Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
Changes in and Disagreements with Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure
Controls and Procedures
Other Information
Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections
PART III
Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance
Executive Compensation
Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and
Related Stockholder Matters
Certain Relationships and Related Transactions, and Director Independence
Principal Accountant Fees and Services
PART IV
Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules
Form 10–K Summary
Signatures
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FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K may be considered “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained herein are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include information concerning our future financial performance, business strategy, projected plans and objectives. These statements may be identified by the fact that they do not relate to historical or current facts and may use words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “may,” “would,” “intends,” “projects,” “estimates,” “plans,” “forecasts,” “guidance,” and similar words, expressions or phrases. The following important factors and assumptions could affect our future results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to:
• the high level of competition in the mobility industry, including from new companies or technology, and the impact such competition may have on pricing and rental volume;
• a change in our fleet costs, including as a result of a change in the cost of new vehicles, resulting from inflation, trade disputes, tariffs or otherwise, manufacturer recalls, disruption in the supply of new vehicles, including due to labor actions, trade disputes, tariffs or otherwise, shortages in semiconductors and/or other parts used in new vehicle production, and/or a change in the price at which we dispose of used vehicles either in the used vehicle market or under repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs;
• the results of operations or financial condition of the manufacturers of our vehicles, which could impact their ability to perform their payment obligations under our agreements with them, including repurchase and/or guaranteed depreciation arrangements, and/or their willingness or ability to make vehicles available to us or the mobility industry as a whole on commercially reasonable terms or at all;
• levels of and volatility in travel demand, including future volatility in airline passenger traffic;
• a deterioration or fluctuation in economic conditions, resulting in a recession, decreased levels of discretionary consumer spending for travel, or otherwise, particularly during our peak season or in key market segments;
• an occurrence or threat of terrorism, pandemics, severe weather events or natural disasters, military conflicts, including the ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, or civil unrest in the locations in which we operate, trade disputes and tariffs, and the potential effects of sanctions on the world economy and markets and/or international trade;
• any substantial changes in the cost or supply of fuel, vehicle parts, energy, labor or other resources on which we depend to operate our business, including as a result of pandemics, inflation, tariffs, government shutdowns, the ongoing military conflicts in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, and any embargoes on oil sales imposed on or by the Russian government;
• our ability to successfully implement or achieve our business plans and strategies, achieve and maintain cost savings and adapt our business to changes in mobility, and successfully implement digital transformation initiatives;
• political, economic, or commercial instability and/or political, regulatory, or legal changes in the countries in which we operate, and our ability to conform to multiple and conflicting laws or regulations in those countries;
• the performance of the used vehicle market from time to time, including our ability to dispose of vehicles in the used vehicle market on attractive terms;
• our dependence on third-party distribution channels, third-party suppliers of other services and co-marketing arrangements with third parties;
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• risks related to completed or future acquisitions or investments that we may pursue, including the incurrence of incremental indebtedness to help fund such transactions and our ability to promptly and effectively integrate any acquired businesses or capitalize on joint ventures, partnerships and other investments;
• our ability to utilize derivative instruments, and the impact of derivative instruments we utilize, which can be affected by fluctuations in interest rates, fuel prices and exchange rates, changes in government regulations and other factors;
• our exposure to uninsured or unpaid claims in excess of historical levels or changes in the number of incidents or cost per incident, and our ability to obtain insurance at desired levels and the cost of that insurance;
• risks associated with litigation or governmental or regulatory inquiries, or any failure or inability to comply with laws, regulations or contractual obligations or any changes in laws, regulations or contractual obligations, including with respect to personally identifiable information and consumer privacy, labor and employment, and tax;
• risks related to protecting the integrity of, and preventing unauthorized access to, our information technology systems or those of our third-party vendors, licensees, dealers, independent operators and independent contractors, and protecting the confidential information of our employees and customers against security breaches, including physical or cybersecurity breaches, attacks, or other disruptions, compliance with privacy and data protection regulation, and the effects of any potential increase in cyberattacks on the world economy and markets and/or international trade;
• any impact on us from the actions of our third-party vendors, licensees, dealers, independent operators and independent contractors and/or disputes that may arise out of our agreements with such parties;
• any major disruptions in our communication networks or information systems;
• risks related to tax obligations and the effect of future changes in tax laws, including the expiration of tax credits, and accounting standards;
• risks related to our indebtedness, including our substantial outstanding debt obligations, recent and future interest rate increases, which increase our financing costs, downgrades by rating agencies and our ability to incur substantially more debt;
• our ability to obtain financing for our global operations, including the funding of our vehicle fleet through the issuance of asset-backed securities and use of the global lending markets;
• our ability to meet the financial and other covenants contained in the agreements governing our indebtedness, or to obtain a waiver or amendment of such covenants should we be unable to meet such covenants;
• significant changes in the timing of our fleet rotation, carrying value of goodwill, or long-lived assets, including when there are events or changes in circumstances that indicate the carrying value may exceed the current fair value, which have in the past resulted in and in the future could result in a significant impairment charge; and
• other business, economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory, political or technological factors affecting our operations, pricing or services.
We operate in a continuously changing business environment and new risk factors emerge from time to time. New risk factors, factors beyond our control, or changes in the impact of identified risk factors may cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statements. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as a prediction of actual results. Moreover, we do not assume responsibility if future results are materially different from those forecasted or anticipated. Other factors and assumptions not identified above, including those discussed in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results
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of Operations” set forth in Part II, Item 7, in “Risk Factors” set forth in Part I, Item 1A and in other portions of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, may contain forward-looking statements and involve uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in any forward-looking statements.
Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, any or all of our forward-looking statements may prove to be inaccurate and we can make no guarantees about our future performance. Should unknown risks or uncertainties materialize or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could differ materially from past results and/or those anticipated, estimated or projected. We undertake no obligation to release any revisions to any forward-looking statements, to report events or to report the occurrence of unanticipated events. For any forward-looking statements contained in any document, we claim the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
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PART I
ITEM 1. BUSINESS
Except as expressly indicated or unless the context otherwise requires, the “Company,” “Avis Budget,” “we,” “our” or “us” means Avis Budget Group, Inc. and its subsidiaries. Unless the context requires otherwise, these references and references to our brands do not include the operations of our licensees, as further discussed below.
OVERVIEW
We are a leading global provider of mobility solutions through our three most recognized brands, Avis, Budget and Zipcar, as well as several other brands, well recognized in their respective markets. Our brands offer a range of options, from car and truck rental to car sharing. We license the use of the Avis, Budget, Zipcar and other brands’ trademarks to licensees in areas in which we do not operate directly. We and our licensees operate our brands in approximately 180 countries throughout the world. We generally maintain a leading share of airport car rental revenues in North America, Europe and Australasia, and we operate a leading car sharing network and one of the leading commercial truck rental businesses in the United States. We believe the range of options from our diversified brands enjoy complementary demand patterns with mid-week commercial demand balanced by weekend leisure demand.
On average, our global rental fleet totaled approximately 684,000 vehicles in 2025. We completed approximately 38 million vehicle rental transactions worldwide and generated total revenues of approximately $11.7 billion during 2025. Our brands and mobility solutions have an extended global reach with approximately 10,000 rental locations throughout the world, including approximately 3,800 locations operated by our licensees.
We categorize our operations into two reportable business segments:
• Americas - consisting primarily of (i) vehicle rental operations in North America, South America, Central America and the Caribbean, (ii) car sharing operations in certain of these markets, and (iii) licensees in the areas in which we do not operate directly.
• International - consisting primarily of (i) vehicle rental operations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australasia, (ii) car sharing operations in certain of these markets, and (iii) licensees in the areas in which we do not operate directly.
Additional discussion of our reportable segments is included in Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and in Note 21 – Segment Information to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
OUR STRATEGY
For 2026, our strategy remains centered on driving sustainable growth by strengthening operational efficiency, expanding the use of analytics, elevating the customer experience, and accelerating innovation through disciplined investment in technology. To enhance the customer experience, we intend to reaffirm our goals of reliability and value while continuing to streamline the end-to-end rental journey. This includes scaling our digital capabilities and broadening access to Avis First, our premium service that launched in select markets in 2025. On the innovation front, in 2025 we announced a multi-year partnership with Waymo to support autonomous ride-hailing operations in Dallas. We believe this strategy will reinforce our competitive position, support long-term profitability, and deliver value to our stakeholders.
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OUR BRANDS AND OPERATIONS
OUR BRANDS
Our Avis, Budget and Zipcar brands are among the most recognized names in mobility. Each brand is distinctively positioned to meet the needs of specific customer segments, while shared facilities, systems and infrastructure deliver operational efficiencies. We also benefit from complementary demand patterns, with commercial rentals occurring primarily during the week and leisure rentals primarily on holidays and weekends. In addition, we operate the Payless and Apex brands in the value segment. Our global brand portfolio also includes AmicoBlu and Maggiore in Italy; FranceCars in France; McNicoll Hire in the UK; and Turiscar in Portugal.
