Zacks Research Issues Pessimistic Forecast for CAR Earnings

Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR) – Zacks Research lowered their Q1 2026 EPS estimates for shares of Avis Budget Group in a report issued on Wednesday, March 11th. Zacks Research analyst Team now anticipates that the business services provider will post earnings per share of ($6.05) for the quarter, down from their previous forecast of ($2.25). 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 Q4 2026 earnings at ($0.82) EPS, FY2026 earnings at $3.04 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $0.78 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.95 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $2.83 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $0.99 EPS and FY2027 earnings at $6.55 EPS.

Other analysts have also recently issued reports about the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d)” rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen lowered Avis Budget Group from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Morgan Stanley lowered their price objective on Avis Budget Group from $142.00 to $97.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, March 6th. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $85.00 target price on Avis Budget Group in a research note on Monday, February 23rd. Finally, Barclays reduced their target price on Avis Budget Group from $120.00 to $95.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Reduce” and an average price target of $124.71.

Avis Budget Group Stock Performance

Shares of CAR opened at $100.71 on Friday. The company has a market capitalization of $3.55 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -3.97 and a beta of 2.32. The company’s 50 day simple moving average is $113.03 and its 200 day simple moving average is $133.30. Avis Budget Group has a 1 year low of $55.61 and a 1 year high of $212.81.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Avis Budget Group

A number of institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in CAR. UBS Group AG increased its stake in Avis Budget Group by 37.3% during the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 2,964,807 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $380,444,000 after acquiring an additional 804,814 shares during the last quarter. Morgan Stanley lifted its stake in shares of Avis Budget Group by 38.1% in the 4th quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 1,975,675 shares of the business services provider’s stock valued at $253,519,000 after purchasing an additional 545,574 shares in the last quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC grew its holdings in shares of Avis Budget Group by 48,706.7% during the 2nd quarter. Hsbc Holdings PLC now owns 1,552,542 shares of the business services provider’s stock worth $256,629,000 after purchasing an additional 1,549,361 shares during the period. National Bank of Canada FI grew its holdings 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 purchasing an additional 409,761 shares during the period. Finally, ING Groep NV increased its position in 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 purchasing an additional 843,400 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.35% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity at Avis Budget Group

In other news, Director Lynn Krominga sold 1,950 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on 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 can be accessed through this link. Also, major shareholder Pentwater Capital Management L acquired 425,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $94.26 per share, with a total value of $40,060,500.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the insider owned 3,987,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $375,824,046. The trade was a 11.93% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Corporate insiders own 52.80% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Avis Budget Group

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

• Positive Sentiment: Zacks slightly raised its Q3 2026 EPS view to $7.22 from $7.04, a modest sign that the firm still sees some mid‑cycle strength in Avis’s later‑year results. MarketBeat CAR page
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short‑interest data for early March is anomalous (shows 0 shares / NaN changes), so it’s unreliable as a signal of positioning or squeeze risk right now.
• Neutral Sentiment: Third‑party analysis that mentions Avis is available for additional context, but it doesn’t contain company‑specific catalysts beyond the analyst estimate activity. Analyzing Avis Budget Group & Freight Technologies
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks heavily cut near‑term estimates: Q1 2026 EPS to ($6.05) from ($2.25) and Q4 2026 to ($0.82) from $0.45 — a sharp deterioration for the upcoming quarters that raises near‑term earnings risk. MarketBeat CAR page
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks also lowered 2027 quarterly estimates across the board (Q1 2027 to $0.78 from $2.14; Q2 to $1.95 from $2.41; Q3 to $2.83 from $3.79; Q4 2027 to $0.99 from $1.31) — the cuts point to a weaker recovery profile than previously modeled. MarketBeat CAR page
• Negative Sentiment: Material downward revisions to full‑year forecasts: FY2026 EPS cut to $3.04 (from $8.12) and FY2027 to $6.55 (from $9.66). Zacks maintains a “Strong Sell” rating — this is the principal negative catalyst pressuring sentiment. MarketBeat CAR page

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.