Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) Shares Up 5.5% – Still a Buy?

Posted by Brenda Bartman on Sep 2nd, 2026

Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR – Get Free Report) shares were up 5.5% on Monday . The company traded as high as $145.93 and last traded at $145.68. Approximately 194,291 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 86% from the average session volume of 1,426,771 shares. The stock had previously closed at $138.12.

Avis Budget Group News Roundup

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

Negative Sentiment: A class action lawsuit was filed in federal court on behalf of Avis investors who purchased securities between February 20, 2025, and April 21, 2026. The complaint targets Pentwater Capital Management and its founder Matthew Halbower, alleging violations of federal securities laws. Although Avis is identified as the affected company rather than the primary defendant, the litigation creates potential reputational and market-overhang risks. Pomerantz class action announcement
Negative Sentiment: The allegations describe a potential “pump-and-dump” scheme in which Pentwater allegedly built a 51% economic interest in Avis and later sold 4.3 million shares for approximately $1.75 billion. One law firm said CAR shares rose 419% over three weeks before plunging 74.51%, highlighting the extreme volatility and investor losses at the center of the case. The allegations have not been proven in court. Levi and Korsinsky investor deadline announcement
Neutral Sentiment: Investors seeking to serve as lead plaintiff generally must apply by September 29, 2026. Multiple firms—including Rosen, Kahn Swick & Foti, Bronstein Gewirtz & Grossman, and Kaplan Fox—are soliciting affected investors, but these notices do not represent a new operational or financial development at Avis. Rosen lead plaintiff deadline announcement

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on CAR shares. Susquehanna lifted their target price on Avis Budget Group from $105.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Wall Street Zen cut Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, August 1st. Zacks Research lowered Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. Barclays set a $160.00 price target on Avis Budget Group and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 8th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a report on Monday, August 17th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $135.57.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on Avis Budget Group

Avis Budget Group Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $4.97 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -7.74 and a beta of 1.91. The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $150.90 and its 200 day simple moving average is $170.64.

Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR – Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Tuesday, July 28th. The business services provider reported $0.98 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.05 by ($1.07). The firm had revenue of $3 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $3.10 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.10 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 1.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that Avis Budget Group, Inc. will post 1.36 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Institutional Trading of Avis Budget Group

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAR. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd increased its holdings in shares of Avis Budget Group by 1,845.5% in 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 period. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in shares of Avis Budget Group during the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. Basepoint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Avis Budget Group during the fourth quarter worth $32,000. Hollencrest Capital Management acquired a new stake in shares of Avis Budget Group during the first quarter worth $44,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. grew its position in Avis Budget Group by 70.4% in 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 during the last quarter. 96.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Avis Budget Group

(Get Free Report)

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.