Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) Stock Rating Lowered by Raymond James Financial

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) was downgraded by research analysts at Raymond James Financial from a “moderate buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Thursday, Zacks reports.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on CART. Guggenheim lifted their target price on Maplebear from $44.00 to $46.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Oppenheimer increased their price target on Maplebear from $60.00 to $65.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Citizens Jmp downgraded Maplebear from a “market outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday. Benchmark raised their price target on Maplebear from $55.00 to $63.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday, August 7th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group lowered shares of Maplebear from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday. Seven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $58.33.

Maplebear Trading Down 1.2%

CART opened at $56.45 on Thursday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $49.05 and a 200 day moving average of $43.31. Maplebear has a 12 month low of $32.73 and a 12 month high of $62.00. The firm has a market cap of $13.07 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.40, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.87.

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, October 29th. The company reported $0.60 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.63 by ($0.03). Maplebear had a net margin of 11.59% and a return on equity of 22.50%. The company had revenue of $1.09 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.07 billion. During the same quarter last year, the company earned $0.42 earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.6% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that Maplebear will post 2.31 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Maplebear

In other news, insider Morgan Fong sold 18,390 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $51.00, for a total value of $937,890.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 529,911 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $27,025,461. The trade was a 3.35% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Emily Reuter sold 50,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, October 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.00, for a total value of $2,750,000.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 599,337 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $32,963,535. This trade represents a 7.70% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 309,928 shares of company stock worth $16,121,073. 24.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Maplebear

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. NFSG Corp bought a new stake in shares of Maplebear in the 3rd quarter valued at about $26,000. Root Financial Partners LLC purchased a new position in shares of Maplebear in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $27,000. CX Institutional raised its stake in shares of Maplebear by 91.5% during the 3rd quarter. CX Institutional now owns 944 shares of the company’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 451 shares in the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc raised its stake in shares of Maplebear by 94.7% during the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,215 shares of the company’s stock worth $58,000 after acquiring an additional 591 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Allworth Financial LP purchased a new stake in Maplebear during the second quarter valued at approximately $62,000. 63.09% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Maplebear News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Maplebear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DoorDash agreed to acquire Maplebear, which operates as Instacart, in a cash-and-stock transaction valued at approximately $17 billion. Maplebear shareholders are expected to receive $65 in cash, 0.3372 shares of DoorDash, or a combination subject to proration. The offer provides a potential premium if the transaction closes. Shareholder Alert: The M&A Class Action Firm Announces an Investigation of Maplebear Inc.
• Positive Sentiment: The proposed combination would unite DoorDash’s restaurant-delivery network with Instacart’s grocery platform. Management expects at least $500 million in operational efficiencies and believes greater scale could improve delivery economics and competition with Amazon and Walmart. DoorDash to acquire Instacart for $17B
• Neutral Sentiment: Maplebear’s third-quarter revenue increased 16.6% year over year to roughly $1.1 billion, while earnings rose to $0.60 per share from $0.42. However, earnings missed estimates of approximately $0.63-$0.64 per share. Maplebear Q3 Earnings Miss Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: The wide gap between CART’s trading level and the $65 offer indicates that investors doubt the transaction will close quickly or successfully. The companies expect closing in late 2027 or the first half of 2028, leaving shareholders exposed to regulatory and execution risk for as long as two years. Maplebear also suspended forward guidance and canceled its scheduled earnings call. DoorDash’s $17 Billion Bet on Instacart Faces a Long Regulatory Road Ahead
• Negative Sentiment: Antitrust scrutiny is a major concern because the deal would combine two leading U.S. delivery platforms. Worker advocates and New York City officials have criticized the transaction over possible higher prices, reduced competition and weaker worker bargaining power.
• Negative Sentiment: Several analysts downgraded Maplebear to neutral, equal weight or hold, including Barclays, Needham, Cantor Fitzgerald, Citizens JMP and Bernstein. Although some firms retained $65 price targets, the ratings signal limited confidence in upside before the merger’s outcome is clearer. Law firms have also announced investigations into whether shareholders are receiving a fair price and whether directors fulfilled their fiduciary duties.

Maplebear Company Profile

Maplebear Inc, doing business as Instacart, operates a technology-enabled grocery marketplace that connects consumers with retailers and personal shoppers. Through its website and mobile applications, customers can order groceries and other household products for delivery or pickup from participating supermarkets, specialty food stores, convenience retailers and other merchants.

The company also provides retailers with e-commerce, fulfillment and advertising solutions. Its platform supports online storefronts, order management, delivery logistics, customer engagement and data-driven marketing, allowing retail partners to offer digital shopping services and reach consumers through Instacart’s marketplace.

Founded in 2012, Maplebear serves customers across the United States and Canada.