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    Cars.com Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023 Results

    2/22/24 7:30:00 AM ET
    $CARS
    EDP Services
    Technology
    Get the next $CARS alert in real time by email

    Exceeded Fourth Quarter Guidance, Delivered 7% Year-Over-Year Revenue Growth

    Achieved 7% Year-Over-Year ARPD Growth coupled with Strong Fourth Quarter OEM Performance

    Generated $137MM of Annual Cash Flows From Operating Activities

    CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Cars.com Inc. (NYSE:CARS) (d/b/a "Cars Commerce Inc." or the "Company"), an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry, today released its financial results for the fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2023.

    Cars Commerce (PRNewsfoto/Cars.com Inc.)

    Q4 2023 Financial and Key Metric Highlights

    • Revenue of $179.6 million, up $11.4 million, or 7% year-over-year
    • Net income of $8.3 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, compared to Net Income of $10.3 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the prior year
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $55.4 million, or 31% of revenue, up $5.9 million year-over-year
    • Average Monthly Unique Visitors ("UVs") of 24.3 million, compared to 24.6 million a year ago
    • Traffic ("Visits") of 142.7 million, up 2% year-over-year
    • Monthly Average Revenue Per Dealer ("ARPD") of $2,523, up 7% year-over-year
    • Dealer Customers totaled 19,504[1] as of December 31, 2023, up 789 compared to 18,715 as of September 30, 2023

    2023 Full-Year Financial and Key Metric Highlights

    • Revenue of $689.2 million, up $35.3 million, or 5% year-over-year
    • Net income of $118.4 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, compared to Net income of $17.2 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, in the prior year. Current year Net income was primarily related to the release of a significant portion of the Company's valuation allowance
    • Adjusted EBITDA of $194.9 million, or 28.3% of revenue, compared to $186.7 million, or 28.6% of revenue in the prior year
    • Cash flows from operating activities of $136.7 million, compared to $128.5 million in the prior year, with Free cash flow of $115.8 million, compared to $108.8 million in the prior year
    • UVs of 26.4 million, even compared to the prior year
    • Traffic of 614.8 million, up 5% year-over-year, setting an all-time Company record for traffic

    Operational Highlights

    • AccuTrade was selected by FordDirect as its preferred Vehicle Acquisition and Trade & Appraisal solution for The Shop, a newly launched preferred vendor selection program for its more than 3,000 U.S. Ford and Lincoln retailers
    • Closed on the acquisition of D2C Media, a leading provider of website and digital advertising solutions; integration of teams and technology underway supporting the Company's expanding presence in Canada
    • Debuted VIN Performance Media, a new advertising solution that combines three of the Company's existing media products into a single solution that saves dealers time and money, while maximizing ad performance and operational efficiency

    "2023 marked a year of significant progress. We advanced our platform strategy through the introduction of Cars Commerce, the rollout of our Marketplace Repackaging initiative and our expansion into Canada with the acquisition of D2C Media. Our focus on simplifying everything about buying and selling cars enabled us to continue to deliver value for consumers, dealers, and OEMs, supporting our twelve consecutive quarters of year-over-year profitable revenue growth," said Alex Vetter, Chief Executive Officer of Cars Commerce. "We begin 2024 well-positioned to continue building on this momentum, unlocking new growth opportunities and driving commerce for the auto industry."

    Q4 2023 Results

    Revenue for the fourth quarter, which includes two months of activity related to D2C Media, totaled $179.6 million, an increase of $11.4 million, or up 7%, compared to the prior year period. Excluding D2C Media, the Company's  revenue would have increased 5%, year-over-year.

    Dealer revenue grew 8% year-over-year, driven by continued growth in solutions and media products and the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging initiative. OEM and National revenue also grew 8%, year-over-year driven by a 24% increase in OEM customer revenue. Sequentially, OEM and National revenue increased 6%, driven by 11% growth in OEM customer revenue.

