Welcome to our dedicated page for Cars.Com news (Ticker: CARS), a resource for investors and traders seeking the latest updates and insights on Cars.Com stock.
Overview
Cars.com Inc. (NYSE: CARS) is an audience-driven automotive technology company that redefines the car buying and selling experience through innovative digital marketing and online automotive marketplace solutions. As a pivotal player in automotive digital marketing, Cars.com leverages powerful data analytics and AI-driven technologies to connect millions of in-market car shoppers with local and national dealer partners in an environment that mirrors modern car shopping behavior.
Business Model and Revenue Generation
Cars.com operates a diversified revenue model built around subscription-based services and targeted advertising. Through a suite of specialized brands, its comprehensive platform offers digital retail technology solutions, dealer reputation management, and interactive vehicle marketplaces. These offerings are designed to empower dealerships with enhanced visibility and consumer engagement, while generating consistent revenue from subscription fees and supplementary advertising campaigns across both online and mobile channels.
Platform and Technological Innovations
The Cars.com platform is a multifaceted ecosystem that unites a number of cutting-edge brands under one digital umbrella. Key brands include the flagship Cars.com website, Dealer Inspire for digital design and technology services, and AccuTrade which provides state-of-the-art trade-in and appraisal technology. By seamlessly integrating these services with advanced AI, predictive analytics, and real-time data insights, the company not only simplifies the vehicle transaction process, but also drives a more efficient and profitable operation for its dealer customers.
Market Position and Competitive Edge
In a competitive digital automotive landscape, Cars.com distinguishes itself through its holistic approach to solving complex market challenges. Its comprehensive and data-driven platform addresses the evolving needs of auto retailers and manufacturers by enhancing operational efficiency and facilitating informed consumer decisions. Cars.com’s strategy is grounded in its long-standing expertise in automotive digital marketing, underscored by a keen focus on technology integration and measurable user engagement.
Operational Excellence and Customer Focus
Focused on delivering superior user experiences and tangible business outcomes, Cars.com supports a wide range of industry stakeholders—from individual dealerships to major OEMs. The platform’s robust technology infrastructure ensures that advertisers reach over 18 million car shoppers monthly, with a sustained emphasis on dynamic digital experiences and responsive mobile solutions. Its deep industry insights and strategic investments in product innovation reinforce its commitment to keeping pace with new trends and fostering operational excellence across all facets of automotive commerce.
Integration of Services and Data-Driven Insights
Cars.com’s ecosystem extends to impactful services such as dealership reputation management, targeted media solutions, and integrated digital marketing campaigns. By leveraging comprehensive analytics, the company helps stakeholders optimize inventory management and refine marketing strategies, thereby addressing common market challenges such as rising inventory levels and competitive differentiation. The integration of these capabilities within a single, interconnected platform allows Cars.com to serve as an essential partner for modern automotive retail operations.
Conclusion
With a relentless focus on innovation, transparency, and customer success, Cars.com has evolved into a trusted conduit between car buyers and dealers. Its strategic blend of digital marketing, advanced data analytics, and AI-powered technological solutions not only defines its market significance today but also underpins its role in enhancing the overall efficiency and profitability of the automotive industry.
Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) has released its 2025 Affordability Report highlighting the best value new vehicles amid looming 25% tariffs on non-US assembled vehicles. The report comes as new-vehicle prices have remained stable at $49,000 on average, though prices could rise $3,000-$10,000 if tariffs take effect April 3.
With imports representing about half of U.S. vehicle sales in 2024, automakers like Ford, Hyundai, and Kia have increased U.S.-based inventory by over 25% year-over-year. The report identifies best-value vehicles across segments, considering price, safety features, tech inclusion, and fuel costs.
Key winners include:
- Subcompact Car: Nissan Versa (SV)
- Compact SUV: Ford Escape (Active)
- Electric Vehicle: Hyundai Ioniq 6 (SE Long Range)
- Full-Size Pickup: Ford-150 (XL 4x2 SuperCab)
Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) has announced its 2025 Dealer of the Year Awards, recognizing top automotive dealers across North America based on over 1.3 million consumer reviews from 2024. The awards evaluate dealers on key metrics including average star ratings, review volume, and dealer response rates.
Winners were selected across regional categories and national brand categories, with notable achievements including:
- 90% of winning dealers actively respond to consumer reviews vs 45% of non-winners
- 60% of winning dealers use Employee Profile Pages
- Over 200,000 dealership employees received 1.4 million individual ratings
In brand reputation analysis, Subaru led overall ratings, while Acura and Volvo topped luxury brands. The evaluation considered six categories: pricing transparency, trade-in experience, transaction speed, financing experience, review responsiveness, and vehicle inquiry responsiveness.
Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) reported strong Q4 and full year 2024 results, with record annual revenue of $719.2 million, up 4% year-over-year. Q4 revenue reached $180.4 million with notable 15% growth in OEM and National revenue.
Key highlights include AccuTrade Connected reaching ~1,000 subscribers, organic traffic share increasing to 61%, and robust Q4 Adjusted EBITDA margin of 30.8%. The company reported Q4 net income of $17.3 million ($0.26 per diluted share) and full-year net income of $48.2 million ($0.72 per diluted share).
