Cars.com annual free cash flow
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
2020
2021
2022
2023
2024
2025
Cars.com Free Cash Flow (FCF) History (CARS)
Cars.com reported $147.4M in free cash flow for fiscal 2025, a decrease of 1.45% from the previous fiscal year, with a free cash flow margin of 20.37%.
View full Cars.com company overviewCars.com free cash flow by year
| Fiscal year | Period ended | Free cash flow | Change | Growth | FCF margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025-12-31 | $147.4M | −$2.2M | −1.45% | +20.37% |
| 2024 | 2024-12-31 | $149.5M | $14.1M | +10.40% | +20.79% |
| 2023 | 2023-12-31 | $135.4M | $8.8M | +6.91% | +19.65% |
| 2022 | 2022-12-31 | $126.7M | −$9.9M | −7.23% | +19.37% |
| 2021 | 2021-12-31 | $136.6M | $14.6M | +12.02% | +21.89% |
| 2020 | 2020-12-31 | $121.9M | $41.7M | +51.95% | +22.27% |
| 2019 | 2019-12-31 | $80.2M | −$69.1M | −46.27% | +13.22% |
| 2018 | 2018-12-31 | $149.3M | −$3.8M | −2.51% | +22.55% |
| 2017 | 2017-12-31 | $153.2M | −$36.3M | −19.16% | +24.46% |
| 2016 | 2016-12-31 | $189.5M | $8.5M | +4.70% | +29.92% |
| 2015 | 2015-12-31 | $180.9M | — | — | +30.33% |
Cars.com quarterly free cash flow
Q1.16
Q2.16
Q3.16
Q4.16
Q1.17
Q2.17
Q3.17
Q4.17
Q1.18
Q2.18
Q3.18
Q4.18
Q1.19
Q2.19
Q3.19
Q4.19
Q1.20
Q2.20
Q3.20
Q4.20
Q1.21
Q2.21
Q3.21
Q4.21
Q1.22
Q2.22
Q3.22
Q4.22
Q1.23
Q2.23
Q3.23
Q4.23
Q1.24
Q2.24
Q3.24
Q4.24
Q1.25
Q2.25
Q3.25
Q4.25
Q1.26
Q2.26
| Fiscal quarter | Period ended | Free cash flow | Change | YoY growth | FCF margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Q2 2026 | 2026-06-30 | $15.3M | −$8.4M | −35.58% | +8.48% |
| Q1 2026 | 2026-03-31 | $39.5M | $10.9M | +38.06% | +21.94% |
| Q4 2025 | 2025-12-31 | $36.7M | $7.7M | +26.43% | +19.97% |
| Q3 2025 | 2025-09-30 | $58.3M | $5.4M | +10.28% | +32.10% |
| Q2 2025 | 2025-06-30 | $23.7M | −$11.2M | −32.03% | +13.26% |
| Q1 2025 | 2025-03-31 | $28.6M | −$4.1M | −12.56% | +16.00% |
| Q4 2024 | 2024-12-31 | $29.1M | −$15.5M | −34.85% | +16.10% |
| Q3 2024 | 2024-09-30 | $52.8M | $17.7M | +50.27% | +29.42% |
| Q2 2024 | 2024-06-30 | $34.9M | $7.1M | +25.71% | +19.49% |
| Q1 2024 | 2024-03-31 | $32.8M | $4.8M | +17.24% | +18.18% |
| Q4 2023 | 2023-12-31 | $44.6M | $8.0M | +21.70% | +24.83% |
| Q3 2023 | 2023-09-30 | $35.2M | −$13.5M | −27.77% | +20.17% |
| Q2 2023 | 2023-06-30 | $27.7M | $16.2M | +141.50% | +16.49% |
| Q1 2023 | 2023-03-31 | $27.9M | −$1.9M | −6.44% | +16.72% |
| Q4 2022 | 2022-12-31 | $36.6M | $31.3M | +585.06% | +21.79% |
| Q3 2022 | 2022-09-30 | $48.7M | $16.9M | +53.00% | +29.58% |
| Q2 2022 | 2022-06-30 | $11.5M | −$10.9M | −48.69% | +7.05% |
| Q1 2022 | 2022-03-31 | $29.9M | −$14.3M | −32.34% | +18.88% |
| Q4 2021 | 2021-12-31 | $5.3M | −$32.3M | −85.79% | +3.38% |
| Q3 2021 | 2021-09-30 | $31.8M | −$3.5M | −10.00% | +20.33% |
| Q2 2021 | 2021-06-30 | $22.4M | −$3.4M | −13.14% | +14.39% |
| Q1 2021 | 2021-03-31 | $44.1M | $21.0M | +90.79% | +28.80% |
| Q4 2020 | 2020-12-31 | $37.6M | $22.6M | +149.51% | +24.60% |
| Q3 2020 | 2020-09-30 | $35.4M | $11.6M | +48.94% | +24.49% |
| Q2 2020 | 2020-06-30 | $25.8M | $19.4M | +304.19% | +25.26% |
| Q1 2020 | 2020-03-31 | $23.1M | −$11.9M | −33.94% | +15.62% |
| Q4 2019 | 2019-12-31 | $15.1M | −$23.1M | −60.51% | +9.91% |
| Q3 2019 | 2019-09-30 | $23.7M | −$23.2M | −49.39% | +15.61% |
| Q2 2019 | 2019-06-30 | $6.4M | −$33.7M | −84.09% | +4.30% |
| Q1 2019 | 2019-03-31 | $35.0M | $10.9M | +45.05% | +22.71% |
| Q4 2018 | 2018-12-31 | $38.2M | $4.6M | +13.72% | +23.24% |
| Q3 2018 | 2018-09-30 | $46.9M | $5.2M | +12.37% | +27.71% |
| Q2 2018 | 2018-06-30 | $40.1M | $344,000 | +0.87% | +23.77% |
| Q1 2018 | 2018-03-31 | $24.1M | −$14.0M | −36.63% | +15.10% |
| Q4 2017 | 2017-12-31 | $33.6M | −$22.8M | −40.45% | +21.45% |
| Q3 2017 | 2017-09-30 | $41.7M | −$23.8M | −36.31% | +26.11% |
| Q2 2017 | 2017-06-30 | $39.7M | −$4.1M | −9.29% | +25.36% |
| Q1 2017 | 2017-03-31 | $38.1M | $14.4M | +60.59% | +24.88% |
| Q4 2016 | 2016-12-31 | $56.4M | — | — | +34.89% |
| Q3 2016 | 2016-09-30 | $65.5M | — | — | +40.38% |
| Q2 2016 | 2016-06-30 | $43.8M | — | — | +27.95% |
| Q1 2016 | 2016-03-31 | $23.7M | — | — | +15.56% |
Cars.com free cash flow growth trends
Over the last five reported fiscal years, free cash flow grew from $121.9M to $147.4M, a compound annual growth rate of 3.86%. Cars.com's latest reported quarter, Q2 2026, generated $15.3M in free cash flow, a decrease of 35.58% year over year.
About the metric
What free cash flow means
Free cash flow is the cash a company generates from operations after capital expenditures. Positive FCF can fund dividends, buybacks, debt repayment, or reinvestment; negative FCF means capital spending exceeded operating cash flow for that period.
Calculation and source
How free cash flow is calculated
TickerStat calculates free cash flow as SEC-reported operating cash flow minus capital expenditures. FCF margin equals free cash flow divided by revenue. Fiscal periods can differ from calendar years, so the tables include exact period-end dates.
Review Cars.com filings at SEC.gov ↗