    Fourth quarter ARPD grew 7%, or $162, year-over-year to $2,523, primarily driven by the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging initiative. As of December 31, 2023, Dealer Customers totaled 19,504, including 950 dealers associated with the Company's D2C Media acquisition, an increase of 789 compared to 18,715 at the end of the third quarter of 2023.

    Total operating expenses for the fourth quarter were $164.7 million, compared to $148.4 million for the prior year period. Adjusted Operating Expenses for the quarter were $150.8 million, a $10.1 million increase compared to the prior year period. The change in Adjusted operating expenses is primarily due to continued investments in people, an increase in depreciation and amortization, and investments in marketing to support the launch of the Company's Cars Commerce brand.

    Net income for the quarter was $8.3 million, or $0.12 per diluted share, compared to Net income of $10.3 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2022. The change in Net income is primarily attributable to the changes in the fair value contingent consideration associated with the Company's prior acquisitions.

    Adjusted EBITDA margin expanded sequentially throughout the year, reaching 31% of revenue for the quarter, or $55.4 million, compared to 29% of revenue, or $49.5 million, for the prior year period.

    2023 Full-Year Results

    Revenue for the year totaled $689.2 million, an increase of $35.3 million, or up 5%, compared to the prior year period. Dealer revenue grew 7% year-over-year, driven by the continued growth in solutions and media and the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging initiative. OEM and National revenue was down 5%, year-over-year; while OEM revenue increased 8% relative to the prior year, revenue from insurance customers was down compared to a year ago. Other Revenue was $4.5 million lower compared to the prior year primarily due to the planned expiration of a non-cash transition services agreement related to AccuTrade in the first quarter of 2023.

    For the year, total operating expenses were $635.1 million, compared to $587.8 million in 2022. Adjusted Operating Expenses for the year were $594.1 million, a $38.2 million increase compared to the prior year that was largely driven by increased compensation and employee related expenses, particularly in Marketing and sales and Product and technology. Additionally, as the Company has accelerated product development and technology investments, Depreciation and amortization expense was also up, year-over-year.

    Marketing and sales costs increased primarily due to higher compensation and higher investments in Brand Media to support both the Company's Possibilities advertising campaign and launch of its enterprise brand, Cars Commerce.

    2023 Net income totaled $118.4 million, or $1.74 per diluted share, compared to Net income of $17.2 million, or $0.25 per diluted share in the prior year. The increase in Net income is primarily related to the release of a significant portion of the Company's valuation allowance, given the expectation of projected future income and utilization of the Company's tax assets.

    Adjusted EBITDA for the year totaled $194.9 million, or 28.3% of revenue, compared to $186.7 million, or 28.6% of revenue, in the prior year period.

    The Company remained focused on driving high-quality traffic at scale. Organic traffic remained strong at 61% for the year and Average Monthly Unique Visitors for the year were in line with the prior year. In 2023, total Traffic increased 5%, reaching 614.8 million, a new all-time Company record.

    Cash Flow and Balance Sheet

    Net cash provided by operating activities in 2023 was $136.7 million, compared to $128.5 million in the prior year. Free cash flow in 2023 totaled $115.8 million compared to $108.8 million in 2022. The increase is primarily due to  an $8.2 million year-over-year increase in Adjusted EBITDA and favorable working capital, partially offset by a year-over-year increase in cash taxes of $17.1 million.

    In 2023, the Company made $36.3 million in debt payments. Total debt outstanding was $490.0 million as of December 31, 2023 and the Company's net leverage (as defined in the Company's credit facility) remained within its target net leverage range of 2.0x to 2.5x, improving to 2.3x, compared to 2.4x as of December 31, 2022. Total liquidity as of December 31, 2023 was $234.2 million, which is defined as Cash and cash equivalents of $39.2 million and revolver capacity of $195.0 million.

    For the year, the Company repurchased 1.7 million of its common shares, or 2.6% of the 66.3 million shares outstanding at December 31, 2022, for $31.3 million. 

    "2023 was a year with robust revenue growth and strong Adjusted EBITDA margins, driven by our focus on execution. Our asset light business model consistently generates strong free cash flow conversion that enables us to invest in growth areas that continue to deliver sustained value for consumers, customers, and shareholders," said Sonia Jain, Chief Financial Officer of Cars Commerce.

