HERTZ CORP
8-K, 1998-10-14
AUTO RENTAL & LEASING (NO DRIVERS)
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<PAGE>   1
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                               ------------------


                                    FORM 8-K

                                 CURRENT REPORT
                     PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE
                         SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934


        Date of report (Date of earliest event reported) OCTOBER 13, 1998


                              THE HERTZ CORPORATION
               (Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)


            Delaware                     1-7541              13-1938568
(State or Other Jurisdiction of        (Commission        (I.R.S. Employer
            Incorporation)             File Number)      Identification No.)


225 Brae Boulevard, Park Ridge, New Jersey                     07656-0713
(Address of Principal Executive Offices)                       (Zip Code)


Registrant's telephone number, including area code (201) 307-2000



                                 Not Applicable
          (Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)




                               Page 1 of 6 pages.
                        The Exhibit Index is on page 3.
<PAGE>   2
Item 5.  Other Events.


       On October 13, 1998, The Hertz Corporation issued a press release with
respect to its third quarter 1998 earnings.

       A copy of such press release is attached as Exhibit 99 hereto and
incorporated herein by reference.


Item 7.  Financial Statements and Exhibits.


       (c)    EXHIBITS.

              The following Exhibit is filed as part of this Report.

              (99)Press release relating to The Hertz Corporation's third
quarter 1998 earnings.





                                    SIGNATURE


       Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the
registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the
undersigned hereunto duly authorized.


                                          THE HERTZ CORPORATION
                                              (Registrant)



                                    By:     /s/ Richard J. Foti
                                           -----------------------------------
                                           Richard J. Foti
                                           Staff Vice President and Controller
                                           (Principal Accounting Officer)

Dated:  October 14, 1998





                                       -2-
<PAGE>   3
                                  Exhibit Index



<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
Exhibit No.            Description                            Page
- - -----------            -----------                            ----
<S>            <C>                                            <C>
  (99)         Press release relating to The Hertz            4-6
               Corporation's third quarter 1998
               earnings
</TABLE>

                                       -3-

<PAGE>   1
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                       CONTACT: FINANCIAL - LAUREN S. BABUS
                                                               (201) 307-2100
                                                               MEDIA - JOE RUSSO
                                                               (201) 307-2486

                   HERTZ REPORTS RECORD THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS
                            OF $118.7 MILLION, UP 27%

PARK RIDGE, NJ, OCTOBER 13, 1998 -- The Hertz Corporation (NYSE:HRZ), the
world's largest car rental company and a leading industrial and construction
equipment rental business, reported record earnings of $118.7 million for the
third quarter of 1998, up 27 percent from the $93.4 million reported for the
same period last year. Earnings per share on a diluted basis were $1.09 per
share for third quarter, 1998, up from 86 cents in the third quarter of the
prior year.

         Net income for the first nine months of 1998 was $229.1 million, up 37
percent from $167.1 million earned in the same period, 1997.

         Hertz also achieved record third quarter revenues of $1.225 billion, up
11.2 percent or $123 million from the $1.102 billion reported for the same
period, 1997. Before the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates, the
revenue increase would have been $129 million or 11.7 percent growth over the
prior year.

         Revenues for the first nine months were up 7.3 percent from $2.957
billion in 1997 to $3.172 billion in 1998. Before the impact of changes in
foreign exchange rates, the increase would have been 8.5 percent or $252 million
over the prior year.

         Frank A. Olson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hertz, said,
"We are very pleased with our trends on volume and pricing recovery, and are
comfortable that we will produce our fifth consecutive record profit year."

                                       -4-
<PAGE>   2
HERTZ THIRD QUARTER EARNINGS - PAGE 2

         Domestic car rental operations reported revenues of $756.7 million for
the quarter, up 6.7 percent from $709.4 million in the same quarter last year.

         International car rental and leasing reported a 2.6 percent increase in
revenues for the third quarter from $263.0 million in 1997 to $270.0 million in
1998. Before the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates and adjustments for
the franchising of previously owned locations, revenue for the quarter would
have been 7.6 percent higher than 1997.

         Hertz' worldwide industrial and construction equipment rental
operations, including acquisitions, generated revenues of $189.5 million for the
third quarter, 1998, up 54.3 percent from the $122.8 million in the third
quarter last year.

         Headquartered in Park Ridge, New Jersey, Hertz operates from over 5,500
locations throughout the U.S. and in over 140 foreign countries.










                                       -5-
<PAGE>   3
                              THE HERTZ CORPORATION
                        CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME
                            (In Thousands of Dollars)
                                    Unaudited

<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                              Three Months                        As % of
                                                            Ended September 30,                 Total Revenue
                                                            -------------------                 -------------
                                                        1998               1997              1998          1997
                                                        ----               ----              ----          ----
<S>                                                  <C>                <C>                    <C>            <C>
Revenue                                              $  1,225,145       $  1,102,142           100.0%         100.0%

Expenses:
    Direct operating                                      514,718            479,426            42.0%          43.5%
    Depreciation of revenue
        earning equipment                                 304,453            266,947            24.8%          24.2%
    Selling, general and
        administrative                                    119,762            113,244             9.8%          10.3%
    Interest - net                                         85,894             80,829             7.0%           7.3%
                                                     ------------       ------------         -------        -------
       Total expenses                                   1,024,827            940,446            83.6%          85.3%
                                                     ------------       ------------         -------        -------
Income before income taxes                                200,318            161,696            16.4%          14.7%
Income taxes                                               81,640             68,262             6.7%           6.2%
                                                     ------------       ------------         -------        -------
Net income                                           $    118,678       $     93,434             9.7%           8.5%
                                                     ============       ============         =======        =======

Earnings per share
    Basic                                            $       1.10       $       0.86
    Diluted                                          $       1.09       $       0.86

Weighted average number of shares outstanding:
    Basic                                             108,070,628        108,230,984
    Diluted                                           108,557,208        108,631,839
</TABLE>



                               BALANCE SHEET DATA
                            (In Thousands of Dollars)
                                    Unaudited
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
                                                             September 30,
                                                             -------------
                                                        1998                1997
                                                        ----                ----
Revenue earning equipment:
<S>                                                 <C>                 <C>
    Cars                                            $4,809,553          $4,518,696
    Other equipment                                  1,307,052             876,614
Total assets                                         8,950,650           7,788,362
Total debt                                           5,820,956           5,103,762
Stockholders' equity                                 1,352,646           1,116,096
</TABLE>



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