73.0M+8.0% | $67.6M-8.1% | $73.6M+24.6% | $59.1M-20.0% | $73.8M+1.1% | $72.9M+62.4% | $44.9M+87.7% | $23.9M+5.1% | $22.8M |
| Operating Income | $83.1M | $60.3M+12.6% | $53.5M-1.1% | $54.1M-18.1% | $66.0M+36.6% | $48.3M+105.4% | -$887.3M-98.9% | -$446.1M-631.5% | $83.9M-37.5% | $134.3M-24.0% | $176.7M+12.0% | $157.7M |
| Interest Expense | -$29.7M | -$30.4M+5.6% | -$32.2M+0.7% | -$32.4M+8.2% | -$35.3M+8.8% | -$38.7M-2.3% | -$37.9M-23.0% | -$30.8M-11.0% | -$27.7M-124.0% | -$12.4M-13260.6% | $94K+2250.0% | $4K |
| Income Tax | $19.5M | $14.3M+4.2% | $13.7M+113.6% | -$100.3M-1968.5% | $5.4M+510.6% | -$1.3M+99.1% | -$147.3M-391.7% | -$30.0M-265.3% | $18.1M+117.7% | -$102.3M-17494.7% | $588K | N/A |
| Net Income | $34.3M | $20.1M-58.3% | $48.2M-59.3% | $118.4M+588.4% | $17.2M+59.3% | $10.8M+101.4% | -$789.1M-77.2% | -$445.3M-1247.5% | $38.8M-82.7% | $224.4M+27.3% | $176.4M+11.7% | $157.8M |
| EPS (Diluted) | — | $0.32-55.6% | $0.72-58.6% | $1.74+596.0% | $0.25+66.7% | $0.15+101.3% | -$11.74-76.5% | -$6.65-1309.1% | $0.55-82.4% | $3.13+27.2% | $2.46+11.8% | $2.20 |
Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: R&D Expenses.
TTM is the trailing twelve months, Q3 FY2025 through Q2 FY2026, summed from the four most recent quarterly filings. A row marked — cannot be summed at all, because a quarter in the window reports no per-share figure; a row marked N/A could be summed, but a quarter in the window does not report that metric.
CARS Balance Sheet
Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.
| Metric | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total Assets | $1.1B-4.4% | $1.1B-5.2% | $1.2B+14.4% | $1.0B+1.8% | $1.0B-6.4% | $1.1B-47.0% | $2.0B-22.0% | $2.6B+3.6% | $2.5B-1.4% | $2.5B | N/A |
| Current Assets | $211.6M-1.3% | $214.3M+20.1% | $178.4M+20.1% | $148.6M+0.8% | $147.4M-17.2% | $178.1M+45.4% | $122.4M-20.5% | $153.9M+7.9% | $142.6M+19.3% | $119.5M | N/A |
| Cash & Equivalents | $56.2M+11.0% | $50.7M+29.3% | $39.2M+23.6% | $31.7M-18.8% | $39.1M-42.3% | $67.7M+399.8% | $13.5M-46.8% | $25.5M+23.8% | $20.6M+131.1% | $8.9M+8796.0% | $100K |
| Accounts Receivable | $131.9M-1.3% | $133.7M+6.7% | $125.4M+16.2% | $107.9M+9.1% | $98.9M+5.6% | $93.6M-8.0% | $101.8M-6.6% | $108.9M+8.0% | $100.9M+2.6% | $98.3M | N/A |
| Goodwill | $167.2M+16.7% | $143.3M-2.6% | $147.1M+43.0% | $102.9M+292.2% | $26.2M | $0-100.0% | $505.9M-42.8% | $884.4M+12.2% | $788.1M0.0% | $788.1M | N/A |
| Total Liabilities | $589.9M-1.7% | $600.4M-11.8% | $680.3M+6.2% | $640.4M+5.1% | $609.2M-17.2% | $735.5M-17.1% | $886.9M-8.9% | $973.6M+17.0% | $831.9M+540.0% | $130.0M | N/A |
| Current Liabilities | $113.4M-3.0% | $116.9M-19.8% | $145.7M+37.5% | $106.0M+12.4% | $94.3M+4.3% | $90.4M-8.5% | $98.8M-10.8% | $110.7M+22.8% | $90.1M+25.2% | $72.0M | N/A |
| Long-Term Debt | $451.5M-0.8% | $455.3M-1.0% | $460.1M+0.4% | $458.2M+0.2% | $457.4M-20.6% | $576.1M-5.7% | $611.3M-8.1% | $665.3M+19.4% | $557.2M | N/A | N/A |
| Total Equity | $472.5M-7.6% | $511.5M+3.9% | $492.1M+28.0% | $384.4M-3.4% | $398.0M+8.1% | $368.2M-67.7% | $1.1B-29.9% | $1.6B-3.1% | $1.7B-30.5% | $2.4B+4.9% | $2.3B |
| Retained Earnings | -$941.5M+2.1% | -$961.5M+4.8% | -$1.0B+10.5% | -$1.1B+1.5% | -$1.1B+0.9% | -$1.2B-215.0% | -$367.1M-410.4% | $118.2M-33.0% | $176.6M | N/A | N/A |
Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: Inventory.
