HTZ Hertz Global Holdings Inc

ESTERO, Fla., Aug. 10, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HTZ) ("Hertz Global" or the "Company") today reported net income of $23 million, or $0.05 per diluted share, for the second quarter 2015, compared with net income of $72 million, or $0.15 per diluted share, for the same period last year. The Company also reported that adjusted net income for the second quarter 2015 was $88 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, compared with $132 million, or $0.28 per diluted share, for the same period last year. Total revenues for the second quarter 2015 were $2.7 billion versus $2.8 billion for the same period last year.  Corporate EBITDA for the second quarter of 2015 was $379 million versus $446 million in the second quarter of 2014.

"The second quarter demonstrates early progress in our efforts to drive performance improvement," said John Tague, chief executive officer. "Margins in our U.S. Rental Car business were stable year-over-year, and Total Revenue Per Transaction Day, excluding ancillary fuel, returned to prior-year levels.

"Importantly, our customer satisfaction scores rose substantially during the quarter, and I want to thank our employees for the work they continue to do to take excellent care of our customers.  With a substantially improved fleet overall, our employees are positioned to continue providing exceptional customer service."  

KEY MILESTONES IN THE SECOND QUARTER LAY THE FOUNDATION FOR SECOND HALF 2015 IMPROVEMENT

During the second quarter of 2015, Hertz Global achieved several key milestones that position the Company well for the second half of the year:

• During the quarter, Hertz Global continued to right-size U.S. Car Rental capacity and ended the period with fleet aligned with demand as evidenced by early indications of third-quarter, fleet-efficiency metrics.
• Excluding ancillary fuel sales, U.S. Car Rental Total Revenue Per Transaction Day (RPD) was flat year-over-year.
• Hertz Global continued implementation of its fleet renewal strategy across all of its brands.  During the quarter, the Company added approximately 125,000 new vehicles and disposed of approximately 120,000 risk and repurchase vehicles. As of the end of the second quarter, the U.S. Car Rental fleet has been significantly renewed since September 2014.  
• While executing on the fleet refresh, U.S. Car Rental net depreciation per unit per month was flat year-over-year, reflecting an enhanced focus on fleet management and execution. This was accomplished while also increasing the mix of program cars by 13 percentage points to 29% of total average fleet.
• Excluding effects of foreign currency rates, International Car Rental revenues increased 4% during the second quarter of 2015. Excluding special charges pertaining to a litigation matter and other related one-time charges, earnings were essentially flat year-over-year. 
• Hertz Equipment Rental (HERC) total revenue was down 2% for the second quarter.  Excluding negative foreign currency impact, revenues were up 1% versus prior year.  Excluding negative foreign currency impact and the effect of lower sales in upstream oil and gas markets, HERC revenues were up 6% in the second quarter.
• Hertz Global continues to make significant progress in reducing its costs by $300 million annually in 2016, $200 million of which is expected to be realized in 2015.  In the first half of the year, the Company realized approximately $80 million in cost savings.

U.S. CAR RENTAL TOTAL REVENUE PER TRANSACTION DAY (TOTAL RPD) FLAT YEAR-OVER-YEAR, EXCLUDING ANCILLARY FUEL

Total U.S. Car Rental revenues were $1,615 million in the second quarter of 2015, down 3% from the second quarter of 2014 as a result of a 2% overall decline in transaction days.  This decline was attributable to a decrease in airport rental volume, as well as a decrease in off-airport rental volume due in part to the closure of approximately 200 stores. Total RPD declined 1% driven predominantly by lower fuel-related ancillary revenue.  Excluding the impact of ancillary fuel sales, U.S. Car Rental Total RPD was flat for the quarter compared to the same period last year.  The revenue reduction experienced during the quarter was partially offset by a 5% reduction in direct operating expense versus the same period last year.  Net depreciation expense increased 2% versus last year, due primarily to a larger fleet, while net depreciation per unit per month remained flat year-over-year.

