Hertz Global Holdings agreed to buy rival Dollar Thrifty Automotive for about $2.56 billion in a deal that puts the combined company’s share of the US car rental market at around 25 percent.

The merger ends more than two years of on-off takeover talks for Dollar Thrifty involving Hertz, the second-largest US car-rental company, and third-ranked Avis Group.

Hertz shares jumped 11 percent to $14.65 on the New York Stock Exchange while Dollar Thrifty shares traded up 7 percent at $87.04, just below the offer price of $87.50.