Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) Sees Unusually-High Trading Volume

Cars.com Inc. (NYSE:CARS) shares saw unusually-strong trading volume on Wednesday . Approximately 756,542 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 109% from the previous session’s volume of 362,149 shares.The stock last traded at $16.80 and had previously closed at $16.70.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Separately, Barrington Research reiterated an “outperform” rating and issued a $25.00 price target on shares of Cars.com in a report on Thursday, February 22nd. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and three have assigned a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $24.00.

Cars.com Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.93, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.22. The company has a market capitalization of $1.12 billion, a PE ratio of 9.65 and a beta of 2.05. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $17.41 and a 200 day simple moving average of $17.83.

Cars.com (NYSE:CARS) last released its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, February 22nd. The company reported $0.12 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.19 by ($0.07). The firm had revenue of $179.60 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $178.40 million. Cars.com had a return on equity of 25.78% and a net margin of 17.19%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 6.8% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $0.15 EPS. Equities analysts anticipate that Cars.com Inc. will post 0.55 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other Cars.com news, CEO Thomas Alex Vetter sold 14,999 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, February 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $19.00, for a total transaction of $284,981.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now owns 553,886 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $10,523,834. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. In other news, insider Douglas Neal Miller sold 1,823 shares of Cars.com stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $18.50, for a total transaction of $33,725.50. Following the completion of the sale, the insider now directly owns 181,596 shares in the company, valued at $3,359,526. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Thomas Alex Vetter sold 14,999 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, February 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $19.00, for a total transaction of $284,981.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 553,886 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,523,834. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold 34,488 shares of company stock worth $654,361 over the last ninety days. 1.59% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of CARS. Pacer Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Cars.com by 118.5% during the fourth quarter. Pacer Advisors Inc. now owns 1,652 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 896 shares during the last quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust lifted its position in Cars.com by 103.8% during the fourth quarter. Parkside Financial Bank & Trust now owns 2,073 shares of the company’s stock worth $39,000 after buying an additional 1,056 shares during the period. Wolverine Asset Management LLC boosted its stake in Cars.com by 109.1% in the 4th quarter. Wolverine Asset Management LLC now owns 3,749 shares of the company’s stock worth $71,000 after buying an additional 45,000 shares during the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd purchased a new stake in Cars.com in the 4th quarter valued at about $119,000. Finally, Benjamin Edwards Inc. purchased a new stake in Cars.com in the 4th quarter valued at about $144,000. 89.15% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Cars.com

Cars.com Inc, through its subsidiaries, operates as a digital automotive marketplace that connects local car dealers to consumers in the United States. The company offers a suite of digital solutions that creates connections between individuals researching cars or looking to purchase a car with car dealerships and automotive original equipment manufacturers.