Maplebear Inc. (CART)
Maplebear, better known as Instacart, is a digital platform that connects shoppers with local grocery stores for same-day delivery and pickup.
Is Maplebear Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: Maplebear, better known as Instacart, is a digital platform that connects shoppers with local grocery stores for same-day delivery and pickup.
Over about 2 years to 2026-07-31. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
Dominance in the convenience economy leads to sustained high profitability.
Regulatory changes regarding the employment status of delivery workers.
What does Maplebear Inc. do?
Instacart acts as a digital middleman, charging fees to customers and taking a cut from retailers to facilitate grocery shopping from your phone. They make money through delivery fees, service charges, and by helping brands advertise their products directly to shoppers on the app. Watch whether they can keep expanding their user base while absorbing the heavy costs of running a huge network of delivery workers.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on quality and growth, and weakest on income.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 14% over the year
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- ✓Strong return on shareholder money (ROE 16%)
- Quality screens high (72/100)
- Growth screens high (70/100)
- Strong brand recognition in the grocery delivery space
- High gross margins indicate a scalable business model
- Significant recent growth in earnings
- Income screens low (16/100)
- Potential legal challenges regarding worker classification
- Economic downturns could lead customers to cut back on delivery fees
- Retailers may choose to develop their own in-house delivery platforms
What do Maplebear Inc.'s numbers mean?
How much money does Maplebear Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
Does Maplebear Inc. pay a dividend?
No - Maplebear Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
When does Maplebear Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
Maplebear Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-08-06 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
Each quarter a company reports its results against what analysts expected. ‘Beating’ or ‘missing’ is about that expectation, not whether the business is doing well in absolute terms.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-05 | $0.89 | $0.83 | Missed -6% |
| 2026-02-12 | $0.92 | $0.97 | Beat +5% |
| 2025-11-10 | $0.79 | $0.51 | Missed -35% |
| 2025-08-07 | $0.38 | $0.41 | Beat +7% |
| 2025-05-01 | $0.72 | $0.50 | Missed -31% |
| 2025-02-25 | $0.71 | $0.50 | Missed -30% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, Maplebear Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 2 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Reported vs expected earnings per share (EPS) from published results; the expectation is the analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates that can move.
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Casey's General Stores, Inc.What are the scenarios for Maplebear Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead, with the assumption behind each case — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros and cons of Maplebear Inc.?
How many points the write-up makes each way — a balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Strong brand recognition in the grocery delivery space
- High gross margins indicate a scalable business model
- Significant recent growth in earnings
- No dividend payments for shareholders
- Operates in a highly competitive and price-sensitive market
- Heavy reliance on a large, flexible workforce
- Potential legal challenges regarding worker classification
- Economic downturns could lead customers to cut back on delivery fees
- Retailers may choose to develop their own in-house delivery platforms
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A sustained drop in year-over-year revenue growth
- Significant changes to labour laws affecting the gig economy
Built from public filings & market prices, checked for an education-only tone, and never a price target. How we make these →
This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-01 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.