Rental Car Market Improving Says Blueshift

In a series of tweets from Blueshift Ideas, the research firm says the rental car market is improving, and names like Avis Budget Group Inc. CAR, Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group, Inc. DTG, Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. HTZ and even Zipcar Inc ZIP are poised to benefit. In the report, Blueshift says that rental car pricing and demand are improving. Business renters are renting smaller cars for fewer days, and are "taking advantage of specials like never before." According to a counter clerk at Avis, the company is seeing more leisure travelers who are buying insurance, something that is very profitable for the companies. The report says that Avis may have an advantage after the Japanese earthquake, as the company has more U.S. cars in its fleet, led by Ford F and General Motors GM. Shares of the rental car firms are mostly higher today, in a directionless market.