Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Company’s primary uses of liquidity are for the purchase of vehicles for its rental fleet, including required collateral enhancement under its fleet financing structures, non-vehicle capital expenditures and working capital. The Company’s need for cash to finance vehicles is seasonal and typically peaks in the second and third quarters of the year when fleet levels build to meet seasonal rental demand. The Company expects to continue to fund its revenue-earning vehicles with borrowings under secured vehicle financing programs, cash provided from operations and proceeds from the disposal of used vehicles. The Company uses both cash and letters of credit to support asset-backed vehicle financing programs. The Company also uses letters of credit or insurance bonds to secure certain commitments related to airport concession agreements, insurance programs and for other purposes. The Company’s primary sources of liquidity are cash generated from operations, secured vehicle financing, sales proceeds from disposal of used vehicles and availability under the Revolving Credit Facility.
The Company believes that its cash generated from operations, cash balances, availability under the Revolving Credit Facility and secured vehicle financing programs are adequate to meet its liquidity requirements for the near future. The Company has asset-backed medium-term note maturities totaling $83 million that amortize in July 2012. In February 2012, the Company terminated the existing senior secured credit facility and replaced it with a $450 million Revolving Credit Facility, and in March 2012, the Company completed the $150 million CAD Series 2012-1 notes.
The secured vehicle financing programs require varying levels of credit enhancement or overcollateralization, which are provided by a combination of cash, vehicles and letters of credit under the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility. Enhancement levels vary based on the source of debt used to finance the vehicles. Additionally, enhancement levels are seasonal and increase significantly during the second and third quarters when the fleet is at peak levels. In April 2012, the Company reduced its outstanding enhancement letters of credit supporting its secured vehicle financing facilities by approximately $145 million, utilizing a portion of its excess cash to meet the collateral enhancement requirements under those facilities. As a result of the reduction in letters of credit and seasonal increases in the fleet, the Company increased its investment in its securitization trusts for collateral enhancement purposes to approximately $670 million as of June 30, 2012. The Company retains the flexibility to replace a portion of this cash collateral with funds borrowed under its Revolving Credit Facility or the issuance of letters of credit as it deems appropriate. Enhancement requirements under asset-backed financing sources have changed significantly for the rental car industry as a whole over the past few years, and as a result, enhancement levels under the Series 2011-1 notes, the Series 2011-2 notes and the Series 2010-3 VFN are approximately 45%, compared to 30% on the Series 2007-1 notes. Based on expected future peak fleet levels and the payoff of the Series 2007-1 notes in July 2012, the Company expects to provide up to $150 million of additional enhancement in 2012 compared to 2011 levels.
Net cash generated by operating activities of $235.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 was primarily the result of net income adjusted for depreciation expense, net of gains on sales of vehicles and income taxes.
Net cash used in investing activities was $584.2 million. The principal expenditure of cash from investing activities during the six months ended June 30, 2012 was for purchases of new revenue-earning vehicles, which totaled $1.3 billion, partially offset by the sale of revenue-earning vehicles, which totaled $0.5 billion. In addition, at June 30, 2012, restricted cash and investments, which are restricted for the acquisition of revenue-earning vehicles and payments of the related debt, decreased $154.3 million from December 31, 2011. The Company also used cash for non-vehicle capital expenditures of $10.0 million. These expenditures consist primarily of airport facility improvements for the Company’s rental locations and information technology-related projects.
Net cash provided by financing activities was $126.0 million primarily due to $510.0 million in borrowings under the Series 2010-3 VFN and $68.8 million in proceeds from the issuance of the CAD Series 2012-1 notes. These borrowings were partially offset by $416.7 million of scheduled debt repayments on the Series 2007-1 notes, $27.3 million to buy back Company shares under the share repurchase program and $8.6 million in deferred financing costs primarily associated with the issuance of the Revolving Credit Facility.
The Company has significant requirements to maintain letters of credit and surety bonds to support its insurance programs, airport concession and other obligations. At June 30, 2012, the Company had $50.6 million in letters of credit, including $46.5 million in letters of credit under the Revolving Credit Facility, and $41.0 million in surety bonds to secure these obligations. At June 30, 2012, these surety bonds and letters of credit had not been drawn.
The Company does not conduct operations in foreign jurisdictions other than Canada, and accordingly, cash and cash equivalents would not be subject to repatriation taxes or otherwise stranded in foreign jurisdictions.
Contractual Obligations and Commitments
In June 2012, the Company executed a vehicle supply agreement with Chrysler Group for a three-year term beginning with program year 2013 (August 1, 2012) and ending at the end of program year 2015 (July 31, 2015), that will allow the Company to source a portion of its vehicle purchases, with certain minimum volumes, through Chrysler Group. Volume requirements may be modified by mutual agreement between the Company and Chrysler Group.
See debt discussion below for an update to the “Total Debt and Other Obligations” section of the table provided in Part II, Item 7 – Contractual Obligations and Commitments in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.