    2024 Outlook 

    The Company expects to deliver another year of strong growth. The Company believes market conditions are improving, with increased OEM production, new model launches, and rising dealer inventory, which coupled with a still cautious consumer makes the Company's in-market solutions more valuable.

    First quarter revenue is expected to be between $179 million and $181 million, representing year-over-year growth of 7% to 8%. First quarter revenue outlook reflects continued strong growth in Dealer revenue driven by continued adoption of the Cars Commerce suite of products, the D2C acquisition, and the full period impact of the 2023 Marketplace Repackaging Initiative. OEM and National Advertising spend is also expected to be up year-over-year, but historically has experienced some seasonality from the fourth quarter to the first quarter. For the year, the Company anticipates continued growth across its platform with both dealer and OEM customers which is reflected in its revenue growth guidance of 6% to 8%.

    Adjusted EBITDA margin for the first quarter of 2024 is expected to be between 27% and 29%. It's important to note, the Company has seasonally higher investments in Marketing and sales in the first quarter, due to the timing of in-person industry events. The Company expects margins to improve over the course of the year and deliver a full year Adjusted EBITDA margin between 28% to 30%.

    Q4 2023 Earnings Call

    As previously announced, management will hold a conference call and webcast today at 8:00 a.m. CT. This webcast may be accessed at the Cars Commerce Investor relations website,  investor.cars.com. An archive of the webcast will be available at investor.cars.com following the conclusion of the call.

    About Cars Commerce

    Cars Commerce is an audience-driven technology company empowering the automotive industry. The Company simplifies everything about car buying and selling with powerful products, solutions and AI-driven technologies that span pretail, retail and post-sale activities – enabling more efficient and profitable retail operations. The Cars Commerce platform is organized around four industry-leading brands: the flagship automotive marketplace and dealer reputation site Cars.com, award-winning technology and digital retail technology and marketing services from Dealer Inspire, essential trade-in and appraisal technology from AccuTrade, and exclusive in-market media solutions from the Cars Commerce Media Network. Learn more at www.carscommerce.inc.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    This earnings release discusses Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA margin and Free Cash Flow and Adjusted Operating Expenses. These financial measures are not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"). These financial measures are presented as supplemental measures of operating performance because the Company believes they provide meaningful information regarding the Company's performance and provide a basis to compare operating results between periods. In addition, the Company uses Adjusted EBITDA as a measure for determining incentive compensation targets. Adjusted EBITDA also is used as a performance measure under the Company's credit agreement and includes adjustments such as the items defined below and other further adjustments, which are defined in the credit agreement. These non-GAAP financial measures are frequently used by the Company's lenders, securities analysts, investors and other interested parties to evaluate companies in the Company's industry. For a reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures presented in this earnings release to their most directly comparable financial measure prepared in accordance with GAAP, see "Non-GAAP Reconciliations" below.

    Other companies may define or calculate these measures differently, limiting their usefulness as comparative measures. Because of these limitations, non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Definitions of these non-GAAP financial measures and reconciliations to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are presented in the tables below.

    The Company defines Adjusted EBITDA as net income (loss) before (1) interest expense, net, (2) income tax (benefit) expense, (3) depreciation, (4) amortization of intangible assets, (5) stock-based compensation expense, (6) unrealized mark-to-market adjustments and cash transactions related to derivative instruments, and (7) unrealized foreign currency exchange gains and losses, and (8) certain other items, such as transaction-related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs and write-off and impairments of goodwill, intangible assets and other long-lived assets.

    Transaction-related items result from actual or potential transactions such as business combinations, mergers, acquisitions, dispositions, spin-offs, financing transactions, and other strategic transactions, including, without limitation, (1) transaction-related bonuses and (2) expenses for advisors and representatives such as investment bankers, consultants, attorneys and accounting firms. Transaction-related items may also include, without limitation, transition and integration costs such as retention bonuses and acquisition-related milestone payments to acquired employees, consulting, compensation and other incremental costs associated with integration projects, fair value changes to contingent considerations and amortization of deferred revenue related to the Accu-Trade acquisition.

