Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) Raised to “Buy” at Wall Street Zen

Maplebear (NASDAQ:CART) was upgraded by stock analysts at Wall Street Zen from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report issued on Saturday.

A number of other equities analysts have also recently commented on CART. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Maplebear in a report on Monday, December 29th. BMO Capital Markets raised shares of Maplebear from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $58.00 target price for the company in a report on Tuesday, November 11th. Wells Fargo & Company decreased their price target on shares of Maplebear from $47.00 to $43.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Fox Advisors downgraded shares of Maplebear from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC raised their target price on shares of Maplebear from $50.00 to $55.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Friday. Fifteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $51.38.

Maplebear Trading Up 9.2%

NASDAQ CART opened at $36.30 on Friday. The firm’s 50 day simple moving average is $41.19 and its 200 day simple moving average is $41.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $9.53 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.83, a P/E/G ratio of 0.94 and a beta of 1.00. Maplebear has a 1 year low of $32.73 and a 1 year high of $53.50.

Insider Transactions at Maplebear

In related news, General Counsel Morgan Fong sold 4,914 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Monday, December 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $45.21, for a total transaction of $222,161.94. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 404,940 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $18,307,337.40. This trade represents a 1.20% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. 26.00% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Maplebear

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Hantz Financial Services Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Maplebear by 78.6% in the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 884 shares of the company’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 389 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP raised its holdings in Maplebear by 35.7% during the 3rd quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 928 shares of the company’s stock worth $34,000 after purchasing an additional 244 shares during the last quarter. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Maplebear in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $43,000. IFP Advisors Inc boosted its stake in shares of Maplebear by 761.3% in the 4th quarter. IFP Advisors Inc now owns 956 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 845 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Sunbelt Securities Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Maplebear by 212.7% in the 3rd quarter. Sunbelt Securities Inc. now owns 1,157 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 787 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 63.09% of the company’s stock.

Maplebear News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Maplebear this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Company outlook and volume trends lifted investor sentiment — management flagged continued GTV and engagement momentum and issued upbeat guidance that helped ease competition concerns, a major reason for the bullish move. Instacart shares soar as upbeat forecast tempers competition fears
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support: Needham raised its price target to $55 and maintained a Buy, signaling upside for investors who focus on Street revisions. Needham raises price target to $55
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large call‑option flow — traders bought ~27,162 calls (≈247% above average), indicating bullish speculation or hedging that can amplify intraday upside and liquidity.
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue growth was solid (revenue ~ $992M, +12% YoY and roughly in line/above estimates) even as profits and EPS showed pressure; mixed fundamental signal that could support longer‑term recovery if margins stabilize. Maplebear Q4 earnings report
• Negative Sentiment: EPS and profitability disappointed: GAAP EPS and net income declined year‑over‑year (EPS missed consensus), highlighting margin pressure despite higher revenue — a near‑term headwind for valuation. Quiver: Stock Rises on Q4 2025 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Wells Fargo trimmed its price target (to $43) and moved to an equal‑weight stance, reducing near‑term Street support and contributing to volatility. Wells Fargo lowers price target to $43
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade(s) pushed the stock to a new 12‑month low in some sessions and insider selling activity noted by data providers may add to negative sentiment for cautious investors. Maplebear Hits New 12-Month Low After Analyst Downgrade

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.