Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) Hits New 1-Year High – Should You Buy?

Shares of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR) reached a new 52-week high during trading on Monday . The company traded as high as $327.31 and last traded at $302.1860, with a volume of 747273 shares. The stock had previously closed at $299.94.

Key Avis Budget Group News

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

• Positive Sentiment: Barron’s reports the recent surge in CAR has characteristics of a short squeeze and retail momentum, which can push the stock sharply higher in the near term as short positions are forced to cover and trading interest stays elevated. Avis Stock Soared 264% in a Month. What Could Be Driving the Shares Higher.
• Positive Sentiment: Yahoo Finance notes CAR has reached all‑time highs after a multi‑day rally, highlighting strong upside momentum and heightened investor FOMO—factors that can sustain near‑term price strength even if fundamentals lag. Avis Budget (CAR) Hits All-Time High After 9-Day Rally — Time to Sell?
• Neutral Sentiment: AAII published comparative pieces assessing CAR versus other stocks (Old Dominion Freight Line and Canadian Pacific Kansas City). These pieces frame CAR relative to peers on valuation and business model, useful for longer‑term investors but less likely to explain today’s momentum move. Which Is a Better Investment, Avis Budget Group, Inc. or Old Dominion Freight Line, Inc. Stock?
• Neutral Sentiment: A second AAII comparison (CAR vs. Canadian Pacific Kansas City) offers additional long‑term framework but does not directly drive intraday price action; consider these when evaluating fundamentals versus momentum. Which Is a Better Investment, Avis Budget Group, Inc. or Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Stock?
• Negative Sentiment: Unusual options activity showed a large increase in put purchases (roughly 22,346 puts, ~125% above typical volume), which could indicate hedging by longs, speculative bearish positions, or traders positioning for a pullback—introducing a potential near‑term downside risk if momentum fades. Source: options data reported 4/13/2026.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently commented on CAR. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a report on Saturday, February 21st. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft cut shares of Avis Budget Group from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $128.00 target price for the company. in a report on Monday, April 6th. Zacks Research cut shares of Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $85.00 target price on shares of Avis Budget Group in a report on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their target price 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. Five research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Reduce” and an average target price of $115.00.

Avis Budget Group Trading Up 10.9%

The firm has a market cap of $14.54 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -16.21 and a beta of 1.94. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $140.49 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $137.29.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Avis Budget Group news, Director Lynn Krominga sold 1,950 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.54, for a total transaction of $178,503.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, major shareholder Pentwater Capital Management L bought 425,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 20th. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $94.26 per share, with a total value of $40,060,500.00. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,987,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $375,824,046. This trade represents a 11.93% increase in their position. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 50.48% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Avis Budget Group

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. UBS Group AG increased its position in Avis Budget Group by 37.3% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,964,807 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $380,444,000 after purchasing an additional 804,814 shares during the period. Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Avis Budget Group by 38.1% during the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,975,675 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $253,519,000 after buying an additional 545,574 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI grew its position in shares of Avis Budget Group by 46.6% during the 3rd quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,290,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $207,142,000 after buying an additional 409,761 shares during the period. ING Groep NV grew its position in shares of Avis Budget Group by 440.2% during the 3rd quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 1,035,000 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $166,195,000 after buying an additional 843,400 shares during the period. Finally, State Street Corp grew its position in shares of Avis Budget Group by 1.0% during the 2nd quarter. State Street Corp now owns 713,127 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $120,554,000 after buying an additional 7,318 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 96.35% of the company’s stock.

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.