Avis Budget Group’s (CAR) Hold Rating Reaffirmed at Jefferies Financial Group

Jefferies Financial Group restated their hold rating on shares of Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) in a research report sent to investors on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. Jefferies Financial Group currently has a $160.00 price objective on the business services provider’s stock, up from their previous price objective of $112.00.

A number of other research firms have also recently commented on CAR. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Avis Budget Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $128.00 price target for the company. in a report on Monday, April 6th. Morgan Stanley reduced their price target on shares of Avis Budget Group from $142.00 to $97.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Friday, March 6th. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $85.00 price target on shares of Avis Budget Group in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Four equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Strong Sell” and a consensus target price of $125.00.

Avis Budget Group Price Performance

NASDAQ CAR traded up $4.88 during mid-day trading on Friday, reaching $185.55. 1,674,169 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,285,131. Avis Budget Group has a one year low of $85.96 and a one year high of $847.70. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $197.79 and a 200-day simple moving average of $154.39. The stock has a market cap of $6.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.74 and a beta of 1.94.

Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The business services provider reported ($8.01) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($6.82) by ($1.19). The company had revenue of $2.53 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $2.43 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned ($14.35) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Avis Budget Group will post 3.87 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Avis Budget Group

In other news, Director Lynn Krominga sold 1,950 shares of Avis Budget Group stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.54, for a total transaction of $178,503.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Ravi Simhambhatla sold 3,469 shares of Avis Budget Group stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $184.09, for a total transaction of $638,608.21. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 13,876 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,554,432.84. This represents a 20.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 18,249 shares of company stock valued at $4,014,515 over the last three months. Corporate insiders own 50.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of 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 buying an additional 203 shares during the last quarter. Quarry LP purchased a new position in Avis Budget Group during the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators boosted its holdings in Avis Budget Group by 102.3% during the third quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 174 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 88 shares during the last quarter. Basepoint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in Avis Budget Group during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Hantz Financial Services Inc. boosted its holdings in Avis Budget Group by 136.4% during the third quarter. Hantz Financial Services Inc. now owns 253 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $41,000 after purchasing an additional 146 shares during the last quarter. 96.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Avis Budget Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 top-line beat and improving Americas demand — Avis reported revenue of $2.53B, above consensus, and Americas revenue showed its first year-over-year growth since 2023, supporting a recovery narrative. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Ongoing trading/legal dispute tied to the recent short‑squeeze — Avis says a hedge fund owes it money; outcome uncertain but could move the stock if resolved. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst stance mixed — Jefferies reaffirmed a “hold” and raised its PT to $160 (still below the stock), signaling cautious steadiness rather than a clear buy signal. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative peer action — Hertz jumped after an unrelated Uber robotaxi deal while Avis’s move was modest, showing some catalysts are idiosyncratic to peers. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrade from JPMorgan — JPM lowered its price target to $140 and moved to an “underweight” stance, signaling ~24% downside from current levels and adding selling pressure. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 EPS miss — the company posted a wider loss (‑$8.01 vs. est. ‑$6.82), which triggered headline‑driven selling and contributed to intraday volatility. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Significant insider/institutional selling — recent EVP sales (Ravi Simhambhatla and Edward Linnen) and a major shareholder block sale (~$1.47M) have increased share supply and pressured sentiment. SEC filing for Ravi Simhambhatla: Read More.; major holder sale coverage: Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened volatility and bearish flows — trading halts, a surge in put buying and headlines about short‑squeeze reversals increase downside risk and make trading unpredictable. Read More.

About Avis Budget Group

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.