Fox Advisors Downgrades Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) to Hold

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) was downgraded by research analysts at Fox Advisors from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note issued on Thursday,Zacks.com reports.

A number of other research firms have also recently weighed in on CART. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on shares of Maplebear from $41.00 to $48.00 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Mizuho assumed coverage on Maplebear in a research report on Tuesday, September 30th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $45.00 price target for the company. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on Maplebear from $65.00 to $55.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Maplebear in a research note on Monday. Finally, Guggenheim began coverage on shares of Maplebear in a research note on Wednesday, October 15th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $40.00 price target on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have issued a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Maplebear has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $52.21.

Maplebear Trading Up 2.2%

Shares of NASDAQ:CART opened at $45.94 on Thursday. The company has a market capitalization of $12.06 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.24, a PEG ratio of 1.47 and a beta of 1.01. Maplebear has a 12-month low of $34.78 and a 12-month high of $53.50. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $40.72 and a 200 day moving average price of $43.56.

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) last announced its earnings results on Monday, November 10th. The company reported $0.51 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.50 by $0.01. Maplebear had a net margin of 14.09% and a return on equity of 15.72%. The company had revenue of $939.00 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $933.76 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $0.42 earnings per share. Maplebear’s revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Maplebear will post 1.43 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, General Counsel Morgan Fong sold 3,546 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $42.39, for a total value of $150,314.94. Following the sale, the general counsel owned 431,069 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,273,014.91. This trade represents a 0.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Fidji Simo sold 3,051 shares of Maplebear stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.60, for a total transaction of $120,819.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 570,756 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $22,601,937.60. This represents a 0.53% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last quarter, insiders sold 20,416 shares of company stock worth $841,760. 26.00% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Maplebear

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of CART. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its position in shares of Maplebear by 78.6% during the 3rd quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 884 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after purchasing an additional 389 shares during the last quarter. Allworth Financial LP raised its stake in Maplebear by 35.7% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 928 shares of the company’s stock valued at $34,000 after buying an additional 244 shares in the last quarter. Brooklyn Investment Group purchased a new stake in Maplebear during the 1st quarter worth about $40,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in Maplebear during the 3rd quarter worth about $43,000. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its position in shares of Maplebear by 212.7% during the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock worth $43,000 after acquiring an additional 787 shares in the last quarter. 63.09% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

More Maplebear News

Here are the key news stories impacting Maplebear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Maplebear agreed to a $60M refund settlement with the FTC resolving allegations around deceptive subscription and delivery claims; the settlement removes a major legal overhang and gives clarity on consumer refunds while the cash impact is modest relative to Maplebear’s revenue and market cap. Instacart to pay $60 million to settle FTC claims it deceived shoppers
• Neutral Sentiment: Podcast and news roundups are flagging the settlement as a de-risking event but note continued regulatory scrutiny — useful context for near-term sentiment but not new company guidance. Wall Street Breakfast Podcast: TikTok’s U.S. Survival Plan Is Locked In
• Neutral Sentiment: Explainers outline how the FTC is probing AI-driven pricing — useful for investors to understand the specific policy and consumer-protection questions at issue (price discrimination, A/B testing transparency). This is background that will shape any future regulatory remedy. Instacart’s AI-Driven Pricing Is Being Investigated by the FTC—Here’s What You Need to Know
• Negative Sentiment: The FTC has issued a civil investigative demand about Instacart’s Eversight AI pricing tool — this probe could lead to further fines, restrictions on pricing tools, or requirements to change algorithmic pricing/disclosures, creating ongoing regulatory and business-model risk. Instacart faces FTC probe over AI-powered pricing tool
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentary have started to re-price the stock for increased regulatory and affordability risks; at least one note flagged a downgrade risk tied to potential margin and demand impacts if pricing tools or disclosures are curtailed. Instacart: FTC Probe And Affordability Risks (Rating Downgrade)
• Negative Sentiment: Initial reports of the FTC probe triggered sharp share declines earlier in the week as investors priced in uncertainty; while the settlement calmed some selling, volatility can persist while the AI inquiry continues. Maplebear Stock Slides As Instacart Parent Faces FTC Probe

Maplebear Company Profile

Maplebear, Inc, doing business as Instacart, operates a leading online grocery and essentials marketplace that connects consumers, retail partners and personal shoppers through its digital platform. The company enables customers to order groceries, household items and specialty products for same-day or scheduled delivery, as well as in-store pickup. By integrating its technology with retailers’ existing inventory and point-of-sale systems, Maplebear streamlines the shopping experience and provides real-time availability and pricing.

Founded in 2012 and headquartered in San Francisco, Maplebear has grown from a regional startup to a publicly traded company listed on NASDAQ under the ticker CART.