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Cars.com Inc.: Q3 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue was up slightly: Revenue was $181.9 million, up slightly from $181.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Net income more than doubled: Net income was $16.3 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, against $7.7 million, or $0.12, a year earlier. Source
  • Marketplace revenue up 5%: Marketplace revenue was up 5% year-over-year, driven by customer growth and higher-tier subscription uptake. Premium+ reached 12% adoption for the quarter. Source
  • Dealer customers down 1% year-over-year: Dealer Customers ended the quarter at 19,251, against 19,343 in June and 19,526 a year earlier. Source
  • Total operating expenses down 7%: Total operating expenses were $153.0 million, down 7% from $164.8 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 30.7%: Adjusted EBITDA was $55.8 million, or 30.7% of revenue, up from $54.6 million and 30.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Nine-month free cash flow rose: Free cash flow was $97.3 million for the nine months, against $94.5 million. Net cash provided by operating activities was $114.7 million, compared with $114.5 million. Source
  • Repurchases continued through the quarter: The company repurchased 1.4 million shares for $16 million in the third quarter, and 7.6 million shares for $74 million for the nine months. Source

“Our third quarter results reinforced the growing strength of our core, scaled Marketplace.”

Tobias Hartmann, Chief Executive Officer of Cars.com, Inc.

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue SourceFull year 2026flat to up 2% year-over-yearKept
Adjusted EBITDA margin SourceFull year 202629.0% to 30.0%Kept
Share repurchases Source2026$90 millionKept

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance kept: Full-year 2026 guidance for revenue and adjusted EBITDA margin was reaffirmed, with the ranges unchanged from the prior release. Source
  • New: A self-service Marketplace Starter subscription was launched for local independent dealers. Source
  • New: Mausam Bhatt was appointed Chief Product Officer. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue was up slightly: Revenue was $181.9 million, up slightly from $181.6 million a year earlier. Source
  • Net income more than doubled: Net income was $16.3 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, against $7.7 million, or $0.12, a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income rose: Operating income was $28.9 million, against $16.8 million. Management said higher operating income was the primary driver of the net income change. Source

Segments and revenue lines

  • Dealer subscription revenue rose 1%: Subscription-based Dealer revenue was $163.4 million, up 1% year-over-year. Management attributed the growth to greater Marketplace value delivery and customer count. Source
  • OEM and National revenue fell 3%: OEM and National revenue was $15.7 million, down 3% year-over-year but up 15% from the prior quarter. Management said OEM advertising recovered sequentially, as expected. Source
  • Media and solutions products declined: Management said a decline in media and solutions products partly offset Dealer revenue growth. Source

“Though still early, these steps point in the right direction.”

Tobias Hartmann, Chief Executive Officer of Cars.com, Inc.

Products, customers and traffic

  • Marketplace revenue up 5%: Marketplace revenue was up 5% year-over-year, driven by customer growth and higher-tier subscription uptake. Premium+ reached 12% adoption for the quarter. Source
  • Self-service Starter adopted by dealers: Nearly 400 independent dealers adopted the self-service Marketplace Starter offering, which management said drives listings and adds capabilities for local dealers. Starter packages are non-paid and are excluded from Dealer Customers. Source
  • Dealer customers down 1% year-over-year: Dealer Customers ended the quarter at 19,251, against 19,343 in June and 19,526 a year earlier. Source
  • ARPD rose 3% year-over-year: Monthly Average Revenue Per Dealer was $2,532, up 3% year-over-year and 1% from June. Management described it as the second-highest quarterly record. Source
  • Traffic and unique visitors fell year-over-year: Average Monthly Unique Visitors were 24.7 million, up 8% from June and down 3% year-over-year. Traffic was 150.2 million visits, up 5% from June and down 4% year-over-year. Management attributed this to audience acquisition optimization. Source

Costs and operating expenses

  • Total operating expenses down 7%: Total operating expenses were $153.0 million, down 7% from $164.8 million a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted operating expenses down 5%: Adjusted operating expenses, which exclude stock-based compensation and certain one-time items, were $142.4 million, down 5% year-over-year. Source
  • Depreciation and amortization declined: Depreciation and amortization was $16.4 million, against $23.5 million a year earlier. Management attributed the operating leverage to cost management and efficiencies in general and administrative and sales and marketing expenses. Source

Margins and profitability

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin rose to 30.7%: Adjusted EBITDA was $55.8 million, or 30.7% of revenue, up from $54.6 million and 30.1% a year earlier. Source
  • Adjusted EPS rose to $0.58: Adjusted net income was $32.3 million, or $0.58 per diluted share, against $30.4 million, or $0.48, a year earlier. Source
  • Nine-month Adjusted EBITDA rose: Adjusted EBITDA for the nine months was $159.8 million, against $156.3 million a year earlier. Source

Cash flow, debt and liquidity

  • Nine-month free cash flow rose: Free cash flow was $97.3 million for the nine months, against $94.5 million. Net cash provided by operating activities was $114.7 million, compared with $114.5 million. Source
  • Debt reduced by $5 million: The company repaid $5 million of debt in the quarter, bringing total debt outstanding to $445.0 million at September 30, 2026. Source
  • Liquidity of $369.6 million: Total liquidity was $369.6 million, made up of $64.6 million of cash and cash equivalents and $305.0 million of revolver capacity. Source

Share repurchases and capital returns

  • Repurchases continued through the quarter: The company repurchased 1.4 million shares for $16 million in the third quarter, and 7.6 million shares for $74 million for the nine months. Source
  • Repurchases exceed 12% of shares: Shares repurchased and retired year-to-date represent over 12% of common shares outstanding at the prior year-end. Source
  • $100.2 million authorization remaining: About $100.2 million remains under the current share repurchase authorization, which expires in February 2028. Source

Strategy, operating model and AI

  • Operating model changes across three areas: Management linked the quarter's results to operating model changes made through 2026 across product innovation, process efficiency and organizational talent. Source
  • Momentum to extend across portfolio: Management said it is moving swiftly to extend this momentum across the rest of the portfolio, building the foundation for product-led growth. Source
  • Carson passed one million monthly users: Carson, the AI-powered shopping assistant, reached 1 million monthly users, nearly doubling year-over-year. Management said Cars.com was the #1 most cited automotive marketplace across major LLMs. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Dealer customers Source19,251 at September 30, 2026 (19,526 a year earlier)
Subscription-based Dealer revenue Source$163.4 million, up 1% year-over-year

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Revenue guidance reflects pressure in Dealer and OEM media products amid current market conditions. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Ahead: Management said the quarter's adjusted EBITDA margin of 30.7% was 120 basis points above the guidance range. Source
  • On track: Management said year-to-date repurchases were on pace to the $90 million 2026 target. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.