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Cars.com (CARS) earnings and revenue breakdown
Latest: Q3 2026 · 10-Q filed Nov 5, 2026 · Cars.com (CARS) Q3 2026 earnings results →
Q3 2026 Revenue up 0% year over year to $182M · 9¢ of every $1 of revenue kept as net profit · operating margin 15.9%
Cars.com made $182M in Q3 2026 (+0.2% Y/Y). Operating margin 15.9%, net earnings $16.3M. See where every dollar goes — costs, profit and cash — as a Sankey from the 10-Q filed Nov 5, 2026.
Drawing the Sankey…
Open the interactive Sankey → click any line for what the company wrote about it, compare Y/Y and Q/Q, export as PNG or PDF
What changed this quarter
Revenue was $181.9M in Q3 2026, roughly flat year over year and up 1% from the previous quarter.
Operating profit was $28.9M, a 15.9% margin (up 6.6 points year over year). Of the extra revenue versus Q3 2025, 3898% reached operating profit, above the 9% margin then. Total costs fell 7% while revenue was flat. Net earnings were $16.3M, up 113% year over year. The effective tax rate was 23.8%.
Operating cash flow was $59.0M (roughly flat year over year), 361% of net earnings. Non-cash charges added back $16.4M of depreciation and amortization and $5.8M of share-based compensation. Working capital and other items added $20.6M. After capitalization of internally developed technology ($5.2M) and purchase of property and equipment ($43K), free cash flow as the company reports it was $53.8M.
Quarterly history
| Quarter | Form | Filed | Revenue | Y/Y | Op. margin | Net earnings | Op. cash flow |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 2026 | 10-Q | Nov 5, 2026 | $182M | +0.2% | 15.9% | $16.3M | $59.0M |
| Q2 2026 | 10-Q | Aug 6, 2026 | $180M | +0.7% | 15.5% | $14.3M | $15.8M |
| Q1 2026 | 10-Q | May 7, 2026 | $180M | +0.7% | 9.2% | $5.0M | $39.8M |
| Q4 2025 | 10-K | Feb 26, 2026 | $184M | +2% | 11.8% | $7.4M | $37.1M |
| Q3 2025 | 10-Q | Nov 6, 2025 | $182M | +1% | 9.3% | $7.7M | $58.8M |
| Q2 2025 | 10-Q | Aug 7, 2025 | $179M | -0.1% | 8.5% | $7.0M | $26.2M |
| Q1 2025 | 10-Q | May 8, 2025 | $179M | -0.6% | 3.6% | −$2.0M | $29.5M |
Charts
Interactive views
The same charts as the app — open one to draw it.
💵Where each $1 goesinteractive
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🌏Named in Asian annual reportsinteractive
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🔄Rotation against the market and its industry (RRG)interactive
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🔍Earnings qualityinteractive
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⚖️Fair value by methodinteractive
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🔭Outlook & guidanceinteractive
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📈Investments: gains and what it boughtinteractive
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🏭Its industry’s money flow (input-output)interactive
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About Cars.com
Our premier automotive marketplace, Cars.com, empowers shoppers with the data, resources and digital tools they need to make informed buying decisions and seamlessly connect with automotive retailers. We also equip dealerships and OEMs with innovative solutions and data-driven intelligence to better reach and influence our 26 million average monthly shoppers. Not only does our marketplace drive ready-to-buy customers to the dealership, we believe our interconnected ecosystem of products also allows dealerships to operate more efficiently by facilitating a faster and easier car buying and selling experience.
In its own words, from its 10-K, filed Feb 26, 2026.
Cars.com against its Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation peers
The largest companies of the same SEC industry, each at its latest quarter. Revenue growth: +0.2% against the peers' median +6%. Operating margin: 15.9% against the peers' median 15.9%.
| Company | Quarter | Revenue | Y/Y | Op. margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| CARS Cars.com | Q3 2026 | $182M | +0.2% | 15.9% |
| ADP Automatic Data Processing | Q1 FY27 | $5.5B | +6% | 23.9% |
| DXC DXC Technology | Q2 FY27 | $3.0B | -4% | 6.2% |
| WDAY Workday | Q2 FY27 | $2.6B | +13% | 11.8% |
| TOST Toast | Q3 2026 | $2.0B | +21% | 8.3% |
| RDDT Reddit | Q3 2026 | $895M | +53% | 29.2% |
| VRSK Verisk Analytics | Q3 2026 | $809M | +5% | 45.2% |
| RNG RingCentral | Q3 2026 | $676M | +6% | 8.0% |
| PLTK Playtika Holding | Q3 2026 | $674M | -0.1% | 17.2% |
Source: Cars.com 10-Q on SEC EDGAR · CIK 1683606 · Services-Computer Processing & Data Preparation
Guidance and outlook
13F: who owns CARS and who is buying
More on CARS
History
Every quarter: Q3 2026 results · Q2 2026 results · Q1 2026 results · Q4 2025 results · Q3 2025 results · Q2 2025 results · Q1 2025 results