CarGurus Inc. (Class A) (CARG) Options Positioning, Max Pain & Unusual Sweeps

$32.18 -0.98% NASDAQ • Live Quote vs Prior Daily Close (Synced Snapshot) EXT / AFTER-HRS: $32.20

CarGurus Inc. (Class A) (CARG) earns a Roarable Rating of B+ (Buy) with 77/100 RQD Confidence. High-quality cash engine (93% profit margin, 85% return on capital) with steady institutional support. The company’s underlying cash engine and institutional positioning keep the composite score in the Green Buy zone.

ROARABLE B+ • BUY Cap $2.87B
📤 Share Live RQD Speedometer Card: 𝕏 Post Reddit StockTwits ⬇ Live SVG Card
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🤖 Mara Quenwick • AI Quant Lead (Click for Instant Brief) Is CARG stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?
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As of 2026-11-03, CarGurus Inc. (Class A) (NASDAQ: CARG) is rated B+ (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 77/100 at a spot price of $32.18 (-0.98% 1D, market cap $2.87B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 20/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 10/20, Executive Insider Alignment 18/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 10/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 19/20. Across 714 tracked Technology issuers, CARG ranks #24 in composite RQD confidence.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 Ellis Vennor • AI Peer & Flow Quant (Click for Instant Brief) How does CARG compare to NTCT and KD in the Technology sector?
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Within the Technology sector (EDP Services), CARG carries a Roarable B+ (77/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 18.6x, gross margin of 92.8%, and ROIC of 85.0%. By comparison, NTCT (NetScout Systems Inc.) holds a C+ grade (66/100 RQD, P/E 30.0x, ROIC 7.9%, cap $2.79B) and KD (Kyndryl Holdings Inc.) posts a D grade (48/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $3.01B). Among the 5-stock peer group, CARG leads on earnings multiple (18.6x) while CARG leads on capital efficiency (85.0% ROIC).

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 Gideon Ashmere • AI SEC 10-K Forensics (Click for Instant Brief) What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for CARG?
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Per CARG's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001494259), CarGurus Inc. (Class A) generated $907.0M in revenue (+13.7% YoY), $155.9M in net income, and $288.9M in free cash flow against $661.9M in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (93% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

✓ Pre-computed one-to-many AI Quant brief
🤖 AI Quant Disclosure: Roarable Analysts are proprietary AI Quant Specialists — not human financial advisors. Pre-computed one-to-many briefings above are free; interactive 1-on-1 Q&A, custom AI sifting/indicator alerts, and personal ChatGPT/Claude MCP connections require a $9.95/mo Pro account (currently waitlist-only).
INTERACTIVE SCENARIO DECK:
🛡️ Portfolio Crash X-Ray
EXT / AFTER-HRS: $32.20 (+0.06%)🧬 Cannibal Buyback (-3.20% YoY Shares)⚙️ Cash Engine: 20/20 (A+) • 31.9% FCF Margin
Verify 90D Bucket Audit →
📊 Historical Track Record: Scores of 77/100 (B+) historically ranked in the Top 10% of excess returns over the next 90 days (+7.8% avg 90D alpha vs SPY • 70.3% hit rate).
Audit Bucket Track Record →
RQD QUANT TACHOMETERBUY • B+
025507510077
2-of-3 JEV AI Jury Bullish
Cash
SEC
Whale

Impersonal quantitative research (0–100 RQD rubric) — not individualized investment advice. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Full Disclaimer

5-PILLAR SNOWFLAKE RADARRw A- · Rk B-
Cash (20)Whales (10)SEC (18)Macro (10)CEO (19)
Each axis scored 0–20
12M PRICE TARGET CONE+8.5% Base Target
$43 Bull$35 Base$26 Bear
📬 FREE CARG RATING-CHANGE & BRIEFING ALERTSManage / Unsubscribe
WHALE OPTIONS SNAPSHOT: — (No Active Options Snapshot on file for CARG)Realized 20D OHLCV Swing Band: ±8.2%
Deterministic 5-Pillar Attribution (77/100 Composite)
🔍 WHY CARG SCORES 77/100 (B+) — TOP 3 DRIVERS2 Bullish Pillars + #1 Risk Drag
▲ #1 Bullish Driver: Cash Engine Quality+20/20 pts (26% of score)

SEC XBRL FY 2025 (10-K): 31.9% FCF Margin ($288.9M FCF) & 92.8% Gross Margin

▲ #2 Bullish Driver: Insider Conviction & Share Dilution+19/20 pts (25% of score)

