--- title: "Why Avis Budget Group Stock Drove Higher This Week" type: "News" locale: "en" url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/280826599.md" description: "Shares of Avis Budget Group (NASDAQ: CAR) surged nearly 50% this week, remaining about 38% higher as of Friday. Increased airport congestion is driving consumers to rental cars, with peer Hertz Global seeing a 15% rise in web traffic. However, risks persist, including a significant short interest in the stock and potential economic downturns affecting travel. Analysts suggest caution, as Avis Budget was not included in a list of top recommended stocks by The Motley Fool." datetime: "2026-03-27T16:50:20.000Z" locales: - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/280826599.md) - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/280826599.md) - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/280826599.md) generator: "portal-rs" --- # Why Avis Budget Group Stock Drove Higher This Week ## Key Points - The rental car business is having its moment in the sun. - Catalysts for volatility remain for Avis Budget stock. - 10 stocks we like better than Avis Budget Group › Shares of rental car company **Avis Budget Group** (NASDAQ: CAR) soared this week. After nearly moving 50% above last Friday's close, the stock remained about 38% higher for the week as of mid-day Friday trading, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Airport chaos is making headlines, and statistics show that long lines at some airport security checkpoints are sending consumers to the rental car counter. ***Will AI create the world's first trillionaire?** Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an "Indispensable Monopoly" providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. **Continue »*** Image source: Getty Images. ## Keep your eye on retail traders As the partial government shutdown continues to affect domestic airports, more travelers are considering renting cars. Avis Budget peer **Hertz Global** is seeing an approximately 15% surge in web traffic, according to reports. That implies that travelers are either avoiding flying to bypass airport congestion or making backup plans in case of missed flights during the spring travel season. Risks remain high for Avis Budget stock in both directions. Retail traders made the stock a meme stock in 2021, driving it to over $350 per share. As of mid-march, 23.5% of the float was still sold short, according to *MarketWatch*. That could trigger a short squeeze, pushing the stock sharply higher in a short period. On the other hand, travel and tourism stocks could be hit hard by an economic downturn or global unrest. Investors who may want to take a more passive approach should likely avoid this name. There are catalysts for more volatility ahead for Avis Budget Group. ## Should you buy stock in Avis Budget Group right now? Before you buy stock in Avis Budget Group, consider this: The *Motley Fool Stock Advisor* analyst team just identified what they believe are the **10 best stocks** for investors to buy now… and Avis Budget Group wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when **Netflix** made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $503,268**!\* Or when **Nvidia** made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, **you’d have $1,049,793**!\* Now, it’s worth noting *Stock Advisor’s* total average return is 898% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 182% for the S&P 500. **Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with *Stock Advisor*, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.** **See the 10 stocks »** *\*Stock Advisor returns as of March 27, 2026.* *Howard Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.* The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. ### Related Stocks - [HTZ.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/HTZ.US.md) - [HTZWW.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/HTZWW.US.md) - [CAR.US](https://longbridge.com/en/quote/CAR.US.md) ## Related News & Research - [Zohran Mamdani Cracks Down on NYC Car Rental Companies, Issues 56 Summonses Over Hidden Fees: Warns Businesses to Tell People the 'Real Price'](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297171195.md) - [Hertz unit HVF III prices USD 834.75 million rental car ABS note offering](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297364582.md) - [Hertz Car Sales Introduces 100K Mile Protection, Raising the Bar for Confidence in Used Vehicle Ownership | HTZ Stock News](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296956615.md) - [13:00 ETHertz Global Holdings, Inc. Class Action Lawsuit: Investors Face September 22, 2026, Deadline](https://longbridge.com/en/news/296942055.md) - [Nvidia has been in talks to acquire Hugging Face for more than $13 billion](https://longbridge.com/en/news/297102460.md) --- > **Disclaimer: This article is for reference only and does not constitute any investment advice.**