The following graphs present the approximate composition of our revenues in 2025.
* Includes Budget Truck.
** Includes Zipcar and other operating brands.
The Avis brand delivers premium vehicle rental and mobility solutions for the modern expert traveler. Positioned above value-focused competitors, Avis is trusted for elevated service, convenience, and a premium fleet.
In 2025, our Avis brand generated total revenues of approximately $6.6 billion. We license the Avis brand to independent commercial owners who generally pay royalty fees to us based on a percentage of applicable revenues. In 2025, these royalty fees totaled approximately 1% of our Avis revenues. The following graphs present the approximate composition of our Avis revenues in 2025.
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We operate or license Avis vehicle rental locations at virtually all major commercial airports and cities worldwide. The table below presents the approximate number of Avis locations as of December 31, 2025.
Avis Locations *
Americas
International
Total
Company-operated locations
Licensee locations
Total Avis Locations
* Certain locations support multiple brands.
Avis customers also enjoy premium services such as:
• Avis First, our new first-class car rental experience, offering a unique combination of vehicle drop off and pickup, premium vehicles and a dedicated, on-call concierge;
• the Avis mobile app, enabling seamless rental management, including vehicle selection, upgrades, and Express Exit for contactless pickup, along with shuttle tracking and location tools for vehicles, gas stations, and parking;
• Avis Preferred, our loyalty program offering counter bypass, vehicle upgrades, and tier-based rewards;
• the reimagined Avis website, as a critical digital gateway for customers globally, serving as the front door to our brand. This new platform reflects a fundamental upgrade to the customer experience: faster, easier to use, mobile-first, and built for loyalty integration;
• a variety of add-on products to make the rental journey even smoother including electronic tolling, mobile Wifi devices and GPS navigation;
• Avis services such as roadside assistance, flexible refueling options, electronic receipts and Avis Cares amenities for travelers with disabilities; and
• Avis Budget Group Business Intelligence, our proprietary reporting platform, providing corporate clients in North America and Europe with a streamlined way to analyze rental activity, manage budgets, and monitor travel policy compliance.
The Budget brand is a leading provider of the best value-for-money, quality rental car experience.
In 2025, our Budget brand generated total revenues of approximately $4.3 billion. We license the Budget brand to independent commercial owners who generally pay royalty fees to us based on a percentage of applicable revenues. In 2025, these royalty fees totaled approximately 1% of our Budget revenues. The following graphs present the approximate composition of our Budget revenues in 2025.
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Car Rental
We operate or license Budget car rental locations at most major airports and in cities worldwide. The table below presents the approximate number of Budget car rental locations as of December 31, 2025.
Budget Locations *
Americas
International
Total
Company-operated locations
Licensee locations
Total Budget Locations
* Certain locations support multiple brands.
Budget customers also benefit from:
• the redesigned Budget app, enabling seamless rental management, allowing customers to reserve, modify or cancel bookings directly in the app. Other features include vehicle selection with our Fastbreak Choice program, upgrades, and Express Exit for contactless pickup, along with shuttle tracking and location tools for vehicles, gas stations, and parking;
• Budget Fastbreak, our loyalty program, which expedites rental services including counter bypass, and offers exclusive deals to save customers time and money; and
• many of the same convenient services as Avis, including flexible refueling, extended roadside assistance and electronic receipts.
Budget Truck
Our Budget Truck rental business is one of the largest local and one-way truck and cargo van rental businesses in the United States. On average, our Budget Truck fleet totaled approximately 24,000 vehicles in 2025 which are rented through a network of approximately 800 Company and dealer-operated locations throughout the continental United States, approximately half of which are Company-operated. These dealers are independently-owned businesses that generally operate other retail service businesses. In addition to their principal businesses, the dealers rent our light- and medium-duty trucks and cargo vans to customers and are responsible for collecting payments on our behalf. The dealers receive a commission on all truck, van and ancillary equipment rentals. The Budget Truck rental business serves both the light commercial and consumer sectors. The light commercial sector consists of a wide range of businesses that rent light- to medium-duty trucks, which we define as trucks having a gross vehicle weight of less than 26,000 pounds, for a variety of commercial applications. The consumer sector consists primarily of individuals who rent trucks to move household goods on either a one-way or local basis.
Zipcar is a leading car sharing network, driven by a mission to enable simple and responsible urban living. With its wide variety of self-service vehicles available by the hour or day, Zipcar offers comprehensive, convenient and flexible car sharing options in urban areas and college campuses in hundreds of cities and towns. Zipcar provides its members on-demand, self-service vehicles in reserved parking spaces located in neighborhoods, business districts, office complexes and college campuses, as an alternative to car ownership.
Payless is a leading rental car supplier serving the deep-value segment of the industry, which we license or operate in approximately 310 locations worldwide, including approximately 195 locations operated by licensees and approximately 115 Company-operated locations primarily located in North America, the majority of which are
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at or near major airports. Payless’ rental fees are often lower than those of larger, more established vehicle rental brands. The Payless business model allows us to extend the life-cycle of a portion of our rental fleet, as we “cascade” certain vehicles that exceed certain Avis and Budget age or mileage thresholds to be used by Payless.
RESERVATIONS, MARKETING AND SALES
Reservations
Customers can make vehicle rental reservations through our brand-specific websites and mobile applications, our toll-free reservation centers, online travel agencies, travel agents, and select partners, including major airlines, associations, and retailers. Travel agents access our reservation systems through all major global distribution systems, which provide real-time information on rental locations, vehicle availability, and applicable rate structures.
Zipcar members can reserve vehicles through Zipcar’s online and mobile reservation platform. Vehicles can be booked by the hour or by the day at rates that include fuel, secondary insurance, and other costs typically associated with vehicle ownership.
Marketing and Sales
We support our brands through a broad mix of marketing channels, including traditional media and digital media such as email, social media and mobile apps. Our ongoing Avis marketing campaigns highlight the confidence and trust customers place in our ability to deliver a reliable rental experience. We also engage customers through sponsorships with major sports organizations and charitable partners. Our customer relationship management systems enable us to deliver targeted and relevant offers across online and offline channels, including an expedited and contactless rental process and loyalty programs that reward frequent renters with free rental days and car class upgrades.
We reach a diverse customer base through strategic partnerships with airlines, associations, and hotel companies, and we maintain strong connections across the broader travel industry. We have also developed relationships that expand brand exposure and introduce new customers to our services, including programs that provide vehicles to ride-hail drivers in cities across North America.
In 2025, approximately 50% of rental transactions at Avis locations originated from travelers renting under corporate contracts or through affiliations with partner organizations. We offer Avis Budget Group Business Intelligence, an online portal that provides rental summary dashboards, visualizations, and detailed reporting. This platform gives corporate customers direct access to data about their program’s performance, with options to customize and schedule reports. We also maintain marketing relationships with additional travel partners whose customers receive incentives to rent with Avis.
We offer additional loyalty and incentive programs, including Unlimited Rewards for travel agents, and Avis and Budget small business programs that provide discounted rates, central billing options, and rental credits.
Zipcar uses a range of marketing and sales strategies to acquire and engage members, including digital marketing, email and in-app messaging, and social media outreach. Zipcar maintains close partnerships with universities that provide access to campus communities and marketing channels to attract student members who often continue their relationship with us after graduation. Through Zipcar for Business, we offer direct-bill accounts and employee benefit programs that support the use of Zipcar vehicles by companies and government organizations.
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LICENSING
We have licensees in approximately 175 countries throughout the world. Royalty fee revenues derived from our vehicle rental licensees in 2025 totaled $150 million, with approximately $110 million in our International segment and $40 million in our Americas segment. Licensed locations are independently operated by our licensees and range from large operations at major airport locations and territories encompassing entire countries to relatively small operations in suburban or rural locations. Our licensees generally maintain separate independently owned and operated fleets. Royalties generated from licensing provide us with a source of high-margin revenue because there are relatively limited additional costs associated with fees paid by licensees to us. In some geographies we facilitate one-way vehicle rentals between Company-operated and licensed locations, which enables us to offer an integrated network of locations to our customers.
We generally enjoy good relationships with our licensees and meet regularly with them at regional, national and international meetings. Our relationships with our licensees are governed by license agreements that grant the licensee the right to operate independently operated vehicle rental businesses in certain territories. Our license agreements generally provide our licensees with the exclusive right to operate under one or more of our brands in their assigned territory. These agreements impose obligations on the licensee regarding its operations, and most agreements restrict the licensee’s ability to sell, transfer or assign its rights granted under the license agreement or to change the control of its ownership without our consent.