SEC Form 4 / 13F Thermometer: 86% Net Buy • Cannibal Buyback (-3.20% YoY Shares)

▼ #1 Drag / Risk Factor: Macro Regime Fit10/20 pts (-10 pt drag)

Macro rate sensitivity & RSI-14 (54.7) create a -10 pt regime headwind

📈 PAST 4 QUARTERS RQD vs SUBSEQUENT RETURNQ1 → Q2 → Q3 → Current
Q1 (-3Q)
69
Grade B-$29.32+8% Next Q
Q2 (-2Q)
72
Grade B$31.66-2.2% Next Q
Q3 (-1Q)
74
Grade B+$30.96+3.9% Next Q
Current
77
Grade B+$32.18+7.8% Hist 90D α
Trajectory: B- (69) → B+ (77)Full Audit →
⚔️ ADVERSARIAL OPPOSING CASE & FORENSIC KILL-SWITCH (WHY THE BULL/BEAR THESIS COULD FAIL)GIDEON ASHMERE // FORENSIC SHORT & KILL-SWITCH DOSSIER

⚔️ Adversarial Opposing Case: Why the CARG Bull Thesis Could Fail

Gideon Ashmere Forensic Desk →

Even with a 77/100 (B+) score, CARG faces multiple-compression risk if 18.6x trailing P/E re-rate toward historical sector medians or if hyperscaler/enterprise customer concentration slows in upcoming 10-Q filings.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #1

Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #2

Dilution & Margin Drag: Cannibal Buyback (-3.20% YoY Shares) — any gross margin slip below 90.3% triggers an automatic RQD downgrade.

⚠️ Forensic Kill-Switch #3

Technical & Forensic Kill-Switch: A daily close below the 50D SMA ($32.16) or 200D SMA ($32.84) invalidates the momentum regime and cuts Target Base ($34.93) toward Bear Floor ($26.39).

🎲 LIVE PREDICTION MARKET ODDS TIED TO $CARG• $4.8M Crowd Pool • Kalshi / Polymarket Composite
Contract: “CARG Beats Next Quarterly Revenue & EPS Consensus + Hyperscaler AI CapEx Holds Record Pace”
CALL VS. PUT WHALE SHARE
— (No Active Options Snapshot)
Put/Call Ratio: — (No Active Options Snapshot)
MAX-PAIN EXPIRATION MAGNET
— (No Active Options Snapshot)
No active options chain max-pain snapshot on file
HISTORICAL 20D VOLATILITY SWING
±8.2%
Derived from 20D OHLCV bars (No Active Options Snapshot)

Active Strike Call vs. Put Concentration Ladder (CARG)

— (No Active Options Snapshot) — No unusual CBOE strike concentration anomalies recorded in the current database snapshot for CARG.

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ON-DEMAND RQD QUANT WORKSHOP • SPONSORED / PARTNER SPOTLIGHTHosted by Perry Belcher + Options & Swing Structure Desk

Whale Flow & Momentum Playbook: Evaluating CARG & AI Leaders Without Chasing Tops

  • ✓Institutional whale strikes & implied earnings move audit on CARG
  • ✓How disciplined traders manage risk using pre-published trigger & invalidation levels
  • ✓Includes nightly RQD rating-change & forensic signal email alerts on tracked leaders
RQD INSIDER CLUB WAITLIST$49/YR PLANNED
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CARG // CANDLESTICK & AUTO-TRENDLINE WORKSTATION6M: -12.98%📐 HORIZONTAL RANGE
2026-11-03O $32.50H $32.50L $32.18C $32.18VOL 1.38M
RES: $44.10SUP: $26.33SMA50: $32.16SMA200: $32.84
$42.23$38.04$33.86$29.67$25.48RES $44.10SUP $26.33$32.182026-05-042026-06-172026-08-042026-09-182026-11-03
PRIMARY-SOURCE FORENSICS, SECOND-ORDER LINKS & AI ANALYST DESK

CARG Dilution Monitor, Expectations Hurdle, Butterfly Connections & Policy Exposure

Share Count & Dilution Monitor (#25)

Multi-year comparable XBRL diluted share count not disclosed (ETF or recent listing).

Reverse-DCF Expectations Hurdle (#30)
11.9%/yr Implied 5Y Growth

vs. +13.7% actual YoY revenue growth (assuming 9.25% cost of equity & 16.5x terminal multiple).

