The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how online marketplace stocks fared in Q4, starting with EverQuote (NASDAQ: EVER).

Marketplaces have existed for centuries. Where once it was a main street in a small town or a mall in the suburbs, sellers benefitted from proximity to one another because they could draw customers by offering convenience and selection. Today, a myriad of online marketplaces fulfill that same role, aggregating large customer bases, which attracts commission-paying sellers, generating flywheel scale effects that feed back into further customer acquisition.

The 12 online marketplace stocks we track reported a mixed Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.5% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

While some online marketplace stocks have fared somewhat better than others, they have collectively declined. On average, share prices are down 2% since the latest earnings results.

EverQuote (NASDAQ: EVER)

Aiming to simplify a once complicated process, EverQuote (NASDAQ: EVER) is an online insurance marketplace where consumers can compare and purchase various types of insurance from different providers

EverQuote reported revenues of $195.3 million, up 32.5% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 10.4%. Despite the top-line beat, it was still a mixed quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations significantly.

“2025 was a record year for EverQuote defined by significant success scaling our marketplace, further integrating AI into our operations, and accelerating our evolution to a growth solutions partner to our customers,” said Jayme Mendal, CEO of EverQuote.

EverQuote pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat of the whole group. The results were likely priced in, however, and the stock is flat since reporting. It currently trades at $15.19.

Is now the time to buy EverQuote? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY)

Originally known as the first online auction site, eBay (NASDAQ: EBAY) is one of the world’s largest online marketplaces.

eBay reported revenues of $2.97 billion, up 15% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 3%. The business had an exceptional quarter with revenue and EPS guidance for next quarter beating analysts’ expectations.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 14.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $94.25.

Is now the time to buy eBay? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: Shutterstock (NYSE: SSTK)

Originally featuring a library that included many of founder Jon Oringer’s photos, Shutterstock (NYSE: SSTK) is now a digital platform where customers can license and use hundreds of millions of pieces of content.

Shutterstock reported revenues of $220.2 million, down 12% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 12.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue and EBITDA estimates.

Shutterstock delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates and slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 4.2% since the results and currently trades at $16.54.

Read our full analysis of Shutterstock’s results here.

Cars.com (NYSE: CARS)

Originally started as a joint venture between several media companies including The Washington Post and The New York Times, Cars.com (NYSE: CARS) is a digital marketplace that connects new and used car buyers and sellers.

Cars.com reported revenues of $183.9 million, up 1.9% year on year. This print met analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a softer quarter as it produced a significant miss of analysts’ EBITDA estimates.

The company reported 19,544 active buyers, up 1.8% year on year. The stock is down 22.7% since reporting and currently trades at $8.30.

Read our full, actionable report on Cars.com here, it’s free.

Instacart (NASDAQ: CART)

Powering more than one billion grocery orders since its founding, Instacart (NASDAQ: CART) is an online grocery shopping and delivery platform that partners with retailers to help customers shop from local stores through its app or website.

Instacart reported revenues of $992 million, up 12.3% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 2%. Overall, it was a strong quarter as it also put up an impressive beat of analysts’ EBITDA estimates and a decent beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is up 17.3% since reporting and currently trades at $39.

Read our full, actionable report on Instacart here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 6 Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.