Stock Analysis
Data Source: SEC EDGAR 13F
Updated Hourly

Cars Com Inc (CARS)

201 + Investors. Track Smart Money conviction in CARS. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

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Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↓ -21
Streak
1Q ▼
Buyers last Q
44%

Smart Money Signals — CARS

Based on 203 hedge funds · latest filing: 2026 Q1 · updated quarterly

📉

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row

last 6Q
For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their CARS positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.
📊

High ownership — 88% of 3.0Y peak

88% of all-time peak
203 funds currently hold this stock — 88% of the 3.0-year high of 231 funds (reached 2025 Q1). Ownership is elevated but not yet at maximum concentration. Room to grow, but watch if the trend reverses.
📉

Outflows — 12% fewer funds vs a year ago

fund count last 6Q
28 fewer hedge funds hold CARS compared to a year ago (-12% decline). When institutions consistently reduce their exposure, it's worth exploring the underlying fundamental reasons driving them away.
🟠

More sellers than buyers — 44% buying

100 buying127 selling
Last quarter: 127 funds reduced or exited vs 100 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.
➡️

Steady new buyers — ~36 new funds per quarter

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening this position for the first time: 39 → 33 → 41 → 36. A stable flow of new institutional buyers suggests ongoing interest without signs of either acceleration or slowdown.
🔒

59% of holders stayed for 2+ years

59% conviction (2yr+) 22% medium 19% new
120 out of 203 hedge funds have held CARS for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.
💎

Buying through price weakness — shares -12%, value -41%

Value
-41%
Shares
-11%
Last quarter: funds added -12% more shares while total portfolio value only changed -41%. Institutions were buying while the price was falling — a high-conviction accumulation signal. They're deliberately loading up on the dip.
➡️

Steady discovery — ~36 new funds/quarter

36 → 39 → 33 → 41 → 36 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 39 → 33 → 41 → 36. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.
🏛️

Veteran-anchored — 67% veterans vs 20% newcomers

67% veterans 13% 1-2yr 20% new
Entry-cohort mix of 205 holders: 137 (67%) are 2+ year veterans, 26 entered 1–2 years ago, and 42 (20%) joined within the past year. A veteran-weighted cap table skews toward institutional memory over fresh momentum.
🏆

Elite ownership — 50% AUM from top-100 funds

50% from top-100 AUM funds
46 of 203 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 50% of total institutional value in CARS. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.
3.2
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.2/10 — low institutional crowding. Ownership is below peak levels, holder base is relatively sticky, and buying momentum is positive.

Methodology note: these Smart Money cards use consecutive 13F disclosure snapshots, not trade-by-trade execution data. "Buying", "selling", "new holders", and "trimmed" refer to quarter-over-quarter changes in reported holders, aggregate shares, or disclosed position values between filings. They are useful for ownership regime analysis and crowding, but they do not imply exact trade timing on the filing date.

Institutional Sentiment Summary — CARS

In 2026 Q1, 100 hedge funds were net buyers of CARS (36 opened a new position, 64 added to an existing one), while 127 reduced or exited (70 trimmed, 57 sold completely) — a 44% buyer ratio, indicating roughly balanced activity. 50% of total institutional value in CARS is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting elite-tier ownership quality. Net fund flow last quarter: -21 funds (more exits than new entries). Total institutional holders: 203.

Hedge Fund Ownership: CARS

How many hedge funds hold CARS — quarterly history vs. share price
Quarterly hedge fund ownership of CARS vs. share price

Market Analysis: CARS

Analyst Price Targets

Avg. Price Target
--

Analyst Recommendations

Stock Performance

Real-time

Company Profile: CARS

-- --

Institutional ownership data sourced from SEC EDGAR Form 13F-HR filings.

Is It Too Late to Buy Cars Com Inc (CARS) Based on Hedge Fund 13F Filings?

Signal Freshness measures how much CARS has moved relative to its sector benchmark (XLC) since the 2026 Q1 13F filing. A stock that has barely outrun its sector is still a relatively fresh entry point — the fund's thesis has not yet been priced in by the broader market.

Since Quarter End March 31, 2026 · 82d ago
CARS
+22.5%
XLC
-1.3%

CARS outperformed XLC by +23.8% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 37d ago
CARS
+1.0%
XLC
-5.7%

Since the filing became public, CARS outperformed XLC by +6.7% .

Interpretation: The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference. Learn more →

Smart Money Signal ?
Limited Smart Money Interest

No strong consensus or elite conviction detected among institutional holders.

14 top-rated funds 3 high-conviction
Consensus
5.1
/ 10
breadth
×
Elite
2.3
/ 10
conviction
Hedge Fund Positioning: CARS
201 + Investors

Track Smart Money conviction in CARS. See who's accumulating, reducing, or initiating positions.