The terms of our license agreements, including duration, royalty fees and termination provisions, vary based upon brand, territory, and original signing date. Royalty fees are generally structured to be a percentage of the licensee’s gross rental income. We maintain the right to monitor the operations of licensees and, when applicable, can declare a licensee to be in default under its license agreement. We perform audits as part of our program to assure licensee compliance with brand quality standards and contract provisions. Generally, we can terminate license agreements for certain defaults, including failure to pay royalties or to adhere to our operational standards. Upon termination of a license agreement, the licensee is prohibited from using our brand names and related marks in any business. In the United States, these license relationships constitute “franchises” under most federal and state laws regulating the offer and sale of franchises and the relationship of the parties to a franchise agreement.
We continue to optimize the Avis, Budget and Payless brands by issuing new license agreements and periodically acquiring licensees to grow our revenues and expand our global presence. Discussion of our acquisitions is included in Note 6 – Acquisitions to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
OTHER REVENUES
In addition to revenues derived from time and mileage fees from our vehicle rentals and licensee royalties, we generate revenues from our customers through the sale and/or rental of optional ancillary products and services. We offer products to customers that will enhance their rental experience, including:
• collision and loss damage waivers, under which we agree to relieve a customer from financial responsibility arising from vehicle damage incurred during the rental;
• additional/supplemental liability insurance or personal accident/effects insurance products which provide customers with additional protections for personal or third-party losses incurred; and
• products for driving convenience such as fuel service options, roadside assistance services, electronic toll collection services, additional driver options, and one-way rentals .
We also receive payment from our customers for certain operating expenses that we incur, including vehicle licensing fees, as well as airport concession fees that we pay in exchange for the right to operate at airports and other locations. In addition, we collect membership fees in connection with our car sharing business.
Further, in July 2025, we entered a multi‑year strategic partnership with Waymo to serve as its fleet operations partner in Dallas, providing infrastructure, vehicle readiness, maintenance, and depot operations for Waymo’s fully
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autonomous ride‑hailing service. Initial public launch is planned for 2026 and the arrangement leverages our fleet management capabilities.
OUR FLEET
We offer a wide variety of vehicles in our rental fleet, including luxury vehicles, electrified vehicles, specialty-use vehicles and light commercial vehicles. Our fleet consists primarily of vehicles from the current and immediately preceding model year. We maintain a single fleet of vehicles for Avis and Budget in countries where we operate both brands. A substantial majority of Zipcar’s fleet is dedicated to use by Zipcar.
Fleet Purchases
We maintain a diverse rental fleet, in which no vehicle brand represented more than 11% of our 2025 fleet purchases, and we regularly adjust our fleet levels to be consistent with anticipated demand. We participate in a variety of vehicle purchase programs with major vehicle manufacturers. In 2025, we primarily purchased from the following vehicle brands: Toyota, Chevrolet, Ford, Mazda, Kia, Jeep, Hyundai, Volkswagen, Nissan and Renault.
Fleet costs, excluding other fleet charges related to the disposal of certain fleet in our Americas reportable segment, represented approximately 21% of our aggregate expenses in 2025. Fleet costs can vary significantly from year to year based on the prices at which we are able to purchase and dispose of rental vehicles, the mix of risk and program vehicles, holding periods, and overall fleet mix, including changes in our fleet strategy from time to time.
In 2025, approximately 16% of our average rental fleet was comprised of vehicles subject to agreements requiring automobile manufacturers to repurchase vehicles at a specified price during a specified time period or guarantee our rate of depreciation on the vehicles during a specified period of time; or vehicles subject to operating leases with a fixed lease period and interest rate. We refer to vehicles subject to these agreements as “program” vehicles and vehicles not subject to these agreements as “risk” vehicles because we retain the risk associated with such vehicles’ residual values at the time of their disposition. Our agreements with automobile manufacturers typically require that we pay more for program vehicles and maintain them in our fleet for a minimum number of months and impose certain return conditions, including vehicle condition and mileage requirements. When we return program vehicles to the manufacturer, we receive the price guaranteed at the time of purchase and are therefore protected from fluctuations in the price of previously-owned vehicles in the wholesale market. In 2025, approximately 24% of the vehicles we disposed of were program vehicles sold pursuant to repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs. Recently, program vehicles have comprised an increasing proportion of our fleet. The approximate percentage of program vehicles in our average rental fleet within each of our reportable segments in 2025 was 52% for International and 3% for the Americas. The future percentages of program and risk vehicles in our fleet will depend on several factors, including our expectations for future used vehicle prices, our seasonal needs and the availability and attractiveness of manufacturers’ repurchase and guaranteed depreciation programs.
Fleet Dispositions
We dispose of our risk vehicles largely through alternative disposition channels, including direct-to-consumer, online auctions, and direct-to-dealer sales, as well as through more traditional automobile auctions. Alternative disposition channels provide the opportunity to increase speed to sale and vehicle sales prices and also to reduce relevant fleet costs when compared to selling vehicles at auctions. We sell vehicles direct to consumers through our retail locations and through our online retail sales platform, with increasing integration between digital and physical channels to provide customers flexible purchasing options. We offer customers the ability to purchase well-maintained, late-model rental vehicles from our fleet. We dispose of our program vehicles in accordance with repurchase or guaranteed depreciation programs with major vehicle manufacturers.
Fleet Utilization
In 2025, our average quarterly vehicle rental fleet size ranged from a low of approximately 631,000 vehicles in the first quarter to a high of approximately 746,000 vehicles in the third quarter. Average quarterly fleet utilization for 2025, which is based on the number of rental days (or portion thereof) that vehicles are rented compared to the total amount of time that vehicles are available for rent, ranged from approximately 68% to 72%. Our average car
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rental fleet size and utilization are typically highest in the summer months. Our calculation of utilization may not be comparable to other companies’ calculation of similarly titled metrics.
Fleet Maintenance
We place a strong emphasis on the quality of our vehicle maintenance for customer safety and customer satisfaction reasons, and because quick and proper repairs are critical to fleet utilization. To accomplish this task, we have developed and continue to evolve specialized training programs for our technicians as well as cooperate with specialized vendors and expert repair networks. Our Supply Chain Department reviews, distributes, and makes accessible original equipment manufacturer (“OEM”) technical service bulletins that can be retrieved electronically at our repair locations and our Supply Chain repair network has direct access to OEM technical service bulletins. In addition, we have implemented policies and procedures to promptly address manufacturer recalls as part of our ongoing maintenance and repair efforts to maximize the customer experience.
CUSTOMER SERVICE
Our commitment to delivering a consistently high level of customer service across all of our brands is a critical element of our success and business strategy. We are a service company, and we deliver a high-quality product with pride. Our focus remains on continually improving the overall customer experience based on our research of customer service practices, improved customer insights, executing our customer relationship management strategy, delivering customer-centric employee training and leveraging our mobile applications technology and the enriched experience it provides our customers. In addition, our social media platform allows us to engage with our customers in their preferred channel, which enables us to meet the needs of our customers while promoting our brands to gain more market share and drive customer loyalty.
The employees at our Company-operated locations are trained and empowered to resolve many customer issues at the location level. We also continuously track customer-satisfaction levels by sending location-specific surveys to recent customers and utilize detailed reports and tracking to assess and identify ways that we can improve our customer service delivery and the overall customer experience. Our location-specific surveys ask customers to evaluate their overall satisfaction with their rental experience and the likelihood that they will recommend our brands, as well as key elements of the rental experience. Results are analyzed in aggregate and by location to help further enhance our service levels to our customers.
We also offer rental options that provide greater control, self-service and contactless capabilities. While our mobile applications provide a fast customer experience, a company representative is available to meet customers’ needs. Our survey platform includes specific questions to learn more about individual preferences and find innovative ways to better serve and anticipate our customers’ needs.
AIRPORT CONCESSION AGREEMENTS
We generally operate our vehicle rental and car sharing services at airports under concession agreements with airport authorities, pursuant to which we typically make airport concession payments and/or lease payments. In general, concession fees for on-airport locations are based on a percentage of total commissionable revenues (as defined by each airport authority), often subject to minimum annual guaranteed amounts. Concessions are typically awarded by airport authorities every three to ten years based upon competitive bids. Our concession agreements with the various airport authorities generally impose certain minimum operating requirements, provide for relocation in the event of future construction and in some cases provide for abatement of the minimum annual guarantee in the event of extended low passenger volume.
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OTHER BUSINESS CONSIDERATIONS
SEASONALITY
Our operating results are subject to variability due to seasonality, macroeconomic conditions and other factors. Car rental volumes tend to be associated with the travel industry, particularly airline passenger volumes, or enplanements, which in turn tend to reflect general economic conditions. Our operations are also seasonal, with the third quarter of the year historically having been our strongest due to the increased level of leisure travel during the quarter. We primarily have a variable cost structure and routinely adjust the size, and therefore the cost, of our rental fleet in response to fluctuations in demand.