    The Company defines Free Cash Flow as net cash provided by operating activities less capital expenditures, including purchases of property and equipment and capitalization of internally developed technology.

    The Company defines Adjusted Operating Expenses as total operating expenses adjusted to exclude stock-based compensation, write-off and impairments of goodwill, intangible assets, long-lived assets, severance, transformation and other exit costs and transaction-related items.

    Key Metric Definitions

    Average Monthly Unique Visitors ("UVs") and Traffic ("Visits"). The Company defines UVs in a given month as the number of distinct visitors that engage with its platform during that month. Visitors are identified when a user first visits an individual Cars.com property on an individual device/browser combination or installs one of its mobile apps on an individual device. If a visitor accesses more than one of its web properties or apps or uses more than one device or browser, each of those unique property/browser/app/device combinations counts toward the number of UVs. Traffic is defined as the number of visits to Cars.com desktop and mobile properties (responsive sites and mobile apps). The Company measures UVs and Traffic via Adobe Analytics. These metrics do not include traffic to Dealer Inspire or D2C Media websites.

    Monthly Average Revenue Per Dealer ("ARPD"). The Company believes that its ability to grow ARPD is an indicator of the value proposition of its platform. The Company defines ARPD as Dealer revenue, excluding digital advertising services, during the period divided by the monthly average number of Dealer Customers during the same period. Beginning with the three months ended June 30, 2022, AccuTrade is included in our ARPD metric. No prior period has been recast as it would be impracticable to do so and the inclusion of AccuTrade would have had an immaterial impact on ARPD for prior periods. Additionally, beginning December 31, 2023, this key operating metric includes D2C Media.

    Dealer Customers. Dealer Customers represent dealerships using our products as of the end of each reporting period. Each physical or virtual dealership location is counted separately, whether it is a single-location proprietorship or part of a large, consolidated dealer group. Multi-franchise dealerships at a single location are counted as one dealer. Beginning June 30, 2022, this key operating metric includes AccuTrade; however, no prior period has been recast as it would be impracticable to do so. Additionally, beginning December 31, 2023, this key operating metric includes D2C Media.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All statements other than statements of historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements often use words such as "believe," "expect," "project," "anticipate," "outlook," "intend," "strategy," "plan," "estimate," "target," "seek," "will," "may," "would," "should," "could," "forecasts," "mission," "strive," "more," "goal" or similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, beliefs, strategies, estimates, projections and assumptions, experience in the industry as well as our perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments, and other factors we think are appropriate. Such forward-looking statements are based on estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by Cars Commerce and its management based on their knowledge and understanding of the business and industry, are inherently uncertain. While Cars Commerce and its management make such statements in good faith and believe such judgments are reasonable, you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of future strategic action, performance or results. Our actual results, performance, achievements, strategic actions or prospects could differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Given these uncertainties, you should not rely on forward-looking statements in making investment decisions. When we make comparisons of results between current and prior periods, we do not intend to express any future trends, or indications of future performance, unless expressed as such, and you should view such comparisons as historical data. Whether or not any such forward-looking statement is in fact achieved will depend on future events, some of which are beyond our control.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and other important factors, many of which are beyond our control, that could cause our actual results and strategic actions to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. For a detailed discussion of many of these and other risks and uncertainties, see "Part I, Item 1A., Risk Factors" and "Part II, Item 7., Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on February 22, 2024 and our other filings filed with the SEC and available on our website at investor.cars.com or via EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

    You should evaluate all forward-looking statements made in this press release in the context of these risks and uncertainties. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based only on information currently available to us and speak only as of the date of this press release. We undertake no obligation, other than as may be required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking or cautionary statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of events, unanticipated or otherwise, or changes in future operating results over time or otherwise. The forward-looking statements in this report are intended to be subject to the safe harbor protection provided by the federal securities laws.

