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Cars.comLTS:0HTZ +3.28%60 Debt-to-Equity is 0.98 as of Mar. 2026, which is 3% above its 10-year median of 0.95. GuruFocus rates LTS:0HTZ with a GF Score™ of 60/100 and a GF Value™ of $19.04 (Possible Value Trap). The stock has 5 warning signs investors should review. Among 411 Interactive Media companies, Cars.com ranks worse than 87.83% on this metric.
A high debt to equity ratio generally means that a company has been aggressive in financing its growth with debt. This can result in volatile earnings as a result of the additional interest expense.
The historical rank and industry rank for Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity or its related term are showing as below:
LTS:0HTZ'
s Debt-to-Equity Range Over the Past 10 Years
Min: 0.34 Med: 0.95 Max: 2.29
Current: 0.98
During the past 13 years, the highest Debt-to-Equity Ratio of Cars.com was 2.29. The lowest was 0.34. And the median was 0.95.
LTS:0HTZ's Debt-to-Equity is ranked worse than 87.83% of 411
companies
in the Interactive Media industry
Industry Median: 0.13
vs LTS:0HTZ: 0.98
Because a company can increase its ROE % by having more financial leverage, it is important to watch the leverage ratio when investing in high ROE % companies.
Cars.com Debt-to-Equity Related Terms
Cars.com Debt-to-Equity Historical Data
* Premium members only.
The historical data trend for Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity can be seen below:
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
LTS:0HTZ vs NRDS, MAX, NXDR: Debt-to-Equity Comparison
For the Internet Content & Information subindustry, Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity, along with its competitors' market caps and Debt-to-Equity data, can be viewed below:
* Competitive companies are chosen from companies within the same industry, with headquarter located in same country, with closest market capitalization; x-axis shows the market cap, and y-axis shows the term value; the bigger the dot, the larger the market cap. Note that "N/A" values will not show up in the chart.
Cars.com Debt-to-Equity vs Interactive Media Industry
For the Interactive Media industry and Communication Services sector, Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity distribution charts can be found below:
* The bar in red indicates where Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity falls into.
* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD. * For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.
Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ) has a Debt-to-Equity of 0.98 as of Mar. 2026. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Cars.com and its competitors. This is near median its historical median of 0.95. Over the past decade, Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.34 to 2.29. According to the industry distribution chart, Cars.com ranks #361 out of 411 companies in the Interactive Media industry, placing it in the top 87.8%.
Is Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity too high?
Cars.com's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.98 is near median its 10-year median of 0.95. Over the past 10 years, this metric has ranged from a low of 0.34 to a high of 2.29. The Interactive Media industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.13. Cars.com's value of 0.98 is 653.8% above this industry median. Based on the distribution chart, Cars.com ranks #361 out of 411 companies in the Interactive Media industry, which is in the bottom quartile relative to peers. Overall, Cars.com has a GF Score™ of 60/100 and is considered Possible Value Trap, reflecting its overall financial health beyond just this single metric.
How does Cars.com's Debt-to-Equity compare to NRDS and MAX?
According to the Interactive Media industry distribution chart, Cars.com ranks #361 out of 411 companies for Debt-to-Equity. This places Cars.com in the lower half of its industry. The industry median Debt-to-Equity is 0.13. Cars.com's value of 0.98 is 653.8% above this benchmark. Historically, Cars.com's own Debt-to-Equity has ranged from 0.34 to 2.29 over the past decade. While the company's 10-year median is 0.95 vs. the industry median of 0.13, Cars.com has consistently been above the industry average. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Debt-to-Equity for an Interactive Media company?
The median Debt-to-Equity among Interactive Media companies is 0.13, based on 411 companies in the industry. Companies in the top quartile (top 25%) have a Debt-to-Equity significantly above this median, while those in the bottom quartile fall well below. However, Debt-to-Equity should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Cars.com's current Debt-to-Equity of 0.98 is 653.8% above the industry median. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Debt-to-Equity mean?
A high Debt-to-Equity can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Debt-to-Equity ratio represents the ratio of total debt to total company equity. View historical data on Cars.com and its competitors. For the Interactive Media industry, the median Debt-to-Equity is 0.13 — values significantly above this may indicate overvaluation, while values below may suggest a bargain or underlying issues. Cars.com's current Debt-to-Equity is 0.98, which is near median its own 10-year median of 0.95. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is Cars.com stock overvalued right now?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ) is currently considered Possible Value Trap. The stock's GF Value™ is $19.04, compared to a current price of $12.29 — trading 35.5% below its estimated fair value. The current Debt-to-Equity is 0.98, which is near median its 10-year median of 0.95 and 653.8% above the Interactive Media industry median of 0.13. Cars.com's overall GF Score™ is 60/100 with 5 warning signs to review. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Debt-to-Equity calculated?
Debt-to-Equity is calculated from a company's financial statements. For Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ), the current Debt-to-Equity is 0.98 as of Mar. 2026. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.
Is Cars.com (LTS:0HTZ) Overvalued in 2026?
Based on GuruFocus' analysis, Cars.com stock appears to be undervalued.
The current stock price of $12.29 is trading 35.5% below its estimated GF Value™ of $19.04.
GuruFocus considers Cars.com to be Possible Value Trap.
Key valuation signals for LTS:0HTZ:
Debt-to-Equity: 0.98 (near median its 10-year median of 0.95)
GF Value™: $19.04 vs. price of $12.29 (35.5% below fair value)
Industry Position: 653.8% above the Interactive Media median (#361 of 411)
No single metric tells the full story. See the LTS:0HTZ stock analysis page for a complete view including 30-year financials, guru trades, and insider activity.
Cars.com Inc is an audience-powered and data-driven technology platform that simplifies buying and selling cars. The flagship Cars.com marketplace connects consumers to dealerships across the U.S., powering the car-buying experience with artificial intelligence (AI) shopping tools, vehicle reviews and content. Its ecosystem of products enables dealers and OEMs to sell more cars by leveraging the marketplace, dealer websites, trade and appraisal tools and proprietary in-market media solutions. The platform provides shoppers with data, resources and digital tools to make informed buying decisions and connect with automotive retailers. The Company also provides dealerships and OEMs with solutions and data-driven intelligence to reach and influence its 26 million monthly shoppers.
60GF Score
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