Asset-Backed Medium-Term Notes
The asset-backed medium-term note program at June 30, 2012 was comprised of $983.3 million in asset-backed medium-term notes with maturities in 2012 through 2015. Borrowings under the asset-backed medium-term notes are secured by eligible vehicle collateral, among other things. The Series 2007-1 notes, of which $83.3 million remained outstanding at June 30, 2012, were paid-off in July 2012. The Series 2011-1 notes, with a fixed blended interest rate of 2.81%, are comprised of $420 million principal amount Class A notes with a fixed interest rate of 2.51% and $80 million principal amount of Class B notes with a fixed interest rate of 4.38%. The Series 2011-2 notes of $400 million have a fixed interest rate of 3.21%. Proceeds from the asset-backed medium-term notes that are not utilized for financing vehicles and certain related receivables are maintained in restricted cash and investment accounts and are available for the purchase of vehicles. These amounts totaled approximately $118.9 million at June 30, 2012. At June 30, 2012, the Series 2011-2 notes required compliance with a maximum corporate leverage ratio of 3.0 to 1.0, a minimum corporate interest coverage ratio of 2.0 to 1.0 and a minimum corporate EBITDA requirement of $75 million, consistent with the terms of the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility.
The Series 2007-1 notes began scheduled amortization in February of 2012. During the first half of 2012, $416.7 million of principal payments were made with the remaining $83.3 million paid in July 2012. The Series 2011-1 notes are expected to begin scheduled amortization in September 2014, and will amortize over a six-month period. The Series 2011-2 notes are expected to begin scheduled amortization in December 2014 and will amortize over a six-month period.
Variable Funding Notes
The variable funding notes at June 30, 2012 were comprised of $600 million in U.S. fleet financing capacity that may be drawn and repaid from time to time in whole or in part during the revolving period, which ends in September 2013.
The Series 2010-3 VFN of $600 million had borrowings of $510 million at June 30, 2012. At the end of the revolving period, the then-outstanding principal amount of the Series 2010-3 VFN will be repaid monthly over a three-month period, beginning in October 2013, with the final expected payment date in December 2013. The facility bears interest at a spread of 130 basis points above each funding institution’s cost of funds, which may be based on either the weighted-average commercial paper rate, a floating one-month LIBOR rate or a Eurodollar rate. The Series 2010-3 VFN had an interest rate of 1.58% at June 30, 2012. The Series 2010-3 VFN also has a facility fee commitment rate of up to 0.8% per annum on any unused portion of the facility. The Series 2010-3 VFN requires compliance with a maximum corporate leverage ratio of 3.0 to 1.0, a minimum corporate interest coverage ratio of 2.0 to 1.0 and a minimum corporate EBITDA requirement of $75 million, consistent with the terms of the Company’s Revolving Credit Facility.
Canadian Fleet Financing
On March 9, 2012, the Company completed the CAD Series 2012-1 notes totaling $150 million. These notes have a term of two years and require a program fee of 150 basis points above the one-month rate for Canadian dollar denominated bankers’ acceptances and a utilization fee of 65 basis points on the unused Series CAD 2012-1 amount. At June 30, 2012, CAD $70 million (US $68.8 million) of the CAD Series 2012-1 notes had been drawn. The CAD Series 2012-1 notes had an interest rate of 2.69% at June 30, 2012.
Revolving Credit Facility
On February 16, 2012, the Company terminated the existing senior secured credit facility and replaced it with a new $450 million Revolving Credit Facility that expires in February 2017. Pricing under the Revolving Credit Facility is grid-based with a spread above LIBOR that will range from 300 basis points to 350 basis points, based upon usage of the facility. Commitment fees under the Revolving Credit Facility will equal 50 basis points on unused capacity. Under the Revolving Credit Facility, the Company is subject to a maximum corporate leverage ratio of 3.0 to 1.0, a minimum corporate interest coverage ratio of 2.0 to 1.0 and a minimum corporate EBITDA requirement of $75 million. In addition, the Revolving Credit Facility contains covenants restricting its ability to undertake certain activities, including, among others, restrictions on the Company and its subsidiaries’ ability to incur additional indebtedness, make loans, acquisitions or other investments, grant liens on its property, dispose of assets, pay dividends or conduct stock repurchases, make capital expenditures or engage in certain transactions with affiliates.
Under the Revolving Credit Facility, the Company has the ability (subject to specified conditions and limitations), among other things, to incur up to $400 million of unsecured indebtedness; to enter into permitted acquisitions of up to $250 million in the aggregate during the term of the Revolving Credit Facility and to incur financing and assume indebtedness in connection therewith; to make investments in the Company’s U.S. special-purpose financing entities (including RCFC) and our Canadian special-purpose financing entities, in aggregate amounts at any time outstanding of up to $750 million and $150 million, respectively; and to make dividend, stock repurchase and other restricted payments in an amount up to $300 million, plus 50% of cumulative adjusted net income (or minus 100% of cumulative adjusted net loss, as applicable) for the period beginning January 1, 2012 and ending on the last day of the fiscal quarter immediately preceding the restricted payment. The Company had approximately $318 million available under the limitations of the Revolving Credit Facility for these restricted payments at June 30, 2012.