    Cars Commerce Investor Relations Contact:

    Robbin Moore-Randolph

    [email protected]

    312.601.5929

    Cars Commerce Media Contact:

    Marita Thomas

    [email protected]

    312.601.5692

    [1]As of December 31, 2023, this key metric includes the addition of 950 D2C Media only customers.

    Cars.com Inc.

    Consolidated Statements of Income

    (In thousands, except per share data)























    (Unaudited)













    Three Months Ended December 31,



    Year Ended December 31,





    2023



    2022



    2023



    2022

    Revenue:

















      Dealer



    $               161,393



    $               149,424



    $               621,661



    $               579,222

      OEM and National



    15,410



    14,330



    55,904



    58,557

      Other 



    2,803



    4,447



    11,618



    16,097

           Total revenue



    179,606



    168,201



    689,183



    653,876

    Operating expenses:

















      Cost of revenue and operations



    30,918



    28,875



    122,205



    114,959

      Product and technology



    25,230



    23,166



    99,584



    89,015

      Marketing and sales



    58,835



    56,515



    235,471



    221,879

      General and administrative



    23,069



    16,128



    76,807



    67,593

      Depreciation and amortization



    26,619



    23,706



    101,000



    94,394

           Total operating expenses



    164,671



    148,390



    635,067



    587,840

             Operating income



    14,935



    19,811



    54,116



    66,036

    Nonoperating expense:

















      Interest expense, net



    (8,254)



    (8,442)



    (32,425)



    (35,320)

      Other (expense) income, net



    (4,790)



    5,093



    (3,586)



    (8,140)

           Total nonoperating expense, net



    (13,044)



    (3,349)



    (36,011)



    (43,460)

           Income before income taxes



    1,891



    16,462



    18,105



    22,576

           Income tax (benefit) expense



    (6,455)



    6,200



    (100,337)



    5,370

              Net income



    $                   8,346



    $                 10,262



    $               118,442



    $                 17,206

    Weighted-average common shares outstanding:

















    Basic



    66,510



    66,546



    66,742



    68,215

    Diluted



    68,326



    68,513



    68,227



    69,649

    Earnings per share:

















    Basic



    $                     0.13



    $                     0.15



    $                     1.77



    $                     0.25

    Diluted



    0.12



    0.15



    1.74



    0.25



















     

    Cars.com Inc.

    Consolidated Balance Sheets

    (In thousands, except per share data)















    December 31, 2023



    December 31, 2022

    Assets:









    Current assets:









    Cash and cash equivalents



    $                       39,198



    $                       31,715

    Accounts receivable, net



    125,373



    107,930

    Prepaid expenses



    12,553



    8,377

    Other current assets



    1,314



    605

    Total current assets



    178,438



    148,627

    Property and equipment, net



    43,853



    45,218

    Goodwill



    147,058



    102,856

    Intangible assets, net 



    669,167



    707,088

    Deferred tax assets, net



    112,953



    48

    Investments and other assets, net



    20,980



    21,033

    Total assets



    $                  1,172,449



    $                  1,024,870

    Liabilities and stockholders' equity:









    Current liabilities:









    Accounts payable



    $                       22,259



    $                       18,230

    Accrued compensation



    31,669



    19,316

    Current portion of long-term debt, net



    23,129



    14,134

    Other accrued liabilities



    68,691



    54,332

    Total current liabilities



    145,748



    106,012

    Noncurrent liabilities:









    Long-term debt, net



    460,119



    458,249

    Deferred tax liabilities, net



    8,757



    1,401

    Other noncurrent liabilities



    65,717



    74,778

    Total noncurrent liabilities



    534,593



    534,428

    Total liabilities



    680,341



    640,440

    Commitments and contingencies









    Stockholders' equity:









    Preferred Stock at par, $0.01 par value; 5,000 shares authorized; no

       shares issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2023 and 2022,

       respectively



    —



    —

    Common Stock at par, $0.01 par value; 300,000 shares authorized;

       65,929 and 66,287 shares issued and outstanding as of

       December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively



    659



    662

    Additional paid-in capital



    1,500,232



    1,511,944

    Accumulated deficit



    (1,009,734)



    (1,128,176)

    Accumulated other comprehensive income



    951



    —

    Total stockholders' equity



    492,108



    384,430

    Total liabilities and stockholders' equity



    $                  1,172,449



    $                  1,024,870











     

    Cars.com Inc.

