Avis Budget Group's stock experienced a significant 10.97% decline in post-market trading on Wednesday. The sharp drop followed the release of the company's fourth-quarter financial results, which failed to meet analyst expectations across key performance metrics.
The car rental company reported a quarterly loss of $21.25 per diluted share, dramatically missing the FactSet consensus estimate for a loss of $0.22 per share. Revenue for the quarter came in at $2.66 billion, below the expected $2.74 billion, while adjusted EBITDA was just $5 million compared to the anticipated $145.8 million.
The results were significantly impacted by $518 million in impairment and related charges tied to a change in the company's fleet strategy, which shortened the useful life of certain electric vehicle rental cars in the U.S. market. This substantial non-cash charge contributed to the quarter's substantial net loss, reflecting the company's strategic shift away from parts of its EV rental fleet.