Exercise 6 Accounting

15-164
Revised March 27, 2018
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
In the June 7-8, 2014 weekend edition of The Wall Street Journal, an article entitled “Accounting Errors
Hit Hertz Hard” caught auto industry analyst Abby Devins’s attention. Devins recalled that Hertz had
hinted in March about the possibility of having to restate its 2011 financial statements, but by June the
situation appeared worse than previously anticipated. “Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.,” read the article,
“would have to restate and correct results from the past three years, according to a regulatory filing
Friday that indicated more widespread accounting problems at the auto-rental company than had been
thought.” 1 The article also mentioned that Hertz’s stock had closed down about 9% in Friday’s trading.
Keenly aware that car rental companies like Hertz provided a significant source of steady demand for
automotive manufacturers, Devins was curious whether Hertz’s accounting issues could be related in
some way to its large rental fleet and what impact this might have on the company’s future vehicle
acquisition plans.
Car Rental Industry
As of 2013, the U.S. car rental industry totaled approximately $36 billion in revenue, which was divided
between leisure travelers, business travelers, and leasing, with rentals taking place both at airport and
off-airport locations (Exhibit 1). Since the majority of car rental demand came from leisure and
business travel, the industry suffered during the 2008-09 recession, with revenue growth plummeting
into negative territory (Exhibit 2). Revenue growth resumed, however, as the subsequent economic
recovery began to take hold.
1
Michael Calia, “Accounting Errors Hit Hertz Hard,” The Wall Street Journal, June 7-8, 2014.
This case was prepared by Senior Lecturer Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, MBA 2015, and Cate Reavis, Associate Director,
Curriculum Development.
Copyright © 2015, Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons
Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported License. To view a copy of this license visit
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/ or send a letter to Creative Commons, 171 Second Street, Suite 300, San
Francisco, California 94105, USA.
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Due to a wave of consolidations, three companies dominated the market with a combined 71% market
share — Enterprise Holdings (Enterprise, National, and Alamo brands); Avis Budget Group (Avis,
Budget, and Payless brands); and Hertz Global Holdings (Hertz, Dollar, and Thrifty brands). 2
Company Background
History
Hertz’s beginnings trace back to 1918 when 22-year old Walter L. Jacobs launched Rent-a-Car, Inc. in
Chicago, Illinois, with a dozen Model T Fords that he repaired and painted himself. After having
generated $1 million in revenue over five years, Jacobs sold his company to John D. Hertz who renamed
the company in his name and made it a subsidiary of his Yellow Truck and Coach Manufacturing
Company.
Over the next century, Hertz changed hands several times and was owned on separate occasions by
both General Motors and the Ford Motor Company. In 2005, Hertz was acquired by a trio of private
equity investment companies, which then took the company public in 2006. See Exhibit 3 for a
corporate timeline.
At of the end of 2013, with over 30,000 employees, Hertz had almost 12,000 worldwide car rental
locations, spanning 145 countries, and a rental fleet topping 700,000 cars (524,000 in the U.S. and
179,500 internationally). 3
Operations and Financial Performance
After going public in 2006, Hertz grew from a single brand with an on-airport focus on business
travelers to a multi-brand operation. 4 The company acquired the $1.5 billion annual revenue business
of Dollar Thrifty in November 2012. Hertz’s addition of the rental brands Dollar Rent A Car and Thrifty
Car created an immediate leadership position in the budget-friendly leisure market. In 2013, Hertz
launched a deep value brand, Firefly, focused on price conscious leisure travelers. That same year,
Hertz expanded into the Chinese car rental market by acquiring a 20% stake in China Auto Rental, the
largest car rental company in China. U.S. and international car rental revenue in 2013 totaled $6.3
billion and $2.4 billion, respectively (Exhibit 4).
Through its Donlen subsidiary, acquired in September 2011, Hertz provided a comprehensive array of
commercial fleet leasing and management services. Donlen leased car and light- to medium-truck
fleets, generally with a minimum 12-month lease term. It also provided additional services during
leases, including fuel purchasing and management, preventative maintenance, repair consultation,
accident management, and telematics-based location and driver performance reporting. Hertz also
2
Zachary Harris, “IBISWorld Industry Report – Car Rental in the US,” February 2015.
3
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., 2013 Annual Report.