    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

    (In thousands)















    Year Ended December 31,





    2023



    2022

    Cash flows from operating activities:









    Net income



    $               118,442



    $                 17,206

    Adjustments to reconcile Net income to Net cash provided by operating activities:









    Depreciation



    22,331



    16,380

    Amortization of intangible assets



    78,669



    78,014

    Amortization of Accumulated other comprehensive loss on interest rate swap



    —



    2,362

    Changes in fair value of contingent consideration



    5,537



    8,130

    Stock-based compensation



    28,491



    22,342

    Deferred income taxes



    (114,498)



    1,283

    Provision for doubtful accounts



    2,986



    1,888

    Amortization of debt issuance costs



    3,042



    3,235

    Unrealized gain on foreign currency denominated transactions



    (2,072)



    —

    Amortization of deferred revenue related to AccuTrade Acquisition



    (883)



    (4,417)

    Other, net



    1,026



    1,202

    Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of acquisitions:









    Accounts receivable



    (15,567)



    (9,337)

    Prepaid expenses and other assets



    (5,101)



    (423)

    Accounts payable



    3,722



    2,611

    Accrued compensation



    11,638



    (4,296)

    Other liabilities



    (1,043)



    (7,669)

    Net cash provided by operating activities



    136,720



    128,511

    Cash flows from investing activities:









         Payments for acquisitions, net of cash acquired



    (76,168)



    (64,663)

         Capitalization of internally developed technology



    (19,602)



    (17,886)

         Purchase of property and equipment



    (1,280)



    (1,828)

    Net cash used in investing activities



    (97,050)



    (84,377)

    Cash flows from financing activities:









         Proceeds from Revolving Loan borrowings



    45,000



    45,000

         Payments of Revolving Loan borrowings and long-term debt



    (36,250)



    (41,250)

         Payments for stock-based compensation plans, net



    (9,205)



    (6,256)

         Repurchases of common stock



    (31,293)



    (48,982)

         Payments of debt issuance costs and other fees



    —



    —

    Net cash used in financing activities



    (31,748)



    (51,488)

    Impact of foreign currency on Cash and cash equivalents



    (439)



    —

    Net increase (decrease) in Cash and cash equivalents



    7,483



    (7,354)

    Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of period



    31,715



    39,069

    Cash and cash equivalents at end of period



    $                 39,198



    $                 31,715

    Supplemental cash flow information:









    Cash paid for income taxes



    $                 17,636



    $                      545

    Cash paid for interest and swap



    30,416



    33,370











     

    Cars.com Inc.

    Non-GAAP Reconciliations

    (In thousands)

    (Unaudited)























    Three Months Ended December 31,



    Year Ended December 31,





    2023



    2022



    2023



    2022

    Reconciliation of Net income to Adjusted EBITDA



















    Net income



    $                   8,346



    $                 10,262



    $               118,442



    $                 17,206

    Interest expense, net



    8,254



    8,442



    32,425



    35,320

    Income tax (benefit) expense



    (6,455)



    6,200



    (100,337)



    5,370

    Depreciation and amortization



    26,619



    23,706



    101,000



    94,394

    Stock-based compensation, including related payroll tax expense



    7,844



    5,390



    30,127



    22,966

    Non-operating foreign exchange income



    (2,072)



    —



    (2,072)



    —

    Write-off of long-lived assets and other



    389



    929



    1,027



    999

    Severance, transformation and other exit costs



    1,226



    960



    3,574



    4,329

    Transaction-related items



    11,253



    (6,370)