The following chart presents our quarterly revenues for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2024 and 2025.
COMPETITION
The competitive environment for our industry is generally characterized by intense price and service competition among global, local and regional competitors. Competition in our vehicle rental operations is based primarily upon price; customer service quality, including usability of booking systems and ease of rental and return; vehicle availability; vehicle condition, age and mileage; rental locations; product innovation and national or international distribution. In addition, competition is also influenced by advertising, marketing, loyalty programs and brand reputation. We believe the prominence and service reputation of our brands, extensive worldwide ownership of mobility solutions and commitment to innovation provides us with a competitive advantage.
The use of technology has increased pricing transparency among vehicle rental companies and other mobility solutions providers enabling cost-conscious customers to more easily compare on the Internet and their mobile devices the rates available for the mobility solutions that fit their needs. This transparency has further increased the prevalence and intensity of price competition in the industry.
Our vehicle rental operations compete primarily with Enterprise Holdings, Inc., Hertz Global Holdings, Inc., Europcar Mobility Group and Sixt SE. We also compete with smaller local and regional vehicle rental companies for vehicle rental market share, and with ride-hailing companies largely for short length trips in urban areas. Our Zipcar brand also competes with various local and regional mobility companies, including mobility services sponsored by several auto manufacturers, ride-hailing and car sharing companies and other technology players in the mobility industry. Our Budget Truck operations in the United States competes with several other local, regional and nationwide truck rental companies including U-Haul International, Inc., Penske Truck Leasing Corporation, Ryder System, Inc., Enterprise Truck Rental, and Hertz Global Holdings, Inc.
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INSURANCE AND RISK MANAGEMENT
Our vehicle rental and corporate operations expose us to various types of claims for bodily injury, death and property damage related to the use of our vehicles and/or properties, as well as general employment-related matters stemming from our operations. In addition, we currently purchase insurance coverage to limit our exposure to legal fees and expenses resulting from cybersecurity breaches. We generally retain economic exposure for liability to third parties arising from vehicle rental and car sharing services in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico in accordance with the minimum financial responsibility requirements (“MFRs”) and primacy of coverage laws of the relevant jurisdiction. In certain cases, we assume liability above applicable MFRs, up to $5 million per occurrence, other than in cases involving a negligent act on the part of the Company, for which we purchase insurance coverage for exposures beyond retained amounts from a combination of unaffiliated excess insurers.
In Europe, we insure the risk of liability to third parties arising from vehicle rental and car sharing services in accordance with local regulatory requirements primarily through insurance policies provided by unaffiliated insurers. We retain a portion of the insured risk of liability through local deductibles, and by reinsuring certain risks through our captive insurance subsidiary AEGIS Motor Insurance Limited. AEGIS Motor Insurance Limited reinsures certain risks through unaffiliated companies, which limits its liabilities. In Australasia, motor vehicle bodily injury insurance coverage is compulsory and provided upon vehicle registration. In addition, we provide our customers with third-party property damage insurance through an unaffiliated third-party insurer. We retain a share of property damage risk through local deductibles.
We offer our United States customers a range of optional insurance products and coverages such as additional/supplemental liability insurance, personal accident insurance, personal effects protection, emergency sickness protection, automobile towing protection and cargo insurance, which create additional risk exposure for us. When a customer elects to purchase additional/supplemental liability insurance or other optional insurance related products, we typically retain economic exposure to loss, since the insurance is provided by an unaffiliated insurer that is reinsuring its exposure through our captive insurance subsidiary, Constellation Reinsurance Company Limited. Additional personal accident insurance offered to our customers in Europe is provided by a third-party insurer, and primarily reinsured by our Avis Budget Europe International Reinsurance Limited subsidiary. We otherwise bear these and other risks, except to the extent that the risks are transferred through insurance or contractual arrangements.
OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY
We rely primarily on a combination of trademark, trade secret and copyright laws, as well as contractual provisions with employees and third parties, to establish and protect our intellectual property rights. The service marks “Avis,” “Budget,” and “Zipcar” and related marks or designs incorporating such terms and related logos and marks such as “Plan On Us,” “We Try Harder” and “Own The Trip, Not The Car,” “Preferred,” and “Fastbreak” are material to our vehicle rental and car sharing businesses. Our subsidiaries and licensees actively use these marks. All of the material marks used by Avis, Budget and Zipcar are registered (or have applications pending for registration) with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office as well as in foreign jurisdictions. Our subsidiaries own the marks and other intellectual property, including the Wizard system, used in our business. We also own trademarks and logos related to the “Apex Car Rentals” brand in Australia and New Zealand, the “Payless Car Rental” brand in the United States and several other countries, the “Maggiore” brand in Italy, the “FranceCars” brand in France and the “Turiscar” brand in Portugal. Our subsidiaries have also filed patent applications pertaining to fleet and connected car technology in the United States and other countries.
CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY
We recognize our role as one of the world’s leading mobility solutions providers. As a result, we support the transition to a low-carbon economy and employ practices consistent with a more fair, just and equal workplace and community.
The Environment: We are committed to offering safe and low-carbon transportation solutions:
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions: As our corporate and leisure customers become increasingly aware and concerned about pollution and congestion caused by vehicles, we aim to provide more sustainable
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transportation solutions by leveraging connected vehicle technology and introducing more fuel efficient, low emission, and electric vehicles.
• Sustainable Operations Improvements: We are driving the efficiencies needed to reduce our environmental impact and enhance the sustainability of our operations. These are mainly driven by improvements in vehicle preventive maintenance, the incorporation of green building practices and by complying with environmental regulations.
• Carbon Offset Program: We work closely with our corporate customers to help them achieve their environmental impact reduction targets through our carbon offset program.
• More Sustainable Fleet: We are actively anticipating and driving changes in mobility. Our efforts include improving car sharing technology through our Zipcar brand, utilizing connected vehicles and optimizing fleet efficiency through offering a wide variety of vehicles at our locations, including fuel efficient, hybrid or electric vehicles, and primarily vehicles from the current and immediately preceding model year to support the highest standards of air emissions control.
Social: We believe that our success has its foundation in how we treat our employees. We seek to foster an environment where communication among our employees is open, honest, and respectful; performance is recognized; growth is encouraged; and accomplishments—individual and collective—are celebrated.
Governance: Our Board of Directors monitors the effectiveness of our policy and decision making, including with respect to Corporate Responsibility, on the current and long-term value of our company.
Our most recent Corporate Governance documents are available on the Company’s website. The information contained on the Company’s website is not included in, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
OUR HUMAN CAPITAL RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT
Our human capital objectives include identifying, recruiting, retaining, incentivizing and integrating our existing and future or prospective employees. Our compensation program is designed to attract, retain and motivate highly qualified employees and executives.
Employees
As of December 31, 2025, we employed approximately 25,000 people worldwide, of whom approximately 8,000 were employed on a part-time basis. Of our approximately 25,000 employees, approximately 7,500 were employed in our International segment. In our Americas segment, the majority of our employees are at-will employees and, therefore, not subject to any type of employment contract or agreement. In our International segment, we enter into employment contracts and agreements in those countries in which such relationships are mandatory or customary. The provisions of these agreements correspond in each case with the required or customary terms in the subject jurisdiction. Many of our employees are covered by a variety of union contracts and governmental regulations affecting, among other things, compensation, job retention rights and pensions.
We strive to maintain satisfactory relationships with all of our employees, including the unions and work councils representing these employees. As of December 31, 2025, approximately 30% of our employees were covered by collective bargaining or similar agreements with various labor unions. We believe our employee relations are satisfactory. We have never experienced a large-scale work stoppage.
Employee Benefits
Supporting our employees with the right benefits is one of the most important things we do. We understand benefits are a key element to a total reward package, so ensuring we provide meaningful benefit programs and resources across the globe is an integral part of how we reward employees, including with respect to healthcare and retirement. As a global company, benefits will vary by country to reflect local practices and cultures, but our commitment to providing comprehensive and meaningful benefits and resources is consistent across the world.
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We continuously review and, when necessary, update our programs to ensure they remain flexible, competitive, and aligned to what is important for our employees and their families.
Health and Safety
The health and safety of our employees is our highest priority because our people are our most valuable asset. Consistent with our operating philosophy, we are committed to safety and our core belief is that health and safety is every employee’s responsibility, not only for our employees but for our customers, vendors, and all stakeholders.
Well-being
We take a holistic approach to well-being. We understand that to deliver our best performance, our employees need to be healthy and happy in all areas of their lives. Our well-being program focuses on helping our people achieve all aspects of wellness through encouraging habits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being.
