Colleen Babington's questions to Cars.com Inc (CARS) leadership • Q2 2025
Question
Colleen Babington, on for Doug Schenkel, asked about operating expenses, specifically if R&D spend would stabilize due to a focus on computational work and whether the company might reallocate spending from R&D to sales and marketing to build brand recognition.
Answer
Luke Power, SVP, CFO & Chief Accounting Officer, confirmed that R&D spend is expected to remain flat as the major investments in the universal assay are complete. Dr. David Spetzler, President, added that while large studies are ongoing, the bulk of the investment has been made. An executive highlighted the significant operating leverage in the sales force, noting that volumes have doubled in recent years with a flat sales team headcount, negating the need to shift spending.