U.S. Car Rental adjusted pre-tax income for the second quarter of 2015 was $174 million, a decrease of $10 million versus the prior year period. U.S. Car Rental achieved an adjusted pre-tax margin of 11% for the quarter, which was 29 basis points lower than the prior-year period. Corporate EBITDA for the U.S. Car Rental segment for the second quarter of 2015 was $203 million versus $221 million in the second quarter of 2014.

INTERNATIONAL CAR RENTAL RESULTS LOWER DUE PRIMARILY TO THE IMPACT OF FOREIGN CURRENCY

Total International Car Rental revenues were $556 million in the second quarter of 2015, down 13% from the second quarter of 2014.  This decrease was primarily due to the unfavorable year-over-year impact of foreign currency, which reduced revenues by $105 million. Excluding the impact of foreign currency, revenues increased $20 million, or 4%.  Revenue growth was driven by a 4% increase in transaction days resulting from improved business mix from U.S.-source rentals, primarily in our Europe market. Revenues in the second quarter of 2015 were negatively impacted by lower fuel revenues as a result of lower market prices and a change in fuel purchase plans sold in the Europe market that took effect late in the second quarter of 2014. Total RPD for the segment remained flat year-over-year, excluding currency effects.

International Car Rental adjusted pre-tax income for the second quarter of 2015 was $45 million, a decrease of $12 million versus the prior year period, of which $11 million was the result of legal reserve and other related one-time write-offs. Corporate EBITDA for the International Car Rental segment for the second quarter of 2015 was $54 million versus $68 million in the second quarter of 2014. 

WORLDWIDE EQUIPMENT RENTAL IMPACTED BY FOREIGN CURRENCY RATES AND WEAKNESS IN UPSTREAM OIL AND GAS MARKETS

Total Worldwide Equipment Rental revenues were $375 million for the second quarter of 2015, down 2% compared with the prior-year period. Excluding the impact of foreign currency, revenue increased $3 million, or 1%. Revenue was negatively affected by accelerating weakness in upstream oil and gas markets during the quarter. Excluding both foreign currency and the impact of weakness in upstream oil and gas energy markets, revenue was up 6%.

Worldwide revenues for the second quarter were favorably impacted by a 2% increase in worldwide equipment rental volumes. The increase in volume was driven by new account growth, which is predominantly derived from small local contractors and specialty segments as we diversify our business. Pricing for the second quarter was up 1% year-over-year. 

Worldwide Equipment Rental adjusted pre-tax income for the second quarter of 2015 was $42 million, a decrease of $25 million from $67 million in the prior year period. Corporate EBITDA for the Worldwide Equipment Rental segment for the second quarter of 2015 was $147 million versus $166 million in the second quarter of 2014.

DONLEN DRIVES CONTINUED STRENGTH IN ALL OTHER OPERATIONS

All Other Operations segment revenues were $146 million for the second quarter of 2015, an increase of 3% from the prior year period, primarily due to increased volumes in the Company's Donlen operations.  All Other Operations adjusted pre-tax income for the second quarter of 2015 was $17 million, an increase of $2 million versus the prior year period. Corporate EBITDA for the All Other Operations segment for the second quarter of 2015 was $15 million versus $14 million in the prior-year period.

HERTZ GLOBAL REAFFIRMS $1 BILLION SHARE REPURCHASE PROGRAM AND HERTZ EQUIPMENT RENTAL CORPORATION SEPARATION

Hertz Global reaffirmed its commitment to its previously announced $1 billion share repurchase program and outlined its intent to execute consistent with announced year-end 2016 leverage targets, cash flow generation and other actions such as the contemplated sale of Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation ("HERC") operations in France and Spain, and the ultimate spin-off of HERC.

As previously communicated, Hertz Global remains committed to the separation of its equipment rental business. It is anticipated that the net cash received in connection with the HERC separation will be used to pay down Hertz Global debt and support additional share repurchases. The Company has put in place new leadership team at HERC that is focused on delivering performance improvement in the core business and enabling profitable growth.