4
Details of Hertz’s operations from Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., 2013 Annual Report.
Rev. March 27, 2018
2
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
operated an industrial and construction equipment rental business. Exhibit 5 provides a breakdown of
Hertz’s 2013 revenue by business segment.
Hertz stock more or less mirrored the S&P 500 Index from the end of 2006 until the summer of 2012
when it began to outperform the broader market (Exhibit 6). The pattern of Hertz’s earnings closely
tracked its stock price (Exhibit 7). Company earnings rose between 2006 and 2007 but turned sharply
negative with the 2008 financial crisis as both business and leisure travel slowed. During the ensuing
economic recovery, Hertz’s earnings rebounded, once again entering positive territory in 2011. The
company reported record revenue and EBITDA for 2013. 5 Mark Frissora, Hertz Chairman and CEO,
commented on the company’s strong 2013 financial performance on an earnings call with analysts and
investors: “We continue to successfully drive both record revenue and earnings growth by leveraging
industry leading rental car brands, capitalizing on strategic acquisitions, penetrating new markets in
equipment rental, and being relentless on efficiency programs and cost management.” 6
Hertz’s 2013 financial statements indicated that the company had increased revenue by roughly 30%
and more than doubled net income to common shareholders since 2011. Over this same three-year
period, depreciation averaged around 25% of total expenses. See Exhibit 8 for Hertz’s 2011-13 income
statements. The relatively high level of depreciation was consistent with the capital intensive nature of
Hertz’s operations. The company’s largest asset in 2012 and 2013 was revenue earning equipment (i.e.,
cars and trucks), which comprised in excess of 50% of total assets in both years. See Exhibit 9 for
Hertz’s 2012-13 balance sheets.
Calculating Depreciation
Once an asset like equipment is recorded on the balance sheet, its cost must be transferred over time
from the balance sheet to the income statement and reported as an expense. This process is referred to
as depreciation. Managers have a certain amount of discretion in recording depreciation expense
because of the assumptions that underlie the calculations.
Two estimates are required to compute the amount of depreciation expense for each accounting period:
1. Useful life is the period of time over which an asset is expected to provide economic
benefits to a company, which need not correspond to its physical life.
2. Residual or salvage value is the expected value of an asset at the end of its useful life.
The depreciable base is computed by subtracting the residual value from an asset’s acquisition cost.
This amount is then depreciated over an asset’s useful life. The most common way for allocating
depreciation over an asset’s useful life is the straight-line method. Exhibit 10 provides an example of
5
“Hertz Report Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2013 Results,” Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Press Release, March 18, 2014.
6
Q4 2013 Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Earnings Conference Call, March 18, 2014.
Rev. March 27, 2018
3
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
depreciation of an automobile with a $50,000 acquisition cost, a $10,000 residual value, and a 5-year
useful life.
The amount of annual depreciation expense for the automobile in this example is $8,000. As this
example also shows, when depreciation is recognized as an expense on the income statement, which
has the effect of reducing retained earnings on the balance sheet, the book value of the corresponding
asset is reduced by an equal amount with a balancing entry in accumulated depreciation, a contra asset
account associated with PP&E.
When an asset is disposed of, any difference between its sale price and net book value is recognized on
the income statement as a gain/loss on sale. In the above example, a loss on sale of $2,500 would result
if the automobile were sold at the end of Year 5 for $7,500, which reflects the fact that its sales price
($7,500) is lower than its net book value ($10,000) at that time.
Depreciation of Rental Fleet
Hertz’s 2013 financial statements included a footnote disclosure that described how the company
accounted for depreciation of revenue earning equipment:
Generally, when revenue earning equipment is acquired, we estimate the period that we will
hold the asset, primarily based on historical measures of the amount of rental activity (e.g.,
automobile mileage and equipment usage) and the targeted age of equipment at the time of
disposal. We also estimate the residual value of the applicable revenue earning equipment at
the expected time of disposal. The residual values for rental vehicles are affected by many
factors, including make, model and options, age, physical condition, mileage, sale location,
time of the year and channel of disposition (e.g., auction, retail, dealer direct). The residual
value for rental equipment is affected by factors which include equipment age and amount of
usage.
Depreciation is recorded on a straight-line basis over the estimated holding period.
