Cars.com (CARS) Return on Capital Employed (2017 - 2026)
Cars.com (CARS) posted quarterly Return on Capital Employed of 7.48% for Q1 2026, up 270.0% year-over-year from 2.02% in Q1 2025, and up 18.39% quarter-over-quarter from 6.32% in Q4 2025.
Powered by 
Analysis
Cars.com (CARS) Return on Capital Employed (2017 - 2026) Analysis & Trends
Cars.com (CARS) has reported Return on Capital Employed for 10 consecutive years, with 7.48% the latest figure, recorded in Q1 2026.
- In Q1 2026, Return on Capital Employed rose 270.0% year-over-year to 7.48%; the TTM figure through Mar 2026 stood at 7.48% (up 270.0% YoY), while the FY2025 annual figure was 6.19%, up 97.0% from the prior year.
- Return on Capital Employed advanced to 7.48% in Q1 2026 per CARS's latest filing, from 6.32% in the prior quarter.
- Across five years, Return on Capital Employed topped out at 7.48% in Q1 2026 and bottomed at 4.35% in Q2 2022.
- Historically, Return on Capital Employed has averaged 5.76% across 5 years, with a median of 5.43% in 2025.
- Annual changes were most pronounced in 2022 — Return on Capital Employed sank 285 bps — and 2023, when it surged 293 bps.
- Cars.com's Return on Capital Employed stood at 7.09% in 2022, then slipped by 23 bps to 5.45% in 2023, then retreated by 2 bps to 5.36% in 2024, then gained by 18 bps to 6.32% in 2025, then increased by 18 bps to 7.48% in 2026.
- Business Quant data shows CARS's Return on Capital Employed at 7.48% in Q1 2026, 6.32% in Q4 2025, and 6.13% in Q3 2025.
Peer Set
Peer Comparison
| # | Company | Market Cap | Enterprise Value | Gross Profit (Qtr) | ROCE (Qtr) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Alphabet | 4,083.83 Bn | 3,654.79 Bn | 73.85 Bn | 21.49% |
| 2 | Meta Platforms | 1,456.07 Bn | 1,365.81 Bn | 49.47 Bn | 23.74% |
| 3 | Spotify Technology | 111.71 Bn | 104.79 Bn | 1.86 Bn | - |
| 4 | Nebius | 50.03 Bn | 40.93 Bn | 448.70 Mn | -2.94% |
| 5 | 28.44 Bn | 25.65 Bn | 734.60 Mn | 24.36% | |
| 6 | Bilibili | 13.59 Bn | 11.45 Bn | 433.97 Mn | 6.72% |
| 7 | Tencent Music Entertainment | 12.71 Bn | 9.21 Bn | 582.00 Mn | 12.90% |
| 8 | 12.21 Bn | 10.93 Bn | 922.30 Mn | 5.48% | |
| 9 | Match | 9.45 Bn | 8.86 Bn | 648.84 Mn | 26.93% |
| 10 | Cars.com | 651.74 Mn | 618.45 Mn | - | 8.88% |
Historic Data
Download Data
Historic Data
| Date | Value |
|---|---|
| Jun 30, 2026 | 8.88% |
| Mar 31, 2026 | 7.48% |
| Dec 31, 2025 | 6.32% |
| Sep 30, 2025 | 6.13% |
| Jun 30, 2025 | 5.43% |
| Mar 31, 2025 | 4.78% |
| Dec 31, 2024 | 5.36% |
| Sep 30, 2024 | 4.83% |
| Jun 30, 2024 | 5.07% |
| Mar 31, 2024 | 5.18% |
| Dec 31, 2023 | 5.45% |
| Sep 30, 2023 | 6.12% |
| Jun 30, 2023 | 6.99% |
| Mar 31, 2023 | 7.46% |
| Dec 31, 2022 | 7.09% |
| Sep 30, 2022 | 5.32% |
| Jun 30, 2022 | 4.35% |
| Mar 31, 2022 | 4.53% |
| Dec 31, 2021 | 5.32% |
| Sep 30, 2021 | 6.59% |