Looking ahead, Cars.com announced a $250 million share repurchase authorization and projects 2025 revenue between $745-755 million with Adjusted EBITDA margin of 29-31%. The company also completed the DealerClub acquisition in January 2025, expanding its dealer-to-dealer wholesale auction capabilities.
Cars Commerce (NYSE: CARS) has appointed Lisa Gosselin as its new Chief Commercial Officer, succeeding Doug Miller. With over 25 years of commercial leadership experience in SaaS, adtech, and data sectors, Gosselin joins from Numerator where she served as Chief Revenue Officer and achieved four consecutive years of double-digit growth.
In her new role, Gosselin will oversee the company's sales channels, optimize go-to-market strategy, deepen strategic partnerships, and drive revenue growth. Her previous experience includes senior positions at Conversant-Epsilon, Catalina Marketing, Anheuser-Busch, PepsiCo, and Suntory.
The appointment, effective immediately, aims to accelerate Cars Commerce's platform and growth strategy, focusing on simplifying automotive retail and wholesale experiences while creating long-term value for dealers, OEMs, and commercial partners.
Cars Commerce Inc (NYSE: CARS) has announced it will release its fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results on Thursday, February 27, 2025. The company will host a conference call and live webcast at 8:00 a.m. CT/9:00 a.m. ET on the same day.
The conference call will feature CEO Alex Vetter and CFO Sonia Jain. Interested parties can access the live webcast at investor.cars.com, with a replay available shortly after in the Events section of the Investor Relations website.
Cars.com has announced its Best Of Awards for 2025, with the Hyundai Santa Fe claiming the prestigious Best Car of the Year title. Starting at under $36,000, the redesigned Santa Fe impressed with its standard three-row seating, spacious cargo area, and innovative features including an ultraviolet-light sanitizing compartment.
Other category winners include: Hyundai Palisade (Best Family Car) for its safety features and sub-$40,000 price point; Kia EV9 (Best Electric Vehicle) for its balance of range, comfort, and usability; Toyota Land Cruiser (Best SUV) for street and off-road capability; Ram 1500 (Best Pickup Truck) featuring a new twin-turbo inline-six engine; and Genesis Electrified GV70 (Best Luxury Car) for its luxurious cabin and 429 horsepower performance.
The awards were determined by a seven-member editorial team who evaluated over 40 all-new and redesigned vehicles throughout the year.
Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) has acquired DealerClub, a reputation-based automotive digital wholesale auction platform, for approximately $25 million in cash with potential additional performance-based payments up to $88 million. The transaction, closed on January 23, 2025, advances Cars.com's Trade & Appraisal strategy and enables entry into the wholesale used car market valued at over $10B.
DealerClub, launched in 2024 by ACV Auctions founder Joe Neiman, serves over 650 dealer customers through a reputation-based system that promotes trust and minimizes disputes. The platform generates revenue primarily through transaction fees and will be integrated into the Cars Commerce platform to add dealer-to-dealer wholesale capabilities.
The acquisition is expected to have minimal revenue impact in 2025 and is not anticipated to be accretive to Adjusted EBITDA during the initial investment phase to scale DealerClub.
Cars Commerce (NYSE: CARS) has revealed new data highlighting the effectiveness of its connected platform. Dealers using multiple core capabilities of the platform receive up to 2x more leads and sell inventory 10% faster than those using single capabilities.
The platform's four core capabilities include: Marketplace, serving 25 million monthly shoppers; Digital Experience through Dealer Inspire, offering 40% more key events; Trade & Appraisal via AccuTrade, which completed 2.5 million appraisals in 2024 with 45% YoY growth in used-car acquisitions; and the Cars Commerce Media Network, which shows 5x higher conversion rates than Google audiences with 32% lower cost-per-click.
The company addresses dealers' top 2025 concerns: acquiring used vehicles profitably, targeting quality in-market shoppers, and differentiation from competitors.
Cars.com has released its 2025 Automotive Trends report, highlighting both challenges and opportunities in the automotive market. The average new-vehicle price has stabilized at $49,000, down from its peak of $50,300 in June 2023. While affordability remains a key concern, there's positive news as inventory of new vehicles under $30,000 increased by 42% year-over-year.
The used car market faces supply constraints due to reduced sales and leases in recent years. The definition of 'American-made' is evolving, influenced by the Inflation Reduction Act and potential new tariffs. In the EV sector, inventories grew 35% year-over-year, though new EVs remain $13,000 above average new car prices. Used EV prices have declined significantly, making them more accessible, while hybrid vehicles gain popularity as a compromise between traditional and electric vehicles.
Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) reported Q3 2024 results with revenue of $179.7 million, up 3.1% year-over-year. Net income reached $18.7 million ($0.28 per diluted share), compared to $4.5 million in Q3 2023. The company achieved notable growth in OEM and National revenue (+17% YoY) and maintained strong Adjusted EBITDA margin of 28.5%. Year-to-date net cash from operations increased 34% to $123 million. The company repurchased 1.2 million shares, representing 45% of quarterly free cash flow. Notable metrics include 19,255 dealer customers and monthly ARPD of $2,478.
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