Jefferies cuts Hertz stock price target to $6, maintains hold

Published 14/05/2025, 16:50
© Reuters

On Wednesday, Jefferies analyst Stephanie Moore revised the price target for Hertz Global (NASDAQ:HTZ) shares, reducing it from $7.00 to $6.00, while keeping a Hold rating on the stock. Currently trading at $5.73, Hertz shares have shown significant volatility, with a 52-week range of $2.47 to $9.39. The adjustment follows Hertz’s first-quarter earnings, which did not meet expectations, primarily due to weaker revenue figures, with InvestingPro data showing a 6.61% year-over-year revenue decline. Despite this, Moore acknowledged the company’s effective implementation of its fleet refresh strategy, which is anticipated to yield better-than-expected depreciation per unit (DPU) throughout the remainder of 2025.

Moore’s analysis suggests that Hertz is making commendable strides in its multi-year turnaround plan. However, she believes that the full benefits of these efforts are likely to materialize and become more evident over a year from now, given the current unpredictable economic environment. According to InvestingPro data, Hertz faces significant challenges with a substantial debt burden of $18.9 billion and negative free cash flow, highlighting the importance of successful turnaround execution. The analyst’s comments underscore that while the company is moving in the right direction, there is still a considerable wait before the turnaround efforts significantly impact the company’s performance.

Hertz’s focus on refreshing its fleet is a strategic move aimed at improving the overall quality and efficiency of its vehicle offerings. This strategy is expected to contribute positively to the company’s financial health by enhancing the DPU, a critical metric in the car rental industry that reflects the cost of vehicle depreciation spread over the units in the fleet.

The Hold rating indicates that Jefferies does not currently recommend either buying or selling Hertz shares; instead, the firm suggests maintaining the current position. Despite near-term challenges, the stock has shown strong momentum with a 40% gain over the past six months. Investors are likely to keep a close watch on Hertz’s progress as it continues to implement its turnaround strategy amidst the challenges posed by the broader economic climate. For deeper insights into Hertz’s financial health and growth prospects, InvestingPro offers exclusive access to 12 additional ProTips and comprehensive analysis in the Pro Research Report.

The company’s efforts to revitalize its operations and improve financial metrics are key focal points for investors and analysts alike. As Hertz navigates through the complexities of its industry and the uncertainties of the market, the updated price target reflects a cautious but watchful optimism for the company’s future.

In other recent news, Hertz Global Holdings (OTC:HTZGQ) has reported a challenging first quarter of 2025, with earnings per share (EPS) of -$1.12 and revenue of $1.81 billion, both falling short of analyst expectations. The company faced a significant EBITDA loss of $325 million, which was higher than anticipated by analysts at JPMorgan and Bloomberg. Hertz’s decision to reduce its fleet size by 8% contributed to a substantial revenue shortfall, as noted by Goldman Sachs, which reaffirmed its Sell rating on the stock with a price target of $3.00. The firm expressed concerns about Hertz’s ability to regain lost market share and projected a 2025 adjusted EBITDA of -$138 million.

Despite these setbacks, Hertz is actively pursuing strategic initiatives to improve cost efficiency and customer experience, including partnerships with technology firms for AI-driven vehicle inspection and pricing optimization. Hertz has also focused on updating its rental fleet by acquiring two-thirds of its 2025 model year vehicles ahead of schedule. The company aims to achieve breakeven EBITDA in the second quarter of 2025 and anticipates a sizable profit in the third quarter.

Analysts have highlighted the company’s ongoing challenges with macroeconomic uncertainties and competitive pressures, but Hertz remains committed to its long-term guidance. The company’s strategic focus includes maintaining profitable pricing strategies and enhancing operational efficiency through various partnerships and technology-driven initiatives.

This article was generated with the support of AI and reviewed by an editor. For more information see our T&C.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers
© 2007-2025 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.