Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) EVP Sells $638,608.21 in Stock

Key Points

• EVP sale: Avis EVP Ravi Simhambhatla sold 3,469 shares at an average of $184.09 for a total of $638,608.21, cutting his position by 20% to 13,876 shares (about $2.55M remaining).
• Mixed Q1 results: Avis reported Q1 EPS of -$8.01 (missing the -$6.82 estimate) while revenue beat at $2.53B, up 4.1% year‑over‑year.
• Market backdrop and sentiment: shares traded near $180.67 amid short‑squeeze volatility, legal/trading disputes and heavy insider/institutional selling, and the stock carries a MarketBeat consensus of Strong Sell with a $124 target (96.35% institutional ownership).

Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR - Get Free Report) EVP Ravi Simhambhatla sold 3,469 shares of the 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 directly owned 13,876 shares of the company's stock, valued at $2,554,432.84. This trade represents a 20.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink.

Avis Budget Group Stock Down 0.3%

Shares of CAR traded down $0.48 during midday trading on Thursday, hitting $180.67. 3,769,970 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 6,189,208. The firm has a 50 day moving average of $197.79 and a 200-day moving average of $154.39. Avis Budget Group, Inc. has a 52 week low of $85.96 and a 52 week high of $847.70.

Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The business services provider reported ($8.01) EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($6.82) by ($1.19). The business 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 business earned ($14.35) earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 4.1% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Avis Budget Group, Inc. will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Avis Budget Group

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of CAR. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Avis Budget Group by 19.6% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 427 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $72,000 after buying an additional 70 shares during the period. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. raised its holdings in Avis Budget Group by 26.5% in the third 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 boosted its holdings in shares of Avis Budget Group by 102.3% in the 3rd quarter. Deseret Mutual Benefit Administrators now owns 174 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after buying an additional 88 shares in the last quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund boosted its holdings in shares of Avis Budget Group by 3.0% in the 1st quarter. Oregon Public Employees Retirement Fund now owns 3,474 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $507,000 after buying an additional 100 shares in the last quarter. Finally, PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Avis Budget Group by 7.8% in the 3rd quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 1,460 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $234,000 after buying an additional 106 shares in the last quarter. 96.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts recently commented on the stock. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft downgraded 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. Zacks Research downgraded shares of Avis Budget Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a report on Thursday, February 19th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays downgraded shares of Avis Budget Group from an "equal weight" rating to an "underweight" rating and increased their price target for the company from $95.00 to $150.00 in a report on Monday, April 20th. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Avis Budget Group from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and increased their price target for the company from $123.00 to $165.00 in a report on Thursday, April 23rd. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Strong Sell" and a consensus target price of $124.00.

Avis Budget Group News Roundup

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 revenue beat and improving regional trends — Avis reported revenue of $2.53B, above consensus, and Americas revenue grew (the first y/y growth since 2023), which supports recovery in core demand. Avis Budget: Q1 Americas Revenue Up, First Growth Since '23
• Neutral Sentiment: Legal/trading developments remain unresolved — the company disclosed a trading dispute with a hedge fund tied to the recent squeeze (Avis says the fund owes it money); the outcome could move the stock but timing and size are uncertain. A Wild Short Squeeze on Avis's Stock Takes Another Surprising Turn
• Neutral Sentiment: Relative market action — Hertz rallied on an unrelated Uber robotaxi deal while Avis showed much smaller moves, highlighting that some peer catalysts aren’t helping CAR today. Hertz Gains 13% on Uber Robotaxi Deal While Avis Rises 2%
• Negative Sentiment: EPS miss and stock reaction — Q1 EPS was a wider loss (‑$8.01 vs. est. ‑$6.82), which triggered sharp intraday selling and headline-driven volatility. Avis Budget Group Delivers Impressive Q1 CY2026 But Stock Drops
• Negative Sentiment: Heavy insider/institutional selling — large block sales by Pentwater and other disclosures have pressured sentiment and increased supply. Pentwater Capital Management L Sells Shares
• Negative Sentiment: Volatility signals and bearish flows — temporary trading halts (LULD pauses), a surge in put buying, and headlines about a dramatic short-squeeze reversal increase downside risk and trading unpredictability. Avis Shares Plunges After Mixed Q1 Results

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.

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