We recently published a list of Why These 15 Industrial Stocks Are up the Most So Far in 2025. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) stands against other industrial stocks that are up the most so far in 2025.

Industrial stocks are sensitive to the economic cycle. Many of them have already fallen victim to the downturn and have reversed much of their earlier gains from the past few years. However, 2025 is shaping up to be a breakout year for industrial stocks elsewhere. The industrial sector is very broad, and you’ll always find winners that outpace expectations and draw the attention of investors who once overlooked these workhorse companies.

Manufacturing and industrial firms have doubled down on digital transformation and have poured resources into automation to boost efficiency. This investment is paying off as companies become more agile and better equipped to handle shocks, whether from geopolitical tensions, labor shortages, or shifting customer needs. It’s worth looking into the biggest winners so far this year, as they could continue building on the momentum.

Methodology

For this article, I screened the best-performing industrial stocks year-to-date.

I will also mention the number of hedge fund investors in these stocks. Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 373.4% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 218 percentage points (see more details here).

A fleet of cars parked at a car rental company's headquarters, symbolizing the company's commitment to servicing its customers.

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders In Q4 2024: 35

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) is one of the world’s largest vehicle rental companies, operating the Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty, and Firefly brands across North America, Europe, and other global markets.

The biggest driver behind Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ)’s surge in 2025 was the disclosure that Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square acquired a major stake in the company, initially revealed as 12.7 million shares, which sent the stock soaring 56% in a single session and then another 22% in pre-market trading, as investors speculated about Ackman’s influence and potential strategic moves. The news also sparked rumors of a potential partnership with Uber.

Other notable events included Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ)’s announcement of a “back to basics” operational transformation, aiming to streamline costs and focus on core business execution, which was highlighted in their February 2025 earnings release.

The consensus price target of $4.1 implies 51.7% downside.

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ) stock is up 132.79% year-to-date.

Overall, HTZ ranks 3rd on our list of industrial stocks that are up the most so far in 2025. While we acknowledge the potential of HTZ as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns, and doing so within a shorter time frame. There is an AI stock that went up since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks lost around 25%. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than HTZ but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

 

READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and 30 Best Stocks to Buy Now According to Billionaires.

 

Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.