Shares rise 125% over two days as Pershing Square takes nearly a 20% stake.
Shares of Hertz Global (NYSE:HTZ) jumped more than 25% at Thursday's open after Bill Ackman's Pershing Square Capital Management disclosed a 20% stake in the car rental company worth $46 million. The stock had already surged 50% in aftermarket trading the previous evening, marking one of Hertz's sharpest rallies in years amid renewed investor optimism.
Hertz Global (HTZ) was a big mover last session on higher-than-average trading volume. The latest trend in earnings estimate revisions might not help the stock continue moving higher in the near term.
Shares of Hertz surged 56% Wednesday after a regulatory filing revealed Pershing Square had built a 4.1% position as of the end of 2024.
Hertz Global Holding Inc.'s stock has been gaining favor of late as investors bet that consumers would potentially pivot to more used-auto purchases of ex-fleet cars in the face of higher new-car costs due to tariffs.
Knighthead Capital Management is a New York-based hedge fund specializing in fundamental analysis, operational and financial turnarounds, and risk management.
[00:00:04] Doug McIntyre: Hertz made an interesting decision two or three years ago that they were going to buy several tens of thousands of Teslas on the theory that Americans would adopt EVs fast.
Hertz's financial struggles stem from a poorly timed investment in electric vehicles, leading to significant losses, mounting debt, and a steep stock decline. Q4 2024 results were disappointing, with revenue down 7% year-over-year and a non-GAAP loss of $1.18 per share, both missing estimates for the third consecutive quarter. The balance sheet is very weak, with rising debt and insufficient cash flow, exacerbated by higher interest expenses and a large amount of debt maturing soon.
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:HTZ ) Q4 2024 Earnings Conference Call February 13, 2025 9:00 AM ET Company Participants Johann Rawlinson - VP, IR Wayne West - CEO & Director Sandeep Dube - EVP & Chief Commercial Officer Scott Haralson - EVP & CFO Conference Call Participants John Babcock - Bank of America Merrill Lynch Chris Woronka - Deutsche Bank Dan Levy - Barclays Harold Antor - Jefferies Chris Stathoulopoulos - Susquehanna Isaac Sellhausen - Oppenheimer Operator Welcome to Hertz Global Holdings Fourth Quarter 2024 Earnings Call. [Operator Instructions] I would like to remind you that this morning's call is being recorded by the company.
While the top- and bottom-line numbers for Hertz Global (HTZ) give a sense of how the business performed in the quarter ended December 2024, it could be worth looking at how some of its key metrics compare to Wall Street estimates and year-ago values.
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. (HTZ) came out with a quarterly loss of $1.18 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $0.72. This compares to loss of $1.36 per share a year ago.
The company is developing a “comprehensive strategy that will enable us to operate more efficiently.” That means fewer electric vehicles.