Metric All 13F Filers (2026 Q1) Prior (2025 Q4) Change
Funds Holding 201 224 -10.27%
13F Shares 52M 59M -11.68%
Total Value $421M $715M -41.14%
New Positions 34 41 -7
Increased Positions 64 63 +1
Closed Positions 57 34 +23
Reduced Positions 69 85 -16
Total Calls 0 1 -100.0%
Total Puts 2 2 -
PUT/CALL Ratio 0.0 2.0 Bullish

Statistics: CARS

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Valuation Measures Data as of: --

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PEG Ratio (5yr expected) --
Price/Sales (ttm) --
Price/Book (mrq) --
Enterprise Value/Revenue --
Enterprise Value/EBITDA --
Beta (5Y Monthly) --
Short Ratio (Days to Cover) --
Short % of Float --

Financial Highlights

Profitability
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Revenue (ttm) --
Net Income Avi to Common (ttm) --
Diluted EPS (ttm) --
Total Cash (mrq) --
Total Debt/Equity (mrq) --
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Institutional Holders (2026 Q1)

201 + investors

Explore institutional interest and hedge fund ownership dynamics. Analyze portfolio weights, new positions, and conviction trends in CARS. Verified SEC 13F-HR filings.

QUARTER:
Top 25 CARS holders by conviction (% of portfolio weight) — 2026 Q1 · Source: SEC Form 13F
# Investor % of Portfolio Shares Mkt Value
1 Breach Inlet Capital Management, LLC 5.66% 2,124,184 $17.2M
2 Pale Fire Capital SE 2.82% 3,956,618 $32.1M
3 Villanova Investment Management Co LLC 2.54% 305,256 $2.5M
4 Kestrel Investment Management Corp 1.48% 305,750 $2.5M
5 Hill Path Capital LP 1.47% 2,481,032 $20.1M
6 Clark Estates Inc/Ny 0.32% 163,800 $1.3M
7 Dana Investment Advisors, Inc. 0.17% 712,250 $5.8M
8 Globeflex Capital L P 0.15% 122,940 $998K
9 Caitlin John, LLC 0.10% 20,045 $163K
10 K2 Principal Fund, L.P. 0.09% 163,259 $1.3M
11 Peregrine Capital Management LLC 0.08% 279,028 $2.3M
12 Inceptionr LLC 0.08% 42,826 $348K
13 Landscape Capital Management, L.L.C. 0.07% 130,730 $1.1M
14 Par Capital Management Inc 0.06% 246,299 $2.0M
15 Tocqueville Asset Management L.P. 0.06% 477,335 $3.9M
16 Kendall Capital Management 0.06% 33,140 $269K
17 Bridgeway Capital Management, LLC 0.05% 326,418 $2.7M
18 XTX Topco Ltd 0.05% 362,685 $2.9M
19 RBF Capital, LLC 0.04% 103,569 $841K
20 One Wealth Advisors, LLC 0.04% 38,806 $315K
21 Fox Run Management, L.L.C. 0.04% 25,336 $203K
22 Catalyst Funds Management Pty Ltd 0.03% 23,488 $191K
23 Brown Advisory Inc 0.03% 2,398,330 $19.5M
24 AlphaQuest LLC 0.03% 45,593 $556K
25 Lee Danner & Bass Inc 0.03% 53,333 $433K
Investor Ownership
History
% of Portfolio Prev % Rank Conviction Avg Buy Price 13F Score™ 3Y / 7Y Sell Timing Shares Mkt Value Change Change % Source Quarter Filed

Frequently Asked Questions — Cars Com Inc (CARS)

What does the Smart Money Trend signal show for CARS?

Selling streak — 1 quarter in a row: For 1 consecutive quarter, more hedge funds reduced or closed their CARS positions than added to them. Sustained institutional selling is a meaningful warning sign — these are professionals with deep research teams collectively deciding to exit.

What is the institutional breadth score for CARS?

More sellers than buyers — 44% buying: Last quarter: 127 funds reduced or exited vs 100 that bought or added. When more than half of active funds are selling, it's a caution flag — especially if the stock price hasn't moved down yet.

What is the fund quality score for CARS holders?

Elite ownership — 50% AUM from top-100 funds: 46 of 203 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 50% of total institutional value in CARS. When the biggest players dominate the cap table, it signifies deep institutional support — since mega-funds deploy the most rigorous due diligence and capital.

How long have hedge funds held CARS?

59% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 120 out of 203 hedge funds have held CARS for over 2 years without selling. Long-term investors are generally harder to shake out during market stress, creating a stable ownership base that limits the risk of sudden capitulation.

Is it too late to buy Cars Com Inc (CARS) following the 2026 Q1 hedge fund 13F filings?

As of today, CARS has moved +1.0% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to -5.7% for the XLC sector ETF — an outperformance of +6.7%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), CARS has gained +22.5% vs -1.3% for XLC. The stock is tracking its sector benchmark closely. The signal remains fresh and the entry point is still near the fund's implied reference.

Where does this institutional ownership data come from?

All holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings, which institutional investment managers with over $100 million in assets are required to submit quarterly. Data is parsed directly from SEC EDGAR.

Disclaimer: The information on this page is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation, or an offer to buy or sell any security. Institutional holdings data is sourced from SEC Form 13F filings and reflects positions as of the filing date. Past performance of any fund or portfolio is not indicative of future results. 13Foresight is not a registered investment adviser. Always conduct your own due diligence before making investment decisions.

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