In April 2012, the Company reduced the enhancement letters of credit outstanding under its Revolving Credit Facility by $145 million and instead satisfied the related enhancement requirements under certain series of RCFC’s notes with cash. The Company had letters of credit outstanding under the Revolving Credit Facility of $19.0 million for U.S. enhancement and $46.5 million in general purpose letters of credit with a remaining available capacity of $384.5 million at June 30, 2012.
Covenant Compliance
The Company was in compliance with all covenants under its financing arrangements as of June 30, 2012.
New Accounting Standards
For a discussion on new accounting standards refer to Note 13 to condensed consolidated financial statements in Item 1 – financial statements.
ITEM 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK The Company’s primary market risk exposure is volatility of interest rates, primarily in the United States. Historically, the Company manages interest rates through use of a combination of fixed and floating rate debt and interest rate swap and cap agreements. The fair value and average receive rate of the interest rate swaps and caps is calculated using projected market interest rates over the term of the related debt instruments as provided by the counterparties. All items described are non-trading and are stated in U.S. dollars. Foreign exchange risk is immaterial to the consolidated results and financial condition of the Company.
Based on the Company’s level of floating rate debt at June 30, 2012, a 50 basis point fluctuation in interest rates would have an approximate $3 million impact on the Company’s expected pretax income on an annual basis. This impact on pretax income would be offset by earnings from cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash and investments, which are invested on a short-term basis and subject to fluctuations in interest rates. At June 30, 2012, cash and cash equivalents totaled $285.5 million and restricted cash and investments totaled $199.0 million.
At June 30, 2012, there were no significant changes in the Company’s quantitative disclosures about market risk compared to December 31, 2011, which are included under Item 7A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011, except for the change in fair value for the tabular entries, “Vehicle Debt and Obligations – Floating Rates,” from $495.8 million at December 31, 2011 to $593.3 million at June 30, 2012, which increase primarily related to borrowings under the Series 2010-3 VFN of $510.0 million, partially offset by payments of $416.7 million of the Series 2007-1 notes; “Vehicle Debt and Obligations – Fixed Rates” from $899.3 million at December 31, 2011 to $923.4 million at June 30, 2012; and the addition of the “Vehicle Debt and Obligations – Canadian Dollar Denominated” totaling $68.8 million at June 30, 2012.
ITEM 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company maintains a set of disclosure controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”) is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in SEC rules and forms. The disclosure controls and procedures are also designed with the objective of ensuring such information is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including the Chief Executive Officer (“CEO”) and Chief Financial Officer (“CFO”), as appropriate, to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosures. In designing and evaluating the disclosure controls and procedures, management recognized that disclosure controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the disclosure controls and procedures are met. Additionally, in designing the disclosure controls and procedures, the Company’s management was required to apply its judgment in evaluating the cost-benefit relationship of possible disclosure controls and procedures.
As required by SEC Rule 13a-15(b), the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s management, including the CEO and CFO, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of the end of the quarter covered by this report. Based on that evaluation, the CEO and CFO have concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures are effective at the reasonable assurance level as of the end of the quarter covered by this report.
Changes in Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rules 13a–15(f) and 15d–15(f) under the Exchange Act, identified in connection with the evaluation of the Company’s internal control performed during the fiscal quarter ended June 30, 2012 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
For a detailed description of certain legal proceedings, see Part I, Item 3 – Legal Proceedings in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.
The following recent development pertaining to a legal proceeding described in the Company’s Form 10-K is furnished on a supplemental basis:
On March 2, 2012, the appellate court in Susan and Jeffrey Dillon v. DTG Operations, Inc. d/b/a Thrifty Car Rental (Case No. 09CH34874, Cook County Circuit Court, Chancery Division, Illinois) upheld the lower court’s ruling in favor of the Company. The Plaintiffs did not seek a rehearing or further appeals, and this action has been dismissed.
Aside from the above, none of the other legal proceedings described in the Company’s Form 10-K have experienced material changes.
Various legal actions, claims and governmental inquiries and proceedings have been in the past, or may be in the future, asserted or instituted against the Company, including other purported class actions or proceedings relating to the Hertz transaction terminated in October 2010 and some that may demand large monetary damages or other relief which could result in significant expenditures. The Company is also subject to potential liability related to environmental matters. The Company establishes reserves for litigation and environmental matters when the loss is probable and reasonably estimable. It is reasonably possible that the final resolution of some of these matters may require the Company to make expenditures in excess of established reserves. The term “reasonably possible” is used herein to mean that the chance of a future transaction or event occurring is more than remote but less than probable. Disclosure for specific legal contingencies is provided if the likelihood of occurrence is at least reasonably possible and the exposure is considered material to the consolidated financial statements. The Company evaluates developments in its legal matters that could affect the amount of previously accrued reserves and makes adjustments as appropriate. Significant judgment is required to determine both likelihood of a further loss and the estimated amount of the loss. With respect to outstanding litigation and environmental matters, based on current knowledge, the Company believes that the amount or range of reasonably possible will not, either individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on its business or consolidated financial statements. However, the outcome of such legal matters is inherently unpredictable and subject to significant uncertainties.
There have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2011.
ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS a) | Recent Sales of Unregistered Securities |
None.
None.
c) | Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers |