Ritholtz Wealth Management Decreases Stock Holdings in Avis Budget Group, Inc. $CAR

Key Points

• Ritholtz Wealth Management cut its stake in Avis Budget Group by 27.7% in Q4, selling 2,855 shares and ending the period with 7,454 shares worth about $956,000 per its SEC filing.
• Avis (CAR) has surged to near all‑time highs
• Analysts are broadly bearish with a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a $115 target, while institutional investors own ~96.35% of the stock and Pentwater Capital recently bought 425,000 shares, materially increasing its position.

Ritholtz Wealth Management lowered its stake in shares of Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR - Free Report) by 27.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,454 shares of the business services provider's stock after selling 2,855 shares during the period. Ritholtz Wealth Management's holdings in Avis Budget Group were worth $956,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. ING Groep NV raised its position in Avis Budget Group by 440.2% during the third quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 1,035,000 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $166,195,000 after acquiring an additional 843,400 shares during the last quarter. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new position in Avis Budget Group during the third quarter worth about $97,951,000. National Bank of Canada FI raised its position in Avis Budget Group by 46.6% during the third quarter. National Bank of Canada FI now owns 1,290,000 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $207,142,000 after acquiring an additional 409,761 shares during the last quarter. Cibc World Market Inc. acquired a new position in Avis Budget Group during the third quarter worth about $64,231,000. Finally, BNP Paribas Financial Markets raised its position in Avis Budget Group by 208.8% during the second quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 318,947 shares of the business services provider's stock worth $53,918,000 after acquiring an additional 215,645 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 96.35% of the company's stock.

More 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.

Avis Budget Group Price Performance

NASDAQ:CAR opened at $411.56 on Wednesday. The firm has a 50 day simple moving average of $140.49 and a 200-day simple moving average of $137.29. The firm has a market cap of $14.54 billion, a PE ratio of -16.21 and a beta of 1.94. Avis Budget Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $66.79 and a 1-year high of $415.26.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on CAR shares. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $85.00 target price on shares of Avis Budget Group in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. Weiss Ratings restated a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wall Street Zen cut shares of Avis Budget Group from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research 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 research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Barclays cut their target price on shares of Avis Budget Group from $120.00 to $95.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Five equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of "Reduce" and a consensus target price of $115.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, major shareholder Pentwater Capital Management L acquired 425,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 20th. The stock was acquired at an average price of $94.26 per share, with a total value of $40,060,500.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 3,987,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $375,824,046. This represents a 11.93% increase in their position. The acquisition was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Director Lynn Krominga sold 1,950 shares of the business's 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. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 50.48% 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.

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