Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) Rating Increased to Hold at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) from a strong sell rating to a hold rating in a report released on Tuesday morning,Zacks reports.

Several other brokerages also recently issued reports on CAR. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their target price on Avis Budget Group from $155.00 to $170.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a research note on Monday, August 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Avis Budget Group from $85.00 to $95.00 and gave the company a “sell” rating in a research report on Friday, July 24th. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, August 1st. Finally, Barclays set a $160.00 target price on shares of Avis Budget Group and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Avis Budget Group currently has an average rating of “Reduce” and a consensus price target of $135.57.

Avis Budget Group Stock Performance

Shares of CAR stock opened at $137.84 on Tuesday. Avis Budget Group has a 52-week low of $85.96 and a 52-week high of $847.70. The firm has a market capitalization of $4.87 billion, a PE ratio of -7.59 and a beta of 1.91. The stock has a fifty day simple moving average of $150.15 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $170.79.

Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $0.98 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($1.07). The firm had revenue of $3 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.10 billion. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.10 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Avis Budget Group will post 1.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avis Budget Group

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of CAR. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Avis Budget Group by 1,845.5% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 214 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP bought a new stake in shares of Avis Budget Group in the 4th quarter worth about $27,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Avis Budget Group in the 4th quarter worth about $32,000. Hollencrest Capital Management purchased a new stake in shares of Avis Budget Group during the 1st quarter valued at about $44,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Avis Budget Group by 70.4% during the 4th quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 431 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $55,000 after buying an additional 178 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.35% of the company’s stock.

More Avis Budget Group News

Here are the key news stories impacting Avis Budget Group this week:

• Neutral Sentiment: Investors who purchased Avis securities, including shares bought to cover a short position, between February 20, 2025, and April 21, 2026, have been notified of a September 29, 2026 deadline to seek appointment as lead plaintiff. Multiple firms are soliciting affected investors, but the notices do not indicate that a court has determined liability. Rosen investor deadline notice
• Negative Sentiment: The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Florida, alleges that Pentwater Capital Management LP and founder, CEO and CIO Matthew Halbower violated federal securities laws through alleged market-manipulation, pump-and-dump activity, and misleading statements related to an Avis short squeeze. The allegations remain unproven. Pomerantz class action announcement
• Negative Sentiment: According to the investor notices, Pentwater allegedly built a 51% economic interest in Avis before selling 4.3 million shares for approximately $1.75 billion, potentially leaving other shareholders with losses. The claims could create uncertainty around Avis’s investor relations, reputation and potential litigation exposure, although the reported action primarily targets Pentwater and Halbower. Shareholder alert on alleged Pentwater activity
• Negative Sentiment: The unusually large number of law-firm announcements over the past two days keeps the allegations in the market’s focus and may amplify volatility in CAR, which already has a high beta and recently traded below its 50-day and 200-day moving averages.

Avis Budget Group Company Profile

Avis Budget Group, Inc operates as a leading global provider of vehicle rental and mobility solutions. Through its two core brands, Avis® and Budget®, the company offers a broad range of rental options including daily, weekly and monthly car rentals for leisure and business travelers. In addition to traditional airport and off-airport car rental services, Avis Budget Group delivers innovative mobility platforms such as car-sharing programs and connected fleet solutions designed to meet the evolving needs of corporate, government and individual customers.

The company’s roots trace back to Avis Rent a Car, founded in 1946, and Budget Rent a Car, established in 1958.