PROGRESS CONTINUES ON COST REDUCTION PROGRAM

Hertz Global recently reaffirmed and increased its annualized cost savings goal to $300 million, with approximately $200 million being realized in calendar year 2015.  Through the first six months of 2015, the Company has realized approximately $80 million of the intended cost savings. The identified cost savings are expected to come largely from reductions in corporate and operations overhead, fleet management efficiency, and disciplined sales and marketing spending. Hertz Global expects to incur $30 million to $35 million of costs in 2015 in connection with these actions, of which $5 million to $10 million will be reflected in adjusted pre-tax income in 2015.

Hertz Global's cost and operations review is ongoing, with the potential for additional savings as a result of technology-enabled efficiencies, as well as other opportunities to improve productivity and effectiveness across the Company.

HERTZ GLOBAL MAINTAINS 2015 GUIDANCE

For the full year 2015, the Company forecasts the following:

RESULTS OF THE HERTZ CORPORATION

Hertz Global's operating subsidiary, The Hertz Corporation, posted the same revenues and GAAP pre-tax income for the second quarter of 2015 as the Company.

(1) Adjusted pre-tax income, adjusted pre-tax margin, Corporate EBITDA, Corporate EBITDA margin, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, total revenue per transaction day and net depreciation per unit per month are non-GAAP measures. See the accompanying Supplemental Schedules and Definitions for the reconciliations and definitions for each of these non-GAAP measures and the reason the Company's management believes that these measures provide useful information to investors.

(2) Because of the forward-looking nature of the Company's Corporate EBITDA forecast, specific quantifications of the amounts that would be required to reconcile a pre-tax income forecast are not available. The Company believes that there is a degree of volatility with respect to certain of the Company's GAAP measures, primarily related to fair value accounting for its financial assets (which includes the Company's derivative financial instruments), its income tax reporting and certain adjustments made to arrive at the relevant non-GAAP measures, which preclude the Company from providing accurate forecast of GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations. Based on the above, the Company believes that providing estimates of the amounts that would be required to reconcile the range of the non-GAAP Corporate EBITDA would imply a degree of precision that would be confusing or misleading to investors for the reasons identified above.

EARNINGS WEBCAST INFORMATION

Hertz Global's second quarter 2015 earnings webcast will be held on August 11, 2015, at 8:00 a.m. U.S. Eastern. The press release and related supplemental schedules containing the reconciliations of non-GAAP measures will be available on our website, IR.Hertz.com.

SELECTED FINANCIAL AND OPERATING DATA, SUPPLEMENTAL SCHEDULES AND DEFINITIONS

Following are tables that present selected financial and operating data of Hertz Global.  Also included are Supplemental Schedules which are provided to present segment results and reconciliations of non-GAAP measures to their most comparable GAAP measure. Following the Supplemental Schedules the Company provides definitions for terminology used throughout this press release.

ABOUT HERTZ GLOBAL

Hertz Global operates the Hertz, Dollar, Thrifty and Firefly car rental brands in more than 10,300 corporate and licensee locations throughout approximately 150 countries in North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia, Australia, Africa, the Middle East and New Zealand. Hertz Global is the largest worldwide airport general use car rental company with more than 1,600 airport locations in the U.S. and more than 1,300 airport locations internationally. Product and service initiatives such as Hertz Gold Plus Rewards, NeverLost®, Carfirmations, Mobile Wi-Fi and unique vehicles offered through the Adrenaline, Dream, Green and Prestige Collections set Hertz Global apart from the competition.  Additionally, Hertz Global owns the vehicle leasing and fleet management leader Donlen Corporation, operates the Hertz 24/7 hourly car rental business and sells vehicles through its Rent2Buy program. The Company also owns Hertz Equipment Rental Corporation ("HERC"), one of the largest equipment rental businesses with more than 350 locations worldwide offering a diverse line of equipment and tools for rent and sale. HERC primarily serves the construction, industrial, oil, gas, entertainment and government sectors. For more information about Hertz Global, visit: www.hertz.com.