Depreciation rates are reviewed on a quarterly basis based on management’s ongoing
assessment of present and estimated future market conditions, their effect on residual values at
the time of disposal and the estimated holding periods. Market conditions for used vehicle and
equipment sales can also be affected by external factors such as the economy, natural disasters,
fuel prices and incentives offered by manufacturers of new cars. These key factors are
considered when estimating future residual values and assessing depreciation rates. As a result
of this ongoing assessment, we make periodic adjustments to depreciation rates of revenue
earning equipment in response to changing market conditions. 7
7
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10-K, December 31, 2013.
Rev. March 27, 2018
4
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
U.S. GAAP also required Hertz to disclose useful life estimates for its major asset classes. Exhibit 11
provides this information for each year between 2006 and 2013.
Hertz’s car rental fleet comprised program and non-program cars. Program cars were purchased by
rental car companies under repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs. Under these programs,
automotive manufacturers agreed to repurchase cars at a specified price or guarantee the depreciation
rate on cars during a specified time period. Non-program cars, in contrast, were subject to residual price
risk at the time of disposal. Exhibit 12 shows Hertz’s program cars purchased as a percentage of total
cars purchased for each year between 2006 and 2013 by the U.S. and international operations. Exhibit
13 provides summary data on used car market pricing trends.
Data Collection
To begin her analysis, Devins pulled together Hertz’s revenue earning equipment balances and
associated depreciation expense amounts between 2006 and 2013, doing the same for Avis Budget
Group, Hertz’s main publicly-traded competitor, for comparison purposes (Exhibit 14). As she was
putting the finishing touches on her spreadsheet, Devins contemplated what significance, if any,
depreciation would ultimately have in Hertz’s larger than previously announced accounting issues.
Rev. March 27, 2018
5
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 1
U.S. Car Rental Demand by Purpose and Location
Car Sharing
2%
Leasing
20%
Airport Leisure
35%
Off-Airport
35%
Leisure
43%
Business
35%
Airport Business
30%
Source: Andy Brennan, “IBISWorld Industry Report – Car Rental in the US,” February 2014.
Exhibit 2
Revenue and Growth Trends in U.S. Car Rental Industry
8
40,000
6
37,500
4
35,000
2
32,500
0
-2
30,000
-4
27,500
25,000
-6
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
Revenue ($ Millions)
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
-8
% Growth
Source: Andy Brennan, “IBISWorld Industry Report – Car Rental in the US,” February 2014.
Rev. March 27, 2018
6
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 3
Hertz Timeline 8
1918
Rent-a-Car, Inc. founded by Walter L. Jacobs
1923
Jacobs sold company to John D. Hertz, President of Yellow Cab and Yellow Truck and
Coach Manufacturing Company, who renamed business Hertz Drive-Ur-Self System;
Jacobs stayed on to run car rental operations
1926
Yellow Truck sold to General Motors
1953
Omnibus Corporation purchased Hertz from GM and took company public one year later;
Jacobs became Hertz’s first President and served in that position until his retirement in
1960
1975
O.J. Simpson helped bring Hertz name to American households through advertising
campaign that had him running through airport and leaping over counters 9
1994
Hertz became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ford Motor Company
2005
Three private equity investment companies, Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, The Carlyle Group,
and Merrill Lynch Global Private Equity, purchased Hertz from Ford
2006
Hertz taken public for second time 10
Exhibit 4
Hertz Globing Holdings, Inc. Car Rental Revenue ($ Millions)
2011
2012
2013
U.S. Car Rental
4,468.9
4,893.2
6,324.4
International Car Rental
2,471.9
2,268.5
2,382.5
Total Car Rental
6,940.8
7,161.7
8,706.9
Source: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10-K, December 31, 2013.
8
https://www.hertz.com/rentacar/abouthertz/index.jsp?targetPage=CorporateProfile.jsp&c=aboutHertzHistoryView (accessed May 2015).
9
“Q&A with Stuart Elliott,” The New York Times, August 25, 2008.
10
http://www.nasdaq.com/markets/ipos/company/hertz-global-holdings-inc-710494-50741 (accessed May 2015).
Rev. March 27, 2018
7
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 5
Hertz Globing Holdings, Inc. Breakdown of 2013 Revenue by Business Segment
Other
5%
Equip.
Rental
14%
Int’l Car
Rental
22%
U.S. Car
Rental
59%
Source: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10-K, December 31, 2013.