REGULATION
We are subject to a wide variety of laws and regulations in the countries in which we operate, including those relating to, among others, consumer protection and disclosures, insurance products and rates, franchising and distribution, customer privacy and data protection, securities and public disclosure, competition and antitrust, environmental matters, taxes, automobile-related liability, corruption and anti-bribery, labor and employment matters, health and safety, claims management, automotive retail sales, currency-exchange and other various banking and financial industry regulations, cost and fee recovery, the protection of our trademarks and other intellectual property, Corporate Responsibility matters and local ownership or investment requirements. Additional information about the regulations that we are subject to can be found in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
AVAILABLE INFORMATION
Our principal executive office is located at 379 Interpace Parkway, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054 (our telephone number is 973-496-4700). The Company files electronically with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) required reports on Form 8-K, Form 10-Q and Form 10-K; proxy materials; registration statements and other forms or reports as required. Certain of the Company’s officers, directors and stockholders also file statements of beneficial ownership and of changes in beneficial ownership on Forms 3, 4 and 5 with the SEC. Such materials may be accessed electronically on the SEC’s Internet site (sec.gov). The Company maintains a website (avisbudgetgroup.com) and copies of our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, Section 16 reports, proxy materials and any amendments to these reports filed or furnished with the SEC are available free of charge in the Investor Relations section of our website (ir.avisbudgetgroup.com), as soon as reasonably practicable after filing with the SEC. Copies of our board committee charters, Codes of Conduct and Ethics, Corporate Governance Guidelines and other corporate governance information are also available on our website. If the Company should decide to amend any of its board committee charters, Codes of Conduct and Ethics or other corporate governance documents, copies of such amendments will be made available to the public through the Company’s website. The information contained on the Company’s website is not included in, or incorporated by reference into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS
The following is a discussion of the risks, uncertainties and assumptions that we believe are material to our business and should be considered carefully in conjunction with all of the other information set forth in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Although the risks are organized by headings, and each risk is discussed separately, many are interrelated. In addition to the factors discussed elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the factors described in this item could, individually or in the aggregate, cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in any forward-looking statements. Should unknown risks or uncertainties materialize or underlying assumptions prove inaccurate, actual results could materially differ from past results and/or those anticipated, estimated or projected.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR INDUSTRY AND THE BROADER ECONOMY
We face risks related to the high level of competition in the mobility industry.
The mobility industry is highly competitive, with price being one of the primary factors. To the extent that our competitors reduce their pricing and we do not provide competitive pricing, or if price increases we implement make us less competitive, we risk losing rental volume, and reducing the chances of success for bids for customer accounts. If competitive pressures lead us to lose rental volume or match any downward pricing and we are unable to reduce our operating costs, then our financial condition or results of operations could be materially adversely impacted.
Additionally, pricing in the vehicle rental industry is impacted by the size and age of rental fleets and the supply of vehicles available for rent. Any significant fluctuations in the supply of rental vehicles, including as a result of actions taken by our competitors that increases fleet significantly above market demand, could negatively affect our pricing, operating plans or results of operations.
The competitive environment for our mobility services has become more intense as additional companies, including automobile manufacturers, ride-hailing companies, car sharing companies and other technology players in the mobility industry enter our existing markets or expand their operations, which may affect demand for rental vehicles. Some of these companies may have access to substantial capital, innovative technologies or have the ability to provide services at a relatively low cost. To the extent these companies can improve transportation efficiency, alter driving patterns or attitudes toward vehicle rental, offer more competitive prices, undertake more aggressive marketing campaigns, price their competing services below market or otherwise disrupt the mobility industry, we risk heightened pricing competition and/or loss of rental volume, which could adversely impact our business and results of operations.
The risk of competition on the basis of pricing in the truck rental industry can be even more impactful than in the car rental industry as it can be more difficult to reduce the size of our truck rental fleet in response to significantly reduced demand.
We face risks related to fleet costs and availability.
Fleet costs typically represent our single largest expense and can vary from year to year based on the prices that we are able to purchase and dispose of our vehicles. We purchase program vehicles, which are guaranteed a rate of depreciation through agreements with auto manufacturers, and non-program, or risk vehicles. In 2025, on average approximately 84% of our rental fleet was comprised of risk vehicles.
The costs of our risk vehicles are impacted (sometimes negatively) by the relative strength of the used car market, particularly the market for one- to two-year old used vehicles, or potentially by the insolvency or bankruptcy of an auto manufacturer from whom we purchase vehicles. We currently sell risk vehicles through various sales channels in the used vehicle marketplace, including traditional auctions, and alternative disposition channels, including online auctions, direct-to-dealer sales and directly to consumers through either retail lots or online. These channels may not produce stable vehicle prices in the future, as the market for used vehicles is subject to changes in demand for such vehicles, consumer interests, inventory levels, new car pricing, interest rates, fuel costs, tariffs and general economic conditions. A reduction in residual values for risk vehicles in our rental fleet could cause us to sustain a substantial loss on the sale of such vehicles or require us to depreciate those vehicles at a more accelerated rate than previously anticipated while we own them.
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If the market value of the vehicles in our fleet is reduced or our ability to sell vehicles in the used vehicle marketplace were to become severely limited, each of which has occurred in the past and may occur in the future, we may have difficulty meeting collateral requirements under our asset-backed financing facilities, which could lead to decreased capacity in such facilities and effectively increase our fleet costs or adversely impact our profitability. In addition, if we are unable to meet our collateral requirements under such facilities, the outstanding principal amount due may be required to be repaid earlier than anticipated. If that were to occur, the holders of our asset-backed debt may have the ability to exercise their right to instruct the trustee to direct the return of program vehicles and/or the sale of risk vehicles to generate proceeds sufficient to repay such debt.
Program vehicles enable us to determine our depreciation expense in advance of purchase. Our program vehicles also generally provide us with flexibility to reduce the size of our fleet rapidly. This flexibility is negatively affected as the percentage of program vehicles in our fleet is reduced as has been the trend over the last several years, or if the features of the programs provided by auto manufacturers are less favorable. Our inability to reduce the size of our fleet in response to seasonal demand fluctuations, economic constraints or other changes in demand could have an adverse impact on our fleet costs and results of operations.
Failure by a manufacturer to fulfill its obligations under any program agreement or incentive payment obligation, due to insolvency, bankruptcy or other reasons, could leave us with a material expense if we are unable to dispose of program vehicles at prices estimated at the time of purchase or with a substantial unpaid claim against the manufacturer, particularly with respect to program vehicles that were either (i) resold for an amount less than the amount guaranteed under the applicable program; or (ii) returned to the manufacturer, but for which we were not paid, and therefore we could incur a substantial loss as a result of such failure to perform.
While we source our fleet purchases from a wide range of auto manufacturers, we are exposed to risk to the extent that any auto manufacturer significantly curtails production. Such production may be curtailed as a result of a wide range of factors, including impacts of a pandemic and supply chain impacts, including as a result of tariffs and shortages of parts such as semiconductor parts utilizing rare earth minerals, which have impacted certain manufacturers in the past.
We are also exposed to risk to the extent that any auto manufacturer increases the cost of vehicles, including as a result of inflation, trade disputes, tariffs, labor shortages or disruptions, or supply chain disruptions, or declines to sell vehicles to us on terms or at prices consistent with past practice. Should any of these risks occur, we may be unable to obtain a sufficient number of vehicles to operate our business without significantly increasing our fleet costs or the mileage of the vehicles in our fleet, or reducing our volumes.
We face risks related to safety recalls affecting our vehicles.
Our vehicles have in the past and may in the future be subject to safety recalls by their manufacturers. Such recalls have an adverse impact on our business when we remove recalled vehicles from our rentable fleet. We can neither control nor predict the number of vehicles that will be subject to manufacturer recalls in the future. Recalls often require us to retrieve vehicles from customers and/or hold vehicles from rental or sale until we can arrange for the repairs described in the recalls to be completed. Recalls increase our costs, negatively impact our revenues and reduce our fleet utilization. If a large number of vehicles were to be the subject of one or more recalls, which has occurred in the past, or if needed replacement parts are not readily available to us, we may be unable to utilize recalled vehicles for a significant period of time. We may also be subject to material liability claims or regulatory action related to vehicles subject to a safety recall. Depending on the nature and severity of the recall, it could create customer service problems, reduce the residual value of the vehicles involved, harm our reputation and/or have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
Weakness or fluctuations in travel demand or general economic conditions, or a significant increase in fuel costs, can adversely impact our business.
Demand for vehicle rentals is generally subject to and impacted by international, national and local economic conditions and travel demand, which can be impacted by many factors, including inflation. When travel demand or economic conditions in the United States, Europe and/or worldwide weaken, our financial condition and results of operations are often adversely impacted.
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Any significant airline capacity reductions, airfare or related fee increases, reduced flight schedules, or any events that disrupt or reduce business or leisure air travel or weaken travel demand and tourism, globally or in the key areas in which we operate, such as work stoppages, government shutdowns, military conflicts, terrorist incidents, natural disasters, disease epidemics, or the response of governments to any such events, could have an adverse impact on our results of operations. For example, events of a global nature such as the COVID-19 pandemic have had, and may in the future have, material impacts on the Company.
In addition, any significant increases in fuel prices, a severe protracted disruption in fuel supplies or rationing of fuel, or severe inflation that disrupts consumers’ discretionary spending patterns could discourage our customers from renting vehicles or reduce or disrupt air travel, which could also adversely impact our results of operations.
Our truck rental business can be impacted by the housing market. If conditions in the housing market were to weaken, we may see a reduction in truck rental transactions, which could have an adverse impact on our business. Our truck rental business can also be impacted by changes in the light commercial business sector. If the light commercial business develops their own package delivery service with a fleet of trucks and vans to use for their business, or other large competitors enter the package delivery service industry, in particular around the holiday season, we may see a reduction in truck rental transactions, which could have an adverse impact on our business.
We face risks related to political, economic and commercial instability or uncertainty in the countries in which we operate.
Our global operations expose us to risks related to international, national and local economic and political conditions and instability. Operating our business in a number of different regions and countries exposes us to a number of other risks, including:
• multiple and potentially conflicting laws, regulations, trade policies and agreements, and varying tax regimes that are subject to change;
• the imposition of currency restrictions, restrictions on repatriation of earnings or other restraints, as well as difficulties in obtaining financing in foreign countries for local operations;
• potential changes to import-export laws, trade treaties or tariffs in the countries where we purchase vehicles;
• international trade disruptions or disputes;
• local ownership or investment requirements, or compliance with local laws, regulations or business practices;
• uncertainty and changes to political and regulatory regimes as a result of changing social, political, regulatory and economic environments in the United States and internationally;
• national and international conflict, including terrorist acts; and
• political and economic instability or civil unrest that may severely disrupt economic activity in affected countries.
Exposure to these risks may adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations. Our licensees’ vehicle rental operations may also be impacted by these risks, which in turn could impact the amount of royalty payments they make to us.
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Ongoing military conflicts, including in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, are causing uncertainty that may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The world economy and markets are experiencing volatility and disruption from ongoing military conflicts, including in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, the length and impact of which are highly unpredictable. These conflicts have led to, and could in the future lead to, significant volatility in our costs, including fuel and fleet costs, including as a result of sanctions or any embargoes on oil sales imposed on or by the Russian government; impacts to fleet availability; and impacts on demand for travel as a result of weakness in economic conditions, increased inflation or increases in the cost of fuel as well as other factors. In addition, as a result of the conflict in Eastern Europe, governmental and non-governmental entities have issued alerts noting the potential for increased cyber-attacks. Such risks and disruptions could adversely impact our business, results of operations and financial condition.
RISKS RELATED TO THE NATURE OF OUR BUSINESS
Damage to our reputation or brands may negatively impact our business.
Our reputation and global brands are integral to the success of our business. Maintenance of our Company’s reputation and brands depends on many factors, including the quality of our products and services and the trust we maintain with our customers. Negative claims or publicity regarding our Company or our operations, offerings, practices, among many other things, may damage our brands or reputation, even if such claims are untrue. Damage to our reputation or brands could adversely impact our revenue and profitability.
We face risks related to third-party distribution channels that we rely upon.
We rely upon third-party distribution channels to generate a significant portion of our vehicle rental reservations, including:
• traditional and online travel agencies, airlines and hotel companies, marketing partners such as credit card companies and membership organizations and other entities that help us attract customers; and
• global distribution systems (“GDS”) that connect travel agents, travel service providers and corporations to our reservation systems.
Changes in our pricing agreements, commission schedules or arrangements with third-party distribution channels, the termination of any of our relationships or a reduction in the transaction volume of such channels, or a GDS’s inability to process and communicate reservations to us could have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
We face risks related to our property leases and vehicle rental concessions.
We have property leases or vehicle rental concessions at locations throughout the world, including at most airports where we operate and at train stations throughout Europe, where vehicle rental companies are frequently required to bid periodically for space at these locations. If we were to lose a property lease or vehicle rental concession, particularly at an airport or a train station in a major metropolitan area, there can be no assurance that we would be able to find a suitable replacement location on reasonable terms, which could adversely impact our business. Most leases and airport concessions have fixed obligations that can be required even if our volume drops significantly. While we have been successful at partially mitigating some of these requirements in the past, including when enplanements have decreased significantly, there is no guarantee that we will be able to do so in the future, and if we are not successful our costs as a percentage of revenue could increase.
We face risks related to the seasonality of our business.
In our business, the third quarter of the year has historically been our most profitable quarter, as measured by net income and Adjusted EBITDA, due primarily to the increased level of summer leisure travel. We vary our fleet size over the course of the year to help manage seasonal variations in demand, as well as localized changes in demand that we may encounter in the various regions in which we operate. Any circumstance or occurrence that disrupts rental activity during the third quarter, especially in North America and Europe, could have a disproportionately adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
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We face risks related to acquisitions, including the acquisition of existing licensees or investments in or partnerships with other related businesses.
We may engage in strategic transactions, including the acquisition of, or investment in, existing licensees and/or other businesses, partnerships or joint ventures. The risks involved in engaging in these types of transactions include the possible failure to successfully integrate the operations of acquired businesses, or to realize expected benefits within the anticipated time frame, or at all, such as cost savings, synergies, sales and growth opportunities. In addition, the integration of an acquired business or oversight of a partnership or joint venture may result in material unanticipated challenges, expenses, liabilities or competitive responses, including:
• inconsistencies between our standards, procedures and policies and those of an acquired business, partnership and/or joint venture;
• costs or inefficiencies associated with the integration of our operational and administrative systems;
• the increased scope and complexity of our operations could require significant attention from management and could impose constraints on our operations or other projects;
• unforeseen expenses, delays or conditions, including required regulatory or other third-party approvals or consents, or provisions in contracts with third parties that could limit our flexibility to take certain actions;
• an inability to retain the customers, employees, suppliers and/or marketing partners of an acquired business, partnership or joint venture or generate new customers or revenue opportunities through a strategic partnership;
• the costs of compliance with local laws and regulations and the implementation of compliance processes, as well as the assumption of unexpected liabilities, litigation, penalties or other enforcement actions;
• exposure to undetected malware and viruses embedded in the acquired IT systems of the acquired entity; and
• higher than expected costs arising due to unforeseen changes in tax, trade, environmental, labor, safety, payroll or pension policies.
Any one of these factors could result in delays, increased costs or decreases in the amount of expected revenues related to or derived from a strategic transaction and could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
We face risks related to vehicle electrification.
Vehicle electrification refers to a range of technologies that use electricity to propel a vehicle and includes hybrid, plug-in, extended-range and battery electric vehicles, as well as autonomous vehicles. We believe that the vehicle industry will continue to experience significant change in the coming years, in particular as it relates to vehicle electrification. If we are not adequately prepared to meet consumer demand for electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles as such demand develops, including if we are unable to attain an optimal and consistently reliable charging infrastructure and systems, which will require substantial capital investment, or if consumer demand for electric, hybrid and autonomous vehicles fails to meet our expectations, including due to slower or inadequate investments in charging infrastructure by third parties, changes in governmental regulations, tax credits, rebates and subsidies, or changes in consumer sentiment, our financial condition or results of operations could be adversely impacted.
Additionally, federal and state administrations have introduced additional uncertainty for the electric vehicle (“EV”) industry. Any unavailability, reduction or elimination of government and economic incentives, including tax credits, because of policy changes, or other reasons, may result in the diminished value of our EV fleet. Additionally, federal, state, and local laws may impose additional barriers to EV adoption, including additional costs. For example, many states have enacted or proposed laws imposing additional registration fees for certain hybrids and EVs to support transportation infrastructure, such as highway repairs and improvements, which have traditionally
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been funded through federal and state gasoline taxes. These policy changes may be implemented more rapidly than we are able to change the composition of our fleet. Any of the foregoing, and any resulting mismatches between the vehicles in our fleet, consumer preferences and government policies, could materially and adversely affect the growth of the EV market and value of EVs and our financial condition and results of operations.
We face risks related to liability and insurance.
Our global operations expose us to several forms of liability, including claims for bodily injury, death and property damage related to the use of our vehicles, or for having our customers or other parties on our premises, as well as workers’ compensation and other claims. We may become exposed to uninsured liability at levels in excess of our historical levels, or increases in the number of incidents or the cost per incident, which has recently occurred and may continue in the future, which may cause us to exceed the level of our reserves and could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. This impact could occur for a variety of reasons, including increased severity and/or instances of weather and climate-related events and overall liability loss trends. Furthermore, insurance with unaffiliated insurers may not continue to be available to us on economically reasonable terms or at all. Should we be subject to an adverse ruling or judgment, or experience other significant liability for which we did not plan and were not adequately insured, our results of operations, financial position or cash flows could be negatively impacted.
We reinsure certain insurance exposures as well as offer optional insurance coverages through unaffiliated third-party insurers that then reinsure all or a portion of their risks through our insurance company subsidiaries, which subjects us to regulation under various insurance laws and statutes. Any changes in regulations that alter or impede our reinsurance obligations or insurance subsidiary operations, or any negative regulatory or other legal action against us with respect to our reinsurance, could adversely impact the economic benefits that we rely upon to support our reinsurance efforts, which in turn would adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
Optional insurance products that we offer to renters in the United States, including, but not limited to, supplemental or additional liability insurance, personal accident insurance and personal effects protection, are regulated under state laws. Our vehicle rental operations outside the United States must also comply with certain local laws and regulations regarding the sale of personal accident and effects insurance by intermediaries. Any changes in law that affect our operating requirements with respect to our sale of optional insurance products could increase our costs of compliance or make it uneconomical to offer such products, which would lead to a reduction in revenue and profitability. Should more of our customers decline to purchase optional liability insurance products as a result of any changes in these laws, or otherwise, our financial condition or results of operations could be adversely impacted.
We offer loss damage waivers to our customers as an option for them to reduce their financial responsibility that may be incurred as a result of loss or damage to the rental vehicle. Certain states in the United States have enacted legislation that mandates disclosure to each customer and some states have statutes that establish or cap the daily rate that can be charged for loss damage waivers. Should new laws or regulations arise that place new limits on our ability to offer loss damage waivers to our customers, our financial condition or results of operations could be adversely impacted.
Additionally, current United States federal law pre-empts state laws that impute tort liability based solely on ownership of a vehicle involved in an accident. If such federal law were to change, our insurance liability exposure could materially increase.
We may be unable to collect amounts that we believe are owed to us by customers, insurers and other third parties related to vehicle damage claims or liabilities. The inability to collect such amounts in a timely manner or to the extent that we expect could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
We face risks related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates.
Our operations generate revenue and incur operating costs in a variety of currencies. The financial position and results of operations of many of our foreign subsidiaries are reported in the relevant local currency and then translated to United States dollars at the applicable currency exchange rate for inclusion in our Consolidated Financial Statements. Changes in exchange rates among these currencies and the U.S. dollar have affected, and
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will continue to affect, among other things, the recorded levels of our assets and liabilities in our Consolidated Financial Statements. While we take steps to manage our currency exposure, such as currency hedging, we may not be able to effectively limit our exposure to intermediate or long-term movements in currency exchange rates, which could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
We face risks related to our derivative instruments.
We typically utilize derivative instruments to manage fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, interest rates and fuel prices. The derivative instruments we use to manage our risk are usually in the form of interest rate swaps and caps and foreign exchange and commodity contracts. Periodically, we are required to determine the change in fair value, called the “mark-to-market,” of some of these derivative instruments, which could expose us to substantial mark-to-market losses or gains if such rates or prices fluctuate materially from the time we entered into the derivatives. Accordingly, volatility in rates or prices may adversely impact our financial position or results of operations and could impact the cost and effectiveness of our derivative instruments in managing our risks.
We have in the past been, and may in the future be, impacted by impairment charges.
We carry a significant amount of goodwill and long-lived assets on our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Goodwill is the excess of purchase price over the fair value of the net assets of acquired businesses. We assess goodwill and long-lived assets for impairment if circumstances suggest an impairment may have occurred, and annually for goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets. We have determined in the past and may again determine in the future that a significant impairment has occurred in the value of our goodwill and long-lived assets. Additionally, we have a significant amount of goodwill and long-lived assets that could also be subject to impairment. If we determine that an impairment has occurred in the value of our goodwill or long-lived assets, we could be required to write off a portion of our goodwill or long-lived assets, which could adversely affect our consolidated financial condition or our reported results of operations. For example, to decrease our fleet age for competitive reasons, in the fourth quarter of 2024 we accelerated our plans with respect to certain fleet rotations and shortened the useful life associated with such vehicles, which resulted in an impairment charge. In addition, during the fourth quarter of 2025, in conjunction with the Interpace Ventures transaction, we shortened the useful life associated with certain EV rental car vehicles, which resulted in an impairment charge. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Results of Operations” and Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
RISKS RELATED TO LEGAL, REGULATORY AND CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY RELATED MATTERS
Costs associated with lawsuits, investigations or increases in legal reserves that we establish based on our assessment of contingent liabilities may have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our global operations expose us to various claims, lawsuits and other legal proceedings that arise in and outside of the ordinary course of our business in the countries in which we operate. We are or may be subject to complaints and/or litigation involving our customers, licensees, employees, independent operators and others with whom we conduct business and other third parties, including claims for bodily injury, death and property damage related to use of our vehicles or our locations, or claims based on allegations of discrimination, misclassification as exempt, wage and hour pay disputes or allegations related to our business practices, claims based on allegations of omission or misstatements in our policies and/or public filings, and various other claims. We could be subject to substantial costs and/or adverse outcomes from such claims, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, cash flows or results of operations.
At some of our locations, we outsource to third-party independent contractors who operate the business as a separate entity and we pay these independent contractors a commission for operating their business under our brands. There is a growing trend in the United States aimed at the gig economy to define independent contractors as employees. As such, we are subject to legislative and or judicial determination that any such changes are applicable to these independent contractors. Such determinations may require us to change the business operations and make such independent contractor locations employee operated. This could potentially expose us to additional costs and material liability under federal and state labor and employment and tax laws.
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From time to time, our Company is reviewed or investigated by government regulators, which could lead to tax assessments, enforcement actions, fines and penalties or the assertion of private litigation claims. It is not possible to predict with certainty the outcome of claims, investigations and lawsuits, which could have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations. In addition, while we maintain insurance coverage with respect to exposure for certain, but not all, types of legal claims, we may not be able to obtain such insurance on acceptable terms in the future, if at all, and any such insurance may not provide adequate coverage against any such claims.
We face risks related to laws and regulations that could impact our global operations.
We are subject to multiple, and sometimes conflicting, laws and regulations in the countries in which we operate that relate to, among others, consumer protection, competition and antitrust, customer privacy and data protection, securities and public disclosure, automotive retail sales, franchising, corruption and anti-bribery, environmental matters, taxes, automobile-related liability, labor and employment matters, cost and fee recovery, currency-exchange and other various banking and financial industry regulations, health and safety, insurance rates and products, claims management, protection of our trademarks and other intellectual property and other trade-related laws and regulations. We cannot predict the nature, scope or effect of future regulatory requirements to which our global operations may be subject or the manner in which existing or future laws may be administered or interpreted. Any alleged or actual violations of any law or regulation, change in law, regulation, trade treaties or tariffs, or changes in the interpretation of existing laws or regulations may subject us to government scrutiny, investigation and civil and criminal penalties, limit our ability to provide services in any of the countries in which we operate and could result in a material adverse impact on our reputation, business, financial position or results of operations.
In certain countries where we have Company-operated locations, we may recover certain costs from consumers, including costs associated with the title and registration of our vehicles, or concession costs imposed by an airport authority or the owner and/or operator of the premises from which our vehicles are rented. We may in the future be subject to potential laws or regulations that could negatively impact our ability to separately state, charge and recover such costs, which could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
We are seeking Advanced Pricing Agreements with certain tax authorities to obtain certainty regarding our transfer pricing policy. While this effort is ongoing, the process of negotiating and ultimately entering into these agreements has been lengthy and may take several more years. The ultimate results of our negotiations of these agreements with tax authorities, the expiration of such agreements, or changes in circumstances or in the interpretation of such agreements could increase our tax costs in these jurisdictions, including through the assessment of significant interest charges and/or penalties if non-compliance is adjudicated. To the extent we do not have an existing Advanced Pricing Agreement or other agreement, governmental authorities could challenge our transfer pricing policy in the future and, if challenged, we may not prevail, which could increase our tax costs or reduce savings related to our transfer pricing policy.
We face risks related to environmental laws and regulations.
We are subject to a wide variety of environmental laws and regulations in connection with our operations, including, among other things, with respect to the ownership or use of tanks for the storage of petroleum products such as gasoline, diesel fuel and motor and used oils; the treatment or discharge of waste waters; and the generation, storage, transportation and off-site treatment or disposal of solid or liquid wastes. We maintain liability insurance covering storage tanks at our locations. In the United States, we administer an environmental compliance program designed to ensure that these tanks are properly registered in the jurisdiction in which they are located and are in compliance with applicable technical and operational requirements. The tank systems located at each of our locations may not at all times remain free from undetected leaks, and the use of these tanks has resulted in, and from time to time in the future may result in, spills, which may be significant and may require remediation and expose us to material uninsured liability or liabilities in excess of insurance.