    10,698



    6,144

    Adjusted EBITDA



    $                 55,404



    $                 49,519



    $               194,884



    $               186,728





































    Reconciliation of Net cash provided by operating activities to Free cash flow



















    Net cash provided by operating activities



    $                 45,140



    $                 37,220



    $               136,720



    $               128,511

    Capitalization of internally developed technology



    (4,764)



    (4,739)



    (19,602)



    (17,886)

    Purchase of property and equipment



    (543)



    (576)



    (1,280)



    (1,828)

    Free cash flow



    $                 39,833



    $                 31,905



    $               115,838



    $               108,797





































    Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2023:























    As Reported



    Adjustments (1)



    Stock-Based Compensation



    As Adjusted

    Cost of revenue and operations



    $                 30,918



    $                        —



    $                    (396)



    $                 30,522

    Product and technology



    25,230



    —



    (2,518)



    22,712

    Marketing and sales



    58,835



    (48)



    (1,566)



    57,221

    General and administrative



    23,069



    (6,003)



    (3,364)



    13,702

    Depreciation and amortization



    26,619



    —



    —



    26,619

    Total operating expenses



    $               164,671



    $                 (6,051)



    $                 (7,844)



    $               150,776



















    Total nonoperating expense, net



    $               (13,044)



    $                   4,745



    $                        —



    $                 (8,299)



















    (1) Includes transaction related items, unrealized gain on foreign currency denominated transactions, severance, transformation and other exit costs, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.



















    Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022:























    As Reported



    Adjustments (1)



    Stock-Based Compensation



    As Adjusted

    Cost of revenue and operations



    $                 28,875



    $                        —



    $                    (224)



    $                 28,651

    Product and technology



    23,166



    —



    (1,765)



    21,401

    Marketing and sales



    56,515



    —



    (1,164)



    55,351

    General and administrative



    16,128



    (2,373)



    (2,237)



    11,518

    Depreciation and amortization



    23,706



    —



    —



    23,706

    Total operating expenses



    $               148,390



    $                 (2,373)



    $                 (5,390)



    $               140,627



















    Total nonoperating expense, net



    $                 (3,349)



    $                 (5,229)



    $                        —



    $                 (8,578)



















    (1) Includes transaction related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.



















    Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Year Ended December 31, 2023:























    As Reported



    Adjustments (1)



    Stock-Based Compensation



    As Adjusted

    Cost of revenue and operations



    $               122,205



    $                        —



    $                 (1,571)



    $               120,634

    Product and technology



    99,584



    —



    (9,360)



    90,224

    Marketing and sales



    235,471



    (48)



    (6,078)



    229,345

    General and administrative



    76,807



    (10,797)



    (13,118)



    52,892

    Depreciation and amortization



    101,000



    —



    —



    101,000

    Total operating expenses



    $               635,067



    $               (10,845)



    $               (30,127)



    $               594,095



















    Total nonoperating expense, net



    $               (36,011)



    $                   3,465



    $                        —



    $               (32,546)



















    (1) Includes transaction related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs, unrealized gain on foreign currency denominated transactions, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.



















    Reconciliation of Operating expenses to Adjusted operating expenses for the Year Ended December 31, 2022:























    As Reported



    Adjustments (1)



    Stock-Based Compensation



    As Adjusted

    Cost of revenue and operations



    $               114,959



    $                        —



    $                    (983)



    $               113,976

    Product and technology



    89,015



    —



    (6,851)



    82,164

    Marketing and sales



    221,879



    —



    (5,068)



    216,811

    General and administrative



    67,593



    (8,943)



    (10,064)



    48,586

    Depreciation and amortization



    94,394



    —



    —



    94,394

    Total operating expenses



    $               587,840



    $                 (8,943)



    $               (22,966)



    $               555,931



















    Total nonoperating expense, net



    $               (43,460)



    $                   7,946



    $                        —



    $               (35,514)



















    (1) Includes transaction related items, severance, transformation and other exit costs, and write-off of long-lived assets and other.



















     

    Cision View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/carscom-reports-fourth-quarter-and-full-year-2023-results-302068476.html

    SOURCE Cars Commerce

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