Avis Budget Shares Hit Record High Amid Short Squeeze
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Apr 21 2026
0mins
Should l Buy CAR?
Source: Newsfilter
- Stock Surge: Avis Budget's shares have quadrupled in April, with a more than 23% jump on Monday alone, leading to approximately $4.09 billion in losses for short sellers, highlighting a significant short squeeze effect.
- Short Selling Dynamics: As of Monday, 86.2% of Avis's free float shares were shorted, nearing an all-time high of 89.3%, making the stock more susceptible to short squeezes and further driving up its price.
- Concentration of Major Shareholders: The ownership of Avis is heavily concentrated among two hedge funds, SRS Investment and Pentwater Capital, which together hold over 25.2 million shares, accounting for more than 71% of total outstanding shares, significantly reducing the available float.
- Analyst Rating Changes: Despite the stock's dramatic rise, analysts from Barclays and Deutsche Bank downgraded Avis's rating, citing that the current stock price does not adequately reflect its fundamentals, indicating a cautious market outlook on its future performance.
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Analyst Views on CAR
Wall Street analysts forecast CAR stock price to fall
1 Analyst Rating
0 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Hold
Current: 180.670
Low
142.00
Averages
142.00
High
142.00
Current: 180.670
Low
142.00
Averages
142.00
High
142.00
About CAR
Avis Budget Group, Inc. is a provider of mobility solutions through its three brands, Avis, Budget and Zipcar, as well as several other brands. Its brands offer a range of options, from car and truck rental to car sharing. Its segments include Americas and International. The Americas segment consists primarily of vehicle rental operations in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean and operates car-sharing operations in certain of these markets. The International segment consists of vehicle rental operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia, and operates car-sharing operations in certain of these markets. The Avis brand provides vehicle rental and other mobility solutions at price points generally above non-branded and value-branded vehicle rental companies and serves the premium commercial and leisure segments of the travel industry. Its other brands include Payless, Apex, AmicoBlu, Maggiore, Morini Rent, FranceCars, and others.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
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- Increased Ownership: Following the transaction, CAPREIT directly or indirectly owns 93,106,232 ERES units, achieving full control of 100% of ERES's shares, which further solidifies its leadership position in the Canadian real estate market.
- Change in Listing Status: With the completion of the transaction, ERES units are expected to be delisted from the Toronto Stock Exchange shortly, and ERES has applied to cease being a reporting issuer, demonstrating its commitment to strategic transformation.
- Asset Value Overview: As of December 31, 2025, ERES owned residential suites valued at approximately €310.1 million, including 410 units classified as assets held for sale, reflecting its strong performance in the Dutch market and future growth potential.
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See More
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- Undervalued Stock: Avis Budget CEO Brian Choi stated during the latest earnings call that the stock is undervalued and ruled out issuing new shares at current levels, which bolstered investor confidence despite short interest reaching 25.6%, the highest in nearly six years.
- Guidance Upgrade: The company raised its full-year adjusted EBITDA guidance to a range of $850 million to $1 billion after exceeding its internal plan by $50 million, indicating significant operational improvement amid strong rental demand, even though Q1 reported a loss per share of $8.01, wider than expected.
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- Retail Trader Sentiment: On Stocktwits, retail sentiment for CAR is deemed 'extremely bearish' with a 122% surge in message volume over 24 hours, reflecting market concerns about the company's future performance, despite a 97% increase in stock price over the past year.
See More
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- Strong Tech Stock Performance: The Nasdaq 100 index increased by 0.09%, primarily driven by strong earnings from NXP Semiconductors and Seagate Technology, both up over 14%, indicating robust demand for AI infrastructure.
- Housing Data Exceeds Expectations: US March housing starts unexpectedly rose by 10.8% to 1.502 million, significantly surpassing the market expectation of 1.380 million, demonstrating resilience in the construction sector that may support the stock market.
- Fed Policy Remains Unchanged: The Federal Reserve decided to keep monetary policy unchanged at the FOMC meeting despite a record number of dissenting votes, with markets anticipating future policy will continue to focus on oil prices and inflation dynamics.
See More
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- Oil Price Surge Affects Market: WTI crude oil prices have surged over 4% due to the US maintaining its naval blockade of Iran, reaching a two-week high, which has raised inflation expectations and negatively impacted the stock market.
- Strong Performance in Tech Stocks: The Nasdaq 100 index is up 0.20%, primarily driven by NXP Semiconductors and Seagate Technology, both rising over 10% after reporting stronger-than-expected earnings, indicating robust demand for AI infrastructure.
- Housing Data Exceeds Expectations: US March housing starts unexpectedly rose by 10.8% to 1.502 million, significantly surpassing the expected decline to 1.380 million, demonstrating resilience in the construction sector that may support the stock market.
- Stable Fed Policy Expectations: The market anticipates that the Fed will keep interest rates unchanged at the upcoming meeting, as further developments in oil prices and inflation are still under observation, reflecting a cautious approach to future economic policy.
See More
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- Oil Price Surge: WTI crude oil prices increased by over 5% to a two-week high as the US maintains its naval blockade of Iran, raising inflation expectations and negatively impacting stocks, potentially exacerbating the global energy crisis.
- Strong Housing Data: US March housing starts unexpectedly rose by 10.8% to 1.502 million, surpassing expectations, indicating resilience in the real estate market and potentially providing support for stocks.
- Tech Earnings Anticipation: With earnings reports from Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta Platforms on the horizon, market expectations are high for technology stocks, as 80% of S&P 500 companies have already exceeded earnings estimates, projecting a 12% year-over-year increase in Q1 earnings.
See More