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We may also be subject to requirements related to the remediation of substances that have been released into the environment at properties owned or operated by us or at properties to which we send substances for treatment or disposal. Such remediation requirements may be imposed without regard to fault and liability for environmental remediation can be substantial. These remediation requirements and other environmental regulations differ depending on the country where the property is located. We have made, and will continue to make, expenditures to comply with environmental laws and regulations, including, among others, expenditures for the remediation of impacts at our owned and leased properties, as well as impacts at other locations at which our wastes have reportedly been identified. Our compliance with existing or future environmental laws and regulations may, however, require material expenditures by us or otherwise have an adverse impact on our financial condition or results of operations.
Governments may continue to pursue measures related to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions, including vehicle travel restrictions. Should rules establishing limitations on greenhouse gas or other emissions or rules imposing fees on entities deemed to be responsible for greenhouse gas emissions, or rules establishing bans on diesel or fuel vehicles from entering certain locations become effective in the countries in which we operate, demand for our services could be affected, our fleet and/or other costs could increase, and our business could be adversely impacted.
We face risks related to Corporate Responsibility matters.
Climate change, societal expectations for companies to address environmental and social matters, and the changing public interest and regulations and laws relating to Corporate Responsibility matters and disclosures and otherwise, both domestically (including in California) and globally (especially in the European continent) pose risks to our business. These developments could lead to increased operational and compliance costs, shifts in consumer and customer preferences toward substitute products, reduced demand for our offerings, and potential impacts on profitability. Additionally, these factors, as well as our action or inaction with respect to Corporate Responsibility matters, may result in heightened regulatory or public scrutiny, increased litigation, reputational damage, and adverse effects on our revenue, stock price and/or access to capital markets.
We have developed certain initiatives, goals and practices relating to Corporate Responsibility matters. We may not be successful in implementing these initiatives, goals and practices, including due to factors beyond our control, and even if successful, they may not achieve our desired or expected outcomes. If our Corporate Responsibility initiatives, goals, and practices do not meet our expectations, those of our investors or other stakeholders, or requirements of local rules and regulations, each of which continue to evolve, we may incur additional costs, and our brand, reputation and results of operations and financial condition may be adversely impacted.
In addition, federal, state and local regulatory authorities, private organizations and individuals have challenged companies’ approaches to Corporate Responsibility issues and may challenge ours, including by alleging that we failed in our efforts or should not have undertaken such efforts, in the manner we have done so or at all. Any of the foregoing could lead to reputational harm.
We face risks related to franchising or licensing laws and regulations.
We license to third parties the right to operate locations using our brands in exchange for royalty payments. Our licensing activities are subject to various laws and regulations in the countries in which we operate. In particular, laws in the United States require that we provide extensive disclosure to prospective licensees in connection with licensing offers and sales, as well as comply with franchise relationship laws that could limit our ability to, among other things, terminate license agreements or withhold consent to the renewal or transfer of these agreements. We are also subject to certain regulations affecting our license arrangements in Europe and other international locations. Should our operations become subject to new laws or regulations that negatively impact our ability to engage in licensing activities, our financial condition or results of operations could be adversely impacted.
We face risks related to the actions of, or failures to act by, our licensees, dealers, independent operators or third-party vendors.
Our vehicle rental licensee and dealer locations are independently owned and operated. We also operate many of our Company-owned locations through agreements with independent operators, which are third-party
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independent contractors who receive commissions to operate such locations. We also enter into service contracts with various third-party vendors that provide services for us or in support of our business. Under our agreements with our licensees, dealers, independent operators and third-party vendors (collectively referred to as “third-party operators”), the third-party operators retain control over the employment and management of all personnel at their locations or in support of the services that they provide our Company. These agreements also generally require that third-party operators comply with all laws and regulations applicable to their businesses, including relevant internal policies and standards. Regulators, courts or others may seek to hold us responsible for the actions of, or failures to act by, third-party operators or their employees based on theories of vicarious liability, negligence, joint operations or joint employer liability. Although we actively monitor the operations of these third-party operators, and under certain circumstances have the ability to terminate their agreements for failure to adhere to contracted operational standards, we are unlikely to detect all misconduct or noncompliance by a third-party operator or its employees. It is our policy to vigorously seek to be dismissed from any claims involving third-party operators and to pursue indemnity for any adverse outcomes that affect the Company. Failure of third-party operators to comply with laws and regulations or our operational standards, or our inability to be dismissed from claims against our third-party operators, may expose us to liability, damages and negative publicity that may damage our brand and reputation and adversely affect our financial condition or results of operations.
We face risks associated with changes in tax laws, including the expiration of tax credits.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) eliminated the use of like-kind exchange for personal property and allowed for full expensing of qualified property purchases through 2022. From 2004 until its elimination, we utilized like-kind exchange to replace vehicles in a manner that allowed for a material deferral of United States (U.S.) federal and state income taxes. The effect of the repeal of the like-kind exchange treatment for vehicle sales has been largely offset through 2022 by the availability of full expensing for certain business assets (including our vehicles) in the year placed in service. During 2023, the full expensing provision started to phase-out ratably by 20% each year; however, in July 2025, the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) was enacted, making permanent key provisions of the Tax Act, including full expensing for qualified property, thereby eliminating the scheduled phase-out. Certain U.S. states have modified their tax statutes as a result of the Tax Act, and such state legislation does not allow the use of full expensing benefits for state tax purposes, which negatively impacts our tax liability in such states. Other U.S. states continue to modify their tax statutes related to full expensing. Therefore, we cannot offer assurance that the benefits from the expected tax deductions will continue.
The Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”) included a 15% corporate alternative minimum tax on certain large corporations and a 1% excise tax on certain corporate stock repurchases. The impact on the Company of these provisions, which became effective on January 1, 2023, will depend on several factors, including recently released and forthcoming interpretive regulatory guidance, as well as recent legislative changes, such as those implemented under the OBBBA. The Company continues to review and assess the provisions of the IRA, and its potential impact on our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows.
There is also a high level of uncertainty in today’s tax environment stemming from both global initiatives put forth by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (the “OECD”), and unilateral measures being implemented by various countries. As an example, the OECD has put forth two proposals—Pillar One and Pillar Two—that revise the existing profit allocation and nexus rules (profit allocation based on location of sales versus physical presence) and ensure a minimal level of taxation, respectively. The OECD issued administrative guidance and proposals which provide for transition and safe harbor rules for the global minimum tax, which is effective fiscal year 2024. Further, many countries have proposed or have begun to implement changes to existing tax laws in response to the OECD’s proposals. The Company continues to closely monitor any such developments and guidance issued to determine any impact on our effective tax rate, cash tax obligations and operations.
Additionally, certain tax credits and other incentives for EVs that have been available in the past have been modified or have been phased out, which may have an adverse impact on demand for EVs. For example, the OBBBA, which eliminated, limited or phased out certain tax credits that had previously provided significant benefits to lessees and purchasers of EVs and added new eligibility requirements on manufacturers to continue claiming tax credits on EV components. It also eliminated certain penalties for noncompliance with certain fuel efficiency standards and introduced certain key tax law modifications. A reduction in value of the EV market generally may have an adverse effect our financial condition, results of operations, liquidity, and cash flows. See “Risks Related to the Nature of Our Business – We face risks related to vehicle electrification.”
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RISKS RELATED TO OUR CAPITAL STRUCTURE AND INDEBTEDNESS
We face risks related to our current and future debt obligations, including risks related to conditions in the credit and asset-backed securities markets.
Our ability to satisfy and manage our debt obligations depends on our ability to generate cash flow and on overall financial market conditions. To some extent, this is subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business and other factors, many of which are beyond our control. Our outstanding debt obligations require us to dedicate a significant portion of our cash flows to pay interest and principal on our debt, which reduces funds available to us for other purposes. Our business may not generate sufficient cash flow from operations to permit us to service our debt obligations and meet our other cash needs, which may force us to reduce or delay capital expenditures, sell or curtail assets or operations, seek additional capital or seek to restructure or refinance our indebtedness. If we must sell or curtail our assets or operations, it may negatively affect our ability to generate revenue. Certain of our debt obligations contain restrictive covenants and provisions that may limit our ability to, among other things, incur additional debt; provide guarantees; pay dividends or distributions, redeem or repurchase capital stock; prepay, redeem or repurchase debt; create or incur liens; make distributions from our subsidiaries; sell assets and capital stock of our subsidiaries; and consolidate or merge with or into, or sell substantially all of our assets to, another person. These covenants and provisions also may limit our ability to respond to adverse changes in general economic, industry and competitive conditions, as well as changes in government regulation and changes to our business.
Our failure to comply with these restrictive covenants and provisions, if not waived, would cause a default under the applicable debt agreement and could result in a cross-default under several of our other debt obligations, including our asset-backed debt facilities. If such a default were to occur, we could be required to repay or accelerate debt payments to the lenders or holders of our debt, and there can be no assurance that we would be able to refinance or