Key Highlights

CAR Group grew revenue and adjusted EBITDA in all four segments in the half to 31 December 2025, with adjusted EBITDA of AUD 339 million up 12 per cent.

The shares closed at AUD 23.92 on 24 July 2026, roughly 37 per cent below a year earlier, a derating driven by AI disintermediation fears rather than any downgrade.

FY26 guidance of 12 to 14 per cent proforma revenue growth in constant currency stays untested until the full-year result on 10 August 2026.

The CAR share-price response remains tied to whether reported growth and strategic initiatives translate into sustained financial delivery.

CAR Group lifted revenue and earnings in all four markets in H1 FY26 and reaffirmed guidance, yet ASX:CAR closed at AUD 23.92 on 24 July 2026, down 37% in a year. The supplied article examines the gap between operating developments and the company’s recent market performance.

The latest financial and market picture

A business growing faster than its share price

Between February and late July 2026, nothing visibly went wrong at CAR Group. It reported double-digit earnings growth, lifted its dividend, reaffirmed guidance and issued no downgrade. Its shares still finished at AUD 23.92 on Friday 24 July 2026, about 37 per cent below where they sat a year earlier, valuing the group near AUD 9.1 billion.

Growth initiatives and operating context

That gap between operating performance and market verdict is the actual story. Investors are not disputing the numbers CAR Group printed in February. They are disputing whether a business built on being where buyers go to look for a vehicle survives a world in which people increasingly ask a chatbot instead. The company answers with a full year of evidence on 10 August 2026.

What CAR Group actually owns

What still needs to be demonstrated

Renamed from carsales.com Limited in 2023, CAR Group runs marketplaces in four regions: carsales.com.au in Australia, Trader Interactive in the United States spanning recreational vehicles, powersports, commercial trucks and marine, webmotors in Brazil at 70 per cent with Banco Santander holding the rest, Encar in South Korea, and chileautos.

The model is advertising and subscription rather than transaction. Dealers subscribe, then pay more for prominence, so revenue rises through listing volume, price per listing and take-up of depth products. Roughly 50,000 dealers subscribe globally, with about 2.4 million vehicles listed and 12 million leads delivered in the December half. Media, finance, data and instant-offer products sit above that base.

About CAR Group

CAR Group operates within the technology sector. Its current position is assessed through the financial, operating and strategic information contained in the supplied article.

What Investors May Watch Next

Revenue, recurring income and margin trends

Cash generation and balance-sheet capacity

Product delivery, partnerships and customer adoption

Upcoming disclosures and the CAR share-price response

Risks

The company faces competition, customer concentration, technology, integration, execution, funding and valuation risks. Forecasts, partnerships and management targets may not produce the expected financial outcome. The supplied information is a point-in-time summary and does not establish future share-price performance.