CAUTIONARY NOTE CONCERNING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this release, and in related comments by the Company's management, include "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements include information concerning the Company's liquidity and its possible or assumed future results of operations, including descriptions of its business strategies. These statements often include words such as "believe," "expect," "project," "potential," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "seek," "will," "may," "would," "should," "could," "forecasts" or similar expressions. These statements are based on certain assumptions that the Company has made in light of its experience in the industry as well as its perceptions of historical trends, current conditions, expected future developments and other factors it believes are appropriate in these circumstances. The Company believes these judgments are reasonable, but you should understand that these statements are not guarantees of performance or results, and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements due to a variety of important factors, both positive and negative, that may be revised or supplemented in subsequent reports on Forms 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. Among other items, such factors could include: the effect of the restatement of our previously issued financial results for the years ended December 31, 2012 and 2013 and any claims, investigations or proceedings arising as a result; our ability to remediate the material weaknesses in our internal controls over financial reporting; levels of travel demand, particularly with respect to airline passenger traffic in the United States and in global markets; the effect of our proposed separation of our equipment rental business and ability to obtain the expected benefits of any related transaction; significant changes in the competitive environment, including as a result of industry consolidation, and the effect of competition in our markets on rental volume and pricing, including on our pricing policies or use of incentives; occurrences that disrupt rental activity during our peak periods; our ability to achieve and maintain cost savings and efficiencies and realize opportunities to increase productivity and profitability; an increase in our fleet costs as a result of an increase in the cost of new vehicles and/or a decrease in the price at which we dispose of used vehicles either in the used vehicle market or under repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs; our ability to accurately estimate future levels of rental activity and adjust the size and mix of our fleet accordingly; our ability to maintain sufficient liquidity and the availability to us of additional or continued sources of financing for our revenue earning equipment and to refinance our existing indebtedness; our ability to integrate the car rental operations of Dollar Thrifty and realize operational efficiencies from the acquisition; our ability to maintain access to third-party distribution channels, including current or favorable prices, commission structures and transaction volumes; the operational and profitability impact of the divestitures that we agreed to undertake in order to secure regulatory approval for the acquisition of Dollar Thrifty; an increase in our fleet costs or disruption to our rental activity, particularly during our peak periods, due to safety recalls by the manufacturers of our vehicles and equipment; a major disruption in our communication or centralized information networks; financial instability of the manufacturers of our vehicles and equipment, which could impact their ability to perform under agreements with us and/or their willingness or ability to make cars available to us or the car rental industry on commercially reasonable terms; any impact on us from the actions of our franchisees, dealers and independent contractors; our ability to maintain profitability during adverse economic cycles and unfavorable external events (including war, terrorist acts, natural disasters and epidemic disease); shortages of fuel and increases or volatility in fuel costs; our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions and complete dispositions; our ability to maintain favorable brand recognition; costs and risks associated with litigation and investigations; risks related to our indebtedness, including our substantial amount of debt, our ability to incur substantially more debt and increases in interest rates or in our borrowing margins; our ability to meet the financial and other covenants contained in our Senior Credit Facilities, our outstanding unsecured Senior Notes and certain asset-backed and asset-based arrangements; changes in accounting principles, or their application or interpretation, and our ability to make accurate estimates and the assumptions underlying the estimates, which could have an effect on earnings; changes in the existing, or the adoption of new laws, regulations, policies or other activities of governments, agencies and similar organizations where such actions may affect our operations, the cost thereof or applicable tax rates; changes to our senior management team; the effect of tangible and intangible asset impairment charges; our exposure to uninsured claims in excess of historical levels; fluctuations in interest rates and commodity prices; and our exposure to fluctuations in foreign exchange rates.

Additional information concerning these and other factors can be found in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K.

You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the foregoing cautionary statements. All such statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND OPERATING DATA