Insider Selling: Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR) EVP Sells 9,483 Shares of Stock

Key Points

• Insider sale: EVP Edward Linnen sold 9,483 shares on April 30 at an average of $182.32 for about $1.73M, cutting his position by 20% and leaving him with 37,932 shares (≈$6.92M).
• Mixed Q1 results and volatility: Avis beat revenue expectations ($2.53B) but missed on EPS (‑$8.01 vs. est. ‑$6.82), prompting intraday selling, heightened volatility, and ongoing uncertainty from a short‑squeeze-related trading dispute.
• Negative analyst and institutional backdrop: The stock carries an average rating of Strong Sell with a $124 target, while institutional ownership is very high (~96%) amid recent large stake moves by firms like ING, UBS and Morgan Stanley.

Avis Budget Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:CAR - Get Free Report) EVP Edward Linnen sold 9,483 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $182.32, for a total value of $1,728,940.56. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 37,932 shares in the company, valued at $6,915,762.24. The trade was a 20.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link.

Avis Budget Group Trading Down 0.3%

Shares of NASDAQ CAR traded down $0.48 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $180.67. 3,769,970 shares of the company's stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 6,189,208. The business has a fifty day simple moving average of $197.79 and a 200 day simple moving average of $154.39. Avis Budget Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $85.96 and a twelve month high of $847.70.

Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ:CAR - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The business services provider reported ($8.01) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($6.82) by ($1.19). The firm had revenue of $2.53 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.43 billion. Avis Budget Group's revenue for the quarter was up 4.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted ($14.35) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts anticipate that Avis Budget Group, Inc. will post 3.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

More Avis Budget Group News

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

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of CAR. ING Groep NV grew its stake in Avis Budget Group by 440.2% in the third quarter. ING Groep NV now owns 1,035,000 shares of the business services provider's stock valued at $166,195,000 after purchasing an additional 843,400 shares in the last quarter. UBS Group AG boosted its stake in shares of 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 worth $380,444,000 after acquiring an additional 804,814 shares during the period. CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. bought a new position in shares of Avis Budget Group during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $97,951,000. Morgan Stanley boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 545,574 shares during the period. Finally, National Bank of Canada FI boosted its stake 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 acquiring an additional 409,761 shares during the period. 96.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have recently commented on the company. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d)" rating on shares of Avis Budget Group in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. The Goldman Sachs Group set a $85.00 price target on Avis Budget Group in a research report on Monday, February 23rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered Avis Budget Group from a "neutral" rating to an "underweight" rating and raised their price target for the stock from $123.00 to $165.00 in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Zacks Research lowered Avis Budget Group from a "hold" rating to a "strong sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, February 19th. Finally, Morgan Stanley dropped their price target on Avis Budget Group from $142.00 to $97.00 and set an "equal weight" rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, March 6th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Hold rating and six have given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Strong Sell" and an average target price of $124.00.

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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