Deutsche Bank Downgrades CAR Rating to Hold
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: 1 hour ago
0mins
Should l Buy CAR?
Source: stocktwits
- Rating Downgrade Impact: Deutsche Bank downgraded CAR's rating from 'Buy' to 'Hold' with a price target of $128, implying nearly 40% downside, reflecting concerns over the company's fundamentals that may lead to decreased investor confidence.
- Surge in Short-Term Sentiment: Despite the downgrade, CAR's market sentiment jumped from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish' within 24 hours, with message volume spiking 2033.3%, indicating strong investor expectations for a short-term price rebound that could lead to increased volatility.
- Short Squeeze Dynamics: Analysts noted that CAR's price rally is primarily driven by a short squeeze, with disclosures from Pentwater Capital Management revealing bullish positioning through put options written at strike prices of $110 to $150, suggesting further upward price momentum.
- Fundamental Challenges: Despite the stock's rise, Avis Budget reported a fourth-quarter loss significantly wider than analyst expectations, with the CEO acknowledging failure to meet guidance, while the CFO indicated a 'reset' on depreciation in the current quarter, potentially pressuring core earnings.
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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: 190.420
Low
142.00
Averages
142.00
High
142.00
Current: 190.420
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.
- Rating Downgrade Impact: Deutsche Bank downgraded CAR's rating from 'Buy' to 'Hold' with a price target of $128, implying nearly 40% downside, reflecting concerns over the company's fundamentals that may lead to decreased investor confidence.
- Surge in Short-Term Sentiment: Despite the downgrade, CAR's market sentiment jumped from 'bullish' to 'extremely bullish' within 24 hours, with message volume spiking 2033.3%, indicating strong investor expectations for a short-term price rebound that could lead to increased volatility.
- Short Squeeze Dynamics: Analysts noted that CAR's price rally is primarily driven by a short squeeze, with disclosures from Pentwater Capital Management revealing bullish positioning through put options written at strike prices of $110 to $150, suggesting further upward price momentum.
- Fundamental Challenges: Despite the stock's rise, Avis Budget reported a fourth-quarter loss significantly wider than analyst expectations, with the CEO acknowledging failure to meet guidance, while the CFO indicated a 'reset' on depreciation in the current quarter, potentially pressuring core earnings.
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- Rating Downgrade: Deutsche Bank has downgraded Avis Budget (CAR) from Buy to Hold, with analyst Chris Woronka emphasizing that the downgrade is fundamentally driven, even though technical factors may lead to a potential short squeeze that could elevate the stock price.
- Stock Performance: Following the downgrade, Avis Budget's shares fell 2.6% in premarket trading, indicating a negative market reaction to the rating change and reflecting investor caution regarding future price movements.
- Business Outlook: Despite the downgrade, Woronka believes there is positive underlying momentum in Avis Budget's core business, with strong demand and pricing, and that management is well-positioned to capitalize on opportunities in the evolving AV/robo taxi sector.
- Short-term Strategy: Given the stock's over 30% rally in the past week, Deutsche Bank has opted to remain on the sidelines in the near term, although analysts stress that this is not a sell signal, indicating ongoing confidence in the company's future potential.
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- Stock Recovery: Avis Budget Group's stock rebounded significantly, ending the week 28% higher after a notable drop on Monday, indicating a marked improvement in investor sentiment and renewed confidence in the company's future performance.
- Analyst Upgrade: Jefferies analyst John Colantuoni upgraded Avis's rating to 'buy', based on an analysis of recent developments in artificial intelligence, suggesting a positive outlook for the company amidst evolving market dynamics.
- Market Dynamics Impact: Despite benefiting from chaos at U.S. airports, analysts warn that surging oil prices are driving up gas prices, which may deter consumers from renting cars, particularly as Avis's fleet consists largely of traditional gas-powered vehicles, posing a significant challenge.
- Changing Competitive Landscape: Colantuoni believes that companies like Avis and Instacart will benefit directly from advancements in AI rather than compete against it, presenting new growth opportunities for Avis, even as it navigates external economic pressures.
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- Analyst Upgrade: Jefferies analyst John Colantuoni upgraded Avis Budget Group to a buy rating, believing the company's potential in artificial intelligence will directly benefit its stock, boosting investor confidence.
- Significant Price Recovery: After a notable drop on Monday, Avis's stock surged 28% by the end of the week, reflecting a positive market sentiment despite concerns over dilution from a secondary share issue.
- Market Environment Challenges: While Avis has benefited from chaos at U.S. airports, rising oil prices are making consumers hesitant to rent cars, particularly since most of its fleet consists of traditional gas-powered vehicles, which could impact future rental demand.
- Investor Caution: Despite the stock's rebound, the Motley Fool analyst team did not include Avis in their current list of top investment stocks, advising investors to carefully consider market dynamics before making decisions.
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- JPM Options Volume: Today, JPMorgan Chase's options trading volume reached 58,742 contracts, equivalent to approximately 5.9 million shares, representing 52.8% of its average daily trading volume over the past month, indicating strong market interest in the stock.
- High-Frequency Contracts: Notably, the $295 strike call option expiring on June 18, 2026, saw 4,354 contracts traded today, representing about 435,400 underlying shares, suggesting heightened investor expectations for future price increases.
- SoFi Options Activity: SoFi Technologies experienced an options trading volume of 370,166 contracts, equivalent to approximately 37 million shares, also accounting for 52.8% of its average daily trading volume over the past month, reflecting sustained investor interest in the company.
- Key Contract Insights: In SoFi, the $16 strike call option expiring on April 2, 2026, saw 34,823 contracts traded today, representing around 3.5 million shares, indicating optimistic market sentiment regarding its future performance.
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