CarGurus Profit Beats Estimates as Car Shopping Holds
Online car shoppers and sellers see a platform whose third-quarter results topped analyst expectations.
Updated on Nov. 5, 2026 in Buying/Selling
CarGurus Inc., the Boston-headquartered online auto shopping platform, reported third-quarter profit of $52.8 million, or 59 cents per share, and adjusted earnings of 70 cents per share, excluding one-time gains and costs. The results were released in its third-quarter earnings report on Thursday, November 5, 2026, and the company also issued forward guidance for the coming quarters.
Why it matters
For car shoppers and sellers who rely on online marketplaces to price, buy, and list vehicles, the health of a major platform signals how stable its listing tools and pricing data are likely to be. The third-quarter results beat the Zacks analyst averages on both earnings (66 cents per share) and revenue ($256.2 million), a sign that demand for online car shopping has held up.
CarGurus reported $52.8 million in third-quarter profit and $258.4 million in revenue, both above Zacks analyst estimates. The company projects full-year revenue of $1.01 billion to $1.02 billion for the year.
The players
CarGurus Inc.
Boston-headquartered online auto shopping platform that helps consumers research, compare, and buy or sell vehicles.
Zacks
Independent research firm whose analyst consensus estimates are widely used as benchmarks for public company earnings.
The details
Reported earnings of 59 cents per share were lower than the 70 cents per share in adjusted earnings, because the adjusted figure strips out one-time gains and costs that affected the reported number. Analysts at Zacks track consensus estimates, and the company beat both the earnings and revenue averages for the quarter. CarGurus also gave forward guidance: 73 to 79 cents per share for the quarter ending in December and $2.66 to $2.72 per share for the full year.
Timeline
Thursday, November 5, 2026: CarGurus released its third-quarter earnings.
Quarter ending December 2026: CarGurus expects per-share earnings of 73 to 79 cents.
Fiscal fourth quarter 2026: CarGurus expects revenue of $258.5 million to $263.5 million.
The Home Front
The quarter's beat against Zacks consensus estimates places CarGurus' results above the analyst benchmark for online auto marketplaces. The company's guidance for the full year points to continued revenue growth in the online car-buying segment that many households now use to shop for vehicles.
If you are planning to buy or sell a car online in the coming months, the platform's stable earnings and guidance suggest its listing and pricing tools are not under immediate financial strain. Compare listing prices across several sources before committing, since a single platform's financial results do not tell you what a specific vehicle is worth.
The takeaway
A strong quarter for an online car marketplace is a signal about the platform, not a guarantee about any single sale. Before you list or buy, check current comparable vehicle prices across multiple sources and keep your own documentation of the sale organized.
What happens next
CarGurus expects to report fiscal fourth-quarter results with revenue between $258.5 million and $263.5 million, and per-share earnings for the December quarter between 73 and 79 cents.
Further reading
For more on how car shoppers and sellers navigate the market, explore our Buying/Selling coverage.
Source note: This article includes information reported by WTOP.