Exhibit 6
Hertz Globing Holdings, Inc. Stock Performance
35
30
$ Price
25
20
15
10
5
0
11/16/2006
04/25/2008
09/29/2009
03/04/2011
HTZ
S&P 500
08/07/2012
01/14/2014
Source: Center for Research in Security Prices.
Rev. March 27, 2018
8
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 7
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Earnings Performance
2.00
1.00
EPS $
0.00
0.48
2006
0.82
2008
2007
2009
-0.34
-1.00
2010
-0.12
0.42
0.58
2011
2012
0.82
2013
-2.00
-3.00
-4.00
-3.74
-5.00
Source: Compustat.
Exhibit 8
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Income Statements ($ Millions)
Year Ended December 31,
2011
2012
2013
6,940.8
1,209.5
149.0
7,161.7
1,385.4
477.8
8,706.9
1,538.0
527.0
8,299.3
9,024.9
10,771.9
4,573.1
1,896.2
767.7
699.7
(5.5)
62.5
4,806.0
2,128.9
968.1
649.9
(4.9)
35.5
5,752.0
2,525.5
1,022.2
716.0
(11.6)
104.7
7,993.7
8,583.5
10,108.8
Income before income taxes
(Provision) benefit for taxes on income (loss)
305.6
(121.8)
441.4
(202.8)
663.1
(316.9)
Net income (loss)
Less: Net income attributable to noncontrolling interest
183.8
(19.6)
238.6
0.0
346.2
0.0
Net income attributable to Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
164.2
238.6
346.2
Revenues:
Worldwide car rental
Worldwide equipment rental
All other operations
Total revenues
Expenses:
Direct operating
Depreciation of revenue earning equipment and lease charges
Selling, general and administrative
Interest expense
Interest income
Other (income) expense, net
Total expenses
Source: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10-K, December 31, 2013.
Rev. March 27, 2018
9
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 9
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Balance Sheets ($ Millions)
December 31,
2012
December 31,
2013
545.5
551.6
1,879.6
105.7
489.3
423.2
859.9
1,512.6
92.3
717.2
12,548.8
(1,850.4)
3,240.1
(1,041.9)
14,456.6
(2,679.6)
3,512.2
(1,095.8)
Total revenue earning equipment
12,896.6
14,193.4
Property and equipment, at cost:
Land, buildings and leasehold improvements
Service equipment and other
Less accumulated depreciation
1,288.8
1,261.1
(1,113.5)
1,362.1
1,257.0
(1,104.8)
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents
Restricted cash and cash equivalents
Receivables, less allowance for doubtful accounts of $30.8 and $29.3
Inventories, at lower of cost or market
Prepaid expenses and other assets
Revenue earning equipment, at cost:
Cars
Less accumulated depreciation
Other equipment
Less accumulated depreciation
1,436.4
1,514.3
Other intangible assets, net
Goodwill
Total property and equipment
4,030.2
1,329.3
3,928.0
1,347.5
Total assets
23,264.3
24,588.2
1,003.2
1,163.1
144.6
15,448.6
332.2
2,686.4
967.9
1,104.7
140.4
16,309.4
347.7
2,947.1
20,778.1
21,817.2
4.2
3,233.9
(725.0)
(26.9)
0.0
4.5
3,225.9
(378.8)
7.1
(87.5)
LIABILITIES AND EQUITY
Accounts payable
Accrued liabilities
Accrued taxes
Debt
Public liability and property damage
Deferred taxes on income
Total liabilities
Equity:
Common stock
Additional paid in capital
Accumulated deficit
Accumulated other comprehensive loss
Treasury stock
Total equity
2,486.2
2,771.2
Total liabilities and equity
23,264.3
24,588.2
Source: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10-K, December 31, 2013.