Ellis Vennor Setup Ledger (#33)

No active Ellis Vennor swing setup published on CARG today. View full Setup Ledger →

🦋 Documented & Second-Order Butterfly Connections Open Graph →

No direct multi-tier Butterfly edges indexed yet for CARG. Explore sector supply chains on /butterfly.

AI Analyst Theses, Washington Policy & Company Video
🎬 No recent verified company-specific video clip queued for CARG today (we never pad ticker pages with unrelated generic clips). Browse Macro Video Desk →
DETERMINISTIC MULTI-FACTOR EQUITY AUDIT • SEC EDGAR XBRL × RQD PEER BENCHMARK

📊 Quantitative Sector Peer Comparison, SEC Filing Delta & Investment FAQ (CARG)

Technology Rank #24 of 714 ⚔️ NTCT vs CARG Full Matrix →

1. Head-to-Head Technology Peer Comparison (CARG vs. NTCT, KD, FIVN, AGYS)

Industry: EDP Services (163 Tracked Issuers)

Across 714 tracked Technology securities in the Roarable RQD universe, CarGurus Inc. (Class A) (CARG) ranks #24 by composite RQD confidence (77/100, grade B+) and #256 by equity capitalization ($2.87B). Within this direct 5-issuer industry benchmark cohort, CARG leads on earnings valuation at 18.6x trailing P/E, while CARG leads on capital efficiency and profitability with 85.0% ROIC and 92.8% gross margin. CARG currently leads its immediate peer cohort in composite quantitative strength at 77/100 (B+).

Ticker / Company Roarable Grade RQD Score Trailing P/E Gross Margin ROIC 1D Change Market Cap Head-to-Head
CARG ACTIVE
CarGurus Inc. (Class A)
B+ 77/100 18.6x 92.8% 85.0% -0.98% $2.87B Benchmark Subject
NTCT
NetScout Systems Inc.
C+ 66/100 30.0x 79.4% 7.9% -2.49% $2.79B /ntct-vs-carg →
KD
Kyndryl Holdings Inc.
D 48/100 — 21.8% — -0.79% $3.01B /kd-vs-carg →
FIVN
Five9 Inc.
C- 60/100 70.9x 55.1% 4.1% -2.86% $2.72B /fivn-vs-carg →
AGYS
Agilysys Inc.
B- 71/100 84.3x 62.6% 14.7% -0.05% $3.27B /agys-vs-carg →

2. Multi-Year SEC XBRL Revenue, Cash Flow & Balance-Sheet Trajectory (FY2023–FY2025)

SEC EDGAR 10-K • FILED 2025-12-31 • CIK 0001494259

In its most recent audited fiscal period (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31), CarGurus Inc. (Class A) (CARG) reported GAAP revenue of $907.0M (+13.7% vs. FY2024 revenue of $798.0M , and +29.9% cumulative change since FY2023) , GAAP net income of $155.9M, operating cash flow of $295.3M, and free cash flow of $288.9M (+60.2% YoY). On the balance sheet, CARG closed FY2025 with $661.9M in total assets against $0 in total debt (Altman Z-Score: 9.72, Piotroski F-Score: 8/9).

Fiscal Period Filing Date Revenue Net Income Operating Cash Flow Free Cash Flow Total Assets Total Debt
FY2025 (FY) 2025-12-31 $907.0M $155.9M $295.3M $288.9M $661.9M —
FY2024 (FY) 2024-12-31 $798.0M $21.0M $255.5M $180.3M $824.5M —
FY2023 (FY) 2023-12-31 $698.4M $22.1M $124.5M $124.5M — —

3. CARG Data-Verified Investor FAQ (RQD Rating, Sector Peers, SEC Forensics & Technicals)

✓ SCHEMA.ORG FAQPAGE JSON-LD ENABLED

Is CARG stock a Buy, Hold, or Sell right now according to Roarable's RQD model?

As of 2026-11-03, CarGurus Inc. (Class A) (NASDAQ: CARG) is rated B+ (Buy / BUY) by Roarable's 5-pillar RQD engine with a composite confidence score of 77/100 at a spot price of $32.18 (-0.98% 1D, market cap $2.87B). Pillar breakdown: Fundamental Cash Engine 20/20, Institutional 13F & Options Flow 10/20, Executive Insider Alignment 18/20, FRED Macro Regime Fit 10/20, and SEC Balance-Sheet Forensics 19/20. Across 714 tracked Technology issuers, CARG ranks #24 in composite RQD confidence.

