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.

Current Price
-- USD
Analyst Target
-- (0 analysts)
Upside
0.00%
Net Flow Q/Q
↑ +7
Streak
2Q ▲
Buyers last Q
46%

Smart Money Signals — CARS

Based on 224 hedge funds · latest filing: 2025 Q4 · updated quarterly

📈

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row

last 6Q
For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added CARS than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.
🏔️

At the ownership peak (97% of max)

97% of all-time peak
224 hedge funds hold CARS right now — the highest count in 3.0 years. When ownership is this concentrated, any bad news can trigger a chain reaction: one big fund sells, others follow. This is a classic 'crowded trade' — high popularity doesn't equal safety.
〰️

Stable — ownership unchanged year-over-year

fund count last 6Q
The number of hedge funds holding CARS is almost the same as a year ago (-5 funds, -2% change). No significant rush to buy or sell — institutional backing is holding steady.
🟠

More sellers than buyers — 46% buying

105 buying121 selling
Last quarter: 121 funds reduced or exited vs 105 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.
📈

More new buyers each quarter (+8 vs last Q)

new funds entering per quarter
Funds opening a new CARS position: 36 → 39 → 33 → 41. A growing influx of new institutional buyers means the asset is still gathering momentum — the consensus hasn't fully saturated yet.
🔒

60% of holders stayed for 2+ years

■ 60% conviction (2yr+) ■ 20% medium ■ 20% new
135 out of 224 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.
➡️

Steady discovery — ~41 new funds/quarter

46 → 36 → 39 → 33 → 41 new funds/Q
New funds entering each quarter: 36 → 39 → 33 → 41. Consistent flow of new institutional buyers without clear acceleration or slowdown.
🏛️

Deep conviction — 64% of holders stayed 2+ years

■ 64% veterans ■ 11% 1-2yr ■ 25% new
Of 227 current holders: 146 (64%) have held for over 2 years without selling. These are not momentum buyers — they have lived through drawdowns and stayed. A large veteran base acts as a stabilizing force during selloffs.
🏆

Elite ownership — 56% AUM from top-100 funds

56% from top-100 AUM funds
50 of 224 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 56% 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.
3.5
out of 10
Low Exit Risk
Exit risk score 3.5/10 — 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 2025 Q4, 105 hedge funds were net buyers of CARS (41 opened a new position, 64 added to an existing one), while 121 reduced or exited (87 trimmed, 34 sold completely) — a 46% buyer ratio, indicating roughly balanced activity. Net buying has persisted for two consecutive quarters, a positive momentum signal. 56% of total institutional value in CARS is held by top-100 AUM funds, reflecting elite-tier ownership quality. Net fund flow last quarter: +7 funds (more new holders than closures). Total institutional holders: 224.

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 · 50d ago
CARS
+21.5%
XLC
+4.8%

CARS outperformed XLC by +16.7% since March 31, 2026.

Since 13F Filing Date May 15, 2026 · 5d ago
CARS
-0.6%
XLC
+0.0%

Since the filing became public, CARS outperformed XLC by -0.6% .

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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Short % of Float --

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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 institutional holders of CARS — 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?

Buying streak — 2 quarters in a row: For 2 consecutive quarters, more hedge funds added CARS than sold it. That's a consistent pattern of professional buying — not a one-time trade. When institutions keep buying quarter after quarter, it usually means they see a multi-year opportunity, not just a short-term momentum flip.

What is the institutional breadth score for CARS?

More sellers than buyers — 46% buying: Last quarter: 121 funds reduced or exited vs 105 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 — 56% AUM from top-100 funds: 50 of 224 holders are among the 100 largest funds by AUM, controlling 56% 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?

60% of holders stayed for 2+ years: 135 out of 224 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 -0.6% since the 2026 Q1 13F filing date (May 15, 2026), compared to +0.0% for the XLC sector ETF — an outperformance of -0.6%. Since the quarter end (March 31, 2026), CARS has gained +21.5% vs +4.8% 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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