Rev. March 27, 2018
10
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 10 Depreciation Example
PP&E,
Gross
Accumulated
Depreciation
PP&E,
Net
Depreciation
Expense
Year 1
50,000
8,000
42,000
8,000
Year 2
50,000
16,000
34,000
8,000
Year 3
50,000
24,000
26,000
8,000
Year 4
50,000
32,000
18,000
8,000
Year 5
50,000
40,000
10,000
8,000
= (50,000 – 10,000) / 5 years
Exhibit 11 Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. Useful Life Estimates
Cars
Other
Equipment
2006
5 to 16
months
24 to 108
months
2007
5 to 16
months
24 to 108
months
2008
5 to 16
months
24 to 108
months
2009
4 to 24
months
24 to 108
months
2010
4 to 26
months
24 to 108
months
2011
4 to 26
months
24 to 108
months
2012
4 to 28
months
24 to 108
months
2013
4 to 36
months
24 to 108
months
Source: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10Ks, December 31, 2007-13.
Rev. March 27, 2018
11
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 12 Hertz Globing Holdings, Inc. Program Cars Purchased as Percentage of Total Cars
Purchased
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
U.S.
61%
42%
55%
48%
54%
45%
19%
18%
International
71%
65%
59%
57%
56%
55%
53%
57%
Source: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10Ks, December 31, 2007-13.
Exhibit 13 Manheim Consulting Used Vehicle Value Index
130
125
120
115
110
105
100
95
90
Jan-95
Jan-97
Jan-99
Jan-01
Jan-03
Jan-05
Jan-07
Jan-09
Jan-11
Jan-13
January 1995 = 100
Source: http://www.manheim.com/services/consulting?WT.svl=m_hdr_mnav_services_consulting#monthlyIndex
May 2015).
Rev. March 27, 2018
(accessed
12
HERTZ GLOBAL HOLDINGS, INC.
Christopher Noe, Lauren Pully, and Cate Reavis
Exhibit 14 Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. and Avis Budget Group, Inc. Revenue Earning Equipment Data ($ Millions)
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Revenue Earning Equipment, Gross
10,876
11,681
10,344
10,788
11,191
12,509
15,789
17,969
Depreciation Expense for Revenue Earning Equipment
1,762
1,906
2,020
1,780
1,747
1,912
2,146
2,408
Gain/Loss on Sale of Revenue Earning Equipment
36
-21
-83
-72
-43
112
97
-37
Income before Taxes
241
389
-1,383
-150
32
306
441
663
Revenue Earning Equipment, Gross
8,042
8,496
8,383
6,912
7,557
9,614
10,619
10,993
Depreciation Expense for Revenue Earning Equipment
1,362
1,565
1,639
1,391
1,277
1,395
1,438
1,678
0
40
-7
30
24
234
97
6
-677
-992
-1,343
-77
72
36
300
97
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
Avis Budget Group, Inc.
Gain/Loss on Sale of Revenue Earning Equipment
Income before Taxes
Source: Hertz Global Holdings, Inc. 10Ks, December 31, 2007-13; Avis Budget Group, Inc. 10Ks, December 31, 2007-13.
Rev. March 27, 2018
13
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
Revenue Earning Equipment, Gross
10,876
11,681
10,344
10,788
11,191
12,509
15,789
17,969
Depreciation Expense for Revenue Earning Equipment
1,762
1,906
2,020
1,780
1,747
1,912
2,146
2,408
Gain/Loss on Sale of Revenue Earning Equipment
36
-21
-83
-72
-43
112
97
-37
Income before Taxes
241
389
-1,383
-150
32
306
441
663
Revenue Earning Equipment, Gross
8,042
8,496
8,383
6,912
7,557
9,614
10,619
10,993
Depreciation Expense for Revenue Earning Equipment
1,362
1,565
1,639
1,391
1,277
1,395
1,438
1,678
0
40
-7
30
24
234
97
6
-677
-992
-1,343
-77
72
36
300
97
Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
Avis Budget Group, Inc.
Gain/Loss on Sale of Revenue Earning Equipment
Income before Taxes
Exercise 6
This assignment pertains to the Hertz Global Holdings (Hertz) case available from the
course website.
1) What is Hertz’s most significant asset? Discuss how this asset is different from
inventory or PPE.
2) Depreciation of the revenue-earning component equipment is Hertz’s second most
significant expense, after direct operating expenses. Use the information in the case
to estimate Hertz’s assumptions for depreciating revenue earning equipment for
2006 to 2013 (e.g., depreciation rate and/or useful life).
3) Comment on the time trend in the depreciation rate calculated in 2. How does the
depreciation rate affect Hertz’s bottom line performance?
4) What are some reasons for the observed changes in Hertz’s depreciation of revenueearning equipment?
1