Zacks Research Issues Negative Outlook for CAR Earnings

Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR) – Investment analysts at Zacks Research dropped their Q2 2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for shares of Avis Budget Group in a research report issued to clients and investors on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now expects that the business services provider will earn $2.70 per share for the quarter, down from their prior estimate of $2.88. Zacks Research currently has a “Strong Sell” rating on the stock. The consensus estimate for Avis Budget Group’s current full-year earnings is $8.91 per share. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Avis Budget Group’s Q3 2026 earnings at $7.22 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $6.66 EPS.

Other equities analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Morgan Stanley decreased their price objective on 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. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday, February 21st. Barclays decreased their price target on shares of Avis Budget Group from $120.00 to $95.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group set a $85.00 price objective on shares of Avis Budget Group in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. One analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and a consensus target price of $124.71.

Avis Budget Group Stock Down 1.6%

NASDAQ CAR opened at $99.56 on Thursday. The firm has a market capitalization of $3.51 billion, a PE ratio of -3.92 and a beta of 2.32. The stock’s 50 day moving average is $113.58 and its 200 day moving average is $133.67. Avis Budget Group has a twelve month low of $54.03 and a twelve month high of $212.81.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avis Budget Group

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in CAR. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in Avis Budget Group by 19.6% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 70 shares in the last quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in shares of Avis Budget Group by 26.5% in the 3rd quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 363 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $58,000 after purchasing an additional 76 shares in the last quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators raised its stake in shares of Avis Budget Group by 102.3% in 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. Wedmont Private Capital raised its stake in shares of Avis Budget Group by 6.1% in the third quarter. Wedmont Private Capital now owns 1,624 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $242,000 after purchasing an additional 93 shares during the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Avis Budget Group by 7.8% during the third quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,460 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $234,000 after purchasing an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 96.35% of the company’s stock.

Insider Transactions at Avis Budget Group

In other Avis Budget Group 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 value of $178,503.00. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, major shareholder Pentwater Capital Management L bought 425,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $94.26 per share, for a total transaction of $40,060,500.00. Following the purchase, the insider owned 3,987,100 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $375,824,046. This represents a 11.93% increase in their position. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders own 52.80% of the company’s stock.

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.