CARS Cash Flow Statement
Figures in USD, abbreviated K (thousand), M (million), B (billion), T (trillion). Negative values carry a minus sign and red type.
| Metric | TTM | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating Cash Flow | $151.6M | $151.6M-0.6% | $152.5M+11.6% | $136.7M+6.4% | $128.5M-6.9% | $138.0M-0.4% | $138.6M+36.6% | $101.5M-37.9% | $163.5M-12.0% | $185.9M-6.6% | $199.2M+4.8% | $190.1M |
| Capital Expenditures | $1.8M | $4.3M+42.9% | $3.0M+134.4% | $1.3M-30.0% | $1.8M+26.0% | $1.5M-91.3% | $16.7M-21.4% | $21.3M+49.4% | $14.2M-56.6% | $32.8M+237.8% | $9.7M+6.5% | $9.1M |
| Free Cash Flow | $149.8M | $147.4M-1.5% | $149.5M+10.4% | $135.4M+6.9% | $126.7M-7.2% | $136.6M+12.0% | $121.9M+51.9% | $80.2M-46.3% | $149.3M-2.5% | $153.2M-19.2% | $189.5M+4.7% | $180.9M |
| Investing Cash Flow | -$32.4M | -$49.4M-100.8% | -$24.6M+74.7% | -$97.0M-15.0% | -$84.4M-113.9% | -$39.5M-136.1% | -$16.7M+23.5% | -$21.9M+87.2% | -$171.4M-422.9% | -$32.8M+74.1% | -$126.8M | N/A |
| Financing Cash Flow | -$113.5M | -$96.6M+16.7% | -$116.0M-265.2% | -$31.7M+38.3% | -$51.5M+59.5% | -$127.2M-87.8% | -$67.7M+26.0% | -$91.5M-819.3% | $12.7M+109.0% | -$141.5M-122.5% | -$63.6M | N/A |
| Share Buybacks | $99.7M | $86.9M+76.7% | $49.2M+57.2% | $31.3M-36.1% | $49.0M | $0 | $0-100.0% | $40.0M-58.8% | $97.2M | $0 | N/A | N/A |
Not reported in any period shown, so not listed: Dividends Paid.
TTM is the trailing twelve months, Q3 FY2025 through Q2 FY2026, summed from the four most recent quarterly filings. A row marked — cannot be summed at all, because a quarter in the window reports no per-share figure; a row marked N/A could be summed, but a quarter in the window does not report that metric.
CARS Financial Ratios
Margins and returns are percentages; the remaining ratios are unitless multiples.
| Metric | FY25 | FY24 | FY23 | FY22 | FY21 | FY20 | FY19 | FY18 | FY17 | FY16 | FY15 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gross Margin | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | N/A | 86.3%-3.2pp | 89.5%-1.5pp | 91.0%-1.2pp | 92.2% |
| Operating Margin | 8.3%+0.9pp | 7.4%-0.4pp | 7.8%-2.3pp | 10.1%+2.4pp | 7.8% | -162.1% | -73.5%-86.2pp | 12.7%-8.8pp | 21.4%-6.5pp | 27.9%+1.5pp | 26.4% |
| Net Margin | 2.8%-3.9pp | 6.7%-10.5pp | 17.2%+14.6pp | 2.6%+0.9pp | 1.7% | -144.1% | -73.4%-79.3pp | 5.9%-30.0pp | 35.8%+8.0pp | 27.9%+1.4pp | 26.5% |
| Return on Equity | 4.3%-5.2pp | 9.4%-14.6pp | 24.1%+19.6pp | 4.5%+1.8pp | 2.7%+217.0pp | -214.3%-175.3pp | -39.0%-41.4pp | 2.4%-11.0pp | 13.4%+6.1pp | 7.3%+0.4pp | 6.9% |
| Return on Assets | 1.9%-2.5pp | 4.3%-5.8pp | 10.1%+8.4pp | 1.7%+0.6pp | 1.1%+74.4pp | -73.4%-51.4pp | -22.0%-23.4pp | 1.5%-7.4pp | 8.9%+2.0pp | 6.9% | N/A |
| Current Ratio | 1.870.0x | 1.83+0.6x | 1.22-0.2x | 1.40-0.2x | 1.56-0.4x | 1.97+0.7x | 1.24-0.2x | 1.39-0.2x | 1.58-0.1x | 1.66 | N/A |
| Debt-to-Equity | 0.96+0.1x | 0.890.0x | 0.94-0.3x | 1.190.0x | 1.15-0.4x | 1.56+1.0x | 0.54+0.1x | 0.41+0.1x | 0.33+0.3x | 0.05 | N/A |
| FCF Margin | 20.4%-0.4pp | 20.8%+1.1pp | 19.7%+0.3pp | 19.4%-2.5pp | 21.9%-0.4pp | 22.3%+9.0pp | 13.2%-9.3pp | 22.6%-1.9pp | 24.5%-5.5pp | 29.9%-0.4pp | 30.3% |
Reported as filed but not readable as a share of revenue in the periods where the ratio runs further from zero than a revenue base allows; no change figure is given where either compared period is one of those: Operating Margin, Net Margin.
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Where Cars.Com Ranks
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 4.3% 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 0.42, 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 8 computable signals; 1 of the nine could not be computed from available data, so the full-scale strength rating is not shown. 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 to 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 7.54x, 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 1.98x, 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 57 out of 100 on our Financial Health Score, indicating moderate standing within its operating companies peer group. The score is a 0-100 composite of six dimensions (Profitability, Growth, Leverage, Liquidity, Cash Flow, Returns), each ranked as a percentile relative to companies in the same scoring family (banks against banks, REITs against REITs, and so on) rather than across all industries. It rates the quality of the business, not whether the stock is fairly priced, and is not financial advice. Learn more in our complete guide to financial health indicators.