How does CARG compare to NTCT and KD in the Technology sector?

Within the Technology sector (EDP Services), CARG carries a Roarable B+ (77/100 RQD), trailing P/E of 18.6x, gross margin of 92.8%, and ROIC of 85.0%. By comparison, NTCT (NetScout Systems Inc.) holds a C+ grade (66/100 RQD, P/E 30.0x, ROIC 7.9%, cap $2.79B) and KD (Kyndryl Holdings Inc.) posts a D grade (48/100 RQD, P/E N/A, ROIC —, cap $3.01B). Among the 5-stock peer group, CARG leads on earnings multiple (18.6x) while CARG leads on capital efficiency (85.0% ROIC).

What are the biggest fundamental strengths and SEC risk factors for CARG?

Per CARG's SEC EDGAR XBRL 10-K filing (FY2025, filed 2025-12-31, CIK 0001494259), CarGurus Inc. (Class A) generated $907.0M in revenue (+13.7% YoY), $155.9M in net income, and $288.9M in free cash flow against $661.9M in total assets and $0 in total debt. Key quantitative strengths: Strong cash generator (93% profit margin)—profits are backed by real money, not accounting tricks.. Primary risk factors monitored: Sensitive to high interest rates and tighter Federal Reserve market liquidity.. Institutional options positioning shows a 50% call / 50% put premium split.

Where is CARG trading relative to its 50-day, 200-day, and 52-week technical levels?

CARG last traded at $32.18 (-0.98% on volume of 1,375,744 shares), positioning the stock +0.06% above its 50-day simple moving average ($32.16) and -2.01% below its 200-day simple moving average ($32.84). Across its 52-week range of $26.39 to $41.22, CARG sits at the 39.0% percentile with a 14-day RSI of 54.7 (NEUTRAL RANGE) and an implied next-earnings move of ±8.2% ($29.54 to $34.82).

CARG Investor FAQ & Complete 8-Part Research Index

100% OPEN ACCESS • SEC EDGAR × CBOE × FRED

What is CARG's options positioning and volatility profile?

Roarable tracks verified CBOE unusual options sweeps, put/call ratios, and OHLCV realized volatility bands for CARG.

ROARABLE RATING BRIEF • RQD 77/100 (B+) ✓ STAGE-C NUMBER FIREWALL VERIFIED

CARG — CarGurus Inc. (Class A): What the Facts Mean to a Prospective Investor

Engine: anthropic/claude-haiku-5.5
As of: 2026-11-02T15:24:41Z

Roarable Rating Brief: What This Means to a Prospective Investor

Per the Roarable RQD rating, CARG scores 78 out of 100 (letter grade B+), labeled "Roarable Buy — Very Good Cash & Smart-Money Inflow." The five pillars are:

  • Fundamental Cash Engine: 20 / 20. Per the Roarable RQD rating, this pillar reflects ROIC of 85% and FCF yield of 9.98%. This is the maximum pillar score and is the strongest part of the thesis: the company generates high returns on invested capital and substantial free cash flow relative to its market value.
  • Whale 13F Flow: 11 / 20. Per the Roarable RQD rating, this pillar covers institutional accumulation and options positioning. The score is mid-range, indicating some institutional activity without a decisive signal in either direction.
  • Insider Conviction: 19 / 20. Per the Roarable RQD rating, this pillar reflects SEC Form 4 and Congressional PTR cluster flow. A near-maximum score here suggests a favorable insider and disclosed-trade pattern in the source data, though the underlying transactions are not itemized in the provided material.
  • Macro Regime Fit: 10 / 20. Per the Roarable RQD rating, this pillar reflects beta of 1.0 and sector sensitivity. The mid-range score signals that the stock's macro exposure is roughly market-equivalent, offering neither a defensive cushion nor a clear macro tailwind.
  • Forensic Balance Sheet: 18 / 20. Per the Roarable RQD rating, this pillar reflects Altman Z of 9.72, Piotroski F of 8/9, and Debt/Equity of 0.5. This is a strong reading and supports the view that balance-sheet risk is low.

For a prospective investor evaluating the stock today, the rating points to a business with exceptional cash-generation efficiency and a clean balance sheet, offset by only moderate macro-regime alignment and institutional flow signals. Valuation is the key tradeoff: per the market data, the trailing P/E is 18.6 and forward P/E is 15.6, which are not extreme for a business with these return metrics, but the stock sits in the upper portion of its 52-week range. The rating does not itself constitute a recommendation, and the factors above should be weighed against the open questions listed below.

Snapshot

PriceMarket CapP/E (TTM)Forward P/EEV/EBITDAEPS (TTM)Dividend YieldBeta52-Wk RangeROIC %
32.5$2.89B18.615.610.81.750%1.0$26.39 - $41.2285%

Recent Catalysts & News Wire Analysis

Per the recent news and catalysts feed, six items are listed for CARG:

  • A ChartMill report characterizes CARG as a Lynch-style growth-at-a-reasonable-price stock (flagged GREEN, CATALYST).
  • A Benzinga transcript of the Q2 2026 earnings conference call is listed (YELLOW, MARKET WIRE).
  • A Simply Wall St piece addresses misleading price labels and the stock's investment narrative (YELLOW, MARKET WIRE).
  • A MarketBeat item reports that Congress Asset Management Co. increased its CARG holdings (YELLOW, MARKET WIRE).
  • A Stock Titan item reports that Officer Samuel Zales proposed selling 10,000 Class A shares (YELLOW, MARKET WIRE).
  • A MarketBeat item reports that Assenagon Asset Management S.A. purchased CARG stock (YELLOW, MARKET WIRE).

Risk watch items: the insider share-sale proposal is the only item in the feed that describes a potential outflow. Proprietary signals: per the Butterfly Supply-Chain Graph, none are listed.

Open Questions

  • What is the composition and timing of the institutional and insider transactions referenced in the news feed, and do they align with the 13F and Form 4 pillar scores?
  • What drove the decline in reported cash from $304.2M in FY 2024 to $190.5M in FY 2025, and how does it relate to free cash flow of $288.9M?
  • What are the company's EPS and debt figures for the reported periods, which are currently unavailable in the financial data?
  • What is the source and content of the Q2 2026 earnings call, and what guidance or results were disclosed?
  • Which upstream and downstream dependencies and sector correlations would the butterfly analysis reveal if mapped, given the current NONE status?

CARG Live News Feed, Press Releases & Catalyst Wire

Real-time company headlines, analyst actions, and sector developments for CarGurus Inc. (Class A) (CARG) • Click "Debate This Headline" to argue it in the Roar Pit below

💬 Jump to CARG Debate Forum (3) ↓
🔥 THE ROAR PIT • LIVE COMMUNITY DEBATE 3 Active Posts & Replies

CARG Bull vs. Bear Conversation Board — What's Your Call at $32.18?

🐂 67% BULLISH CONVICTION COMMUNITY TUG-OF-WAR ON CARG 🐻 33% BEARISH CONVICTION
1. Pick Your Side on CARG:
💡 Tip: Back up your call with a price target or RQD metric to get upvoted to the top.
RO RoarDesk_Moderator Roarable Research Desk 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $38.35 (+18.0%)
📌 Pinned Debate

🔥 Official Bull vs. Bear Debate: Is CARG (B+ • RQD 78/100) a Buy at $32.50?

Welcome to the CARG (CarGurus Inc. (Class A)) Roar Pit. Current RQD Composite is 78/100 (Roarable Buy — Very Good Cash & Smart-Money Inflow) in EDP Services. Bulls point to capital efficiency (85.0% ROIC), while bears focus on macro rate sensitivity and margin execution. Pick your side (🐂 Bull or 🐻 Bear) and drop your price target below.

BE BearTrap_Alert Forensic Accounting Watch 🐻 BEARISH 🎯 Target: $26.65 (-18.0%)
Spot @ $32.50

Pump the brakes on CARG — check the valuation vs. margin headwinds

Everyone in here is repeating the bull case on CARG, but look at what you are paying: 18.6x trailing P/E with 92.8% gross margins. Unless CarGurus Inc. (Class A) expands free cash flow yield next quarter, I would rather wait for a pullback closer to the 200-day moving average before touching this.

MI MidwestValue Verified K Arena Trader 🐂 BULLISH 🎯 Target: $40.95 (+26.0%)
Spot @ $32.50

CARG cash flow & RQD setup is being underpriced by the Street here

Looking at the 5-pillar RQD breakdown on CARG, the market is fixating on short-term headline noise in EDP Services and ignoring the balance sheet and cash flow trajectory. At $32.50 (52-wk range $26.39 - $41.22), any beat on forward guidance forces shorts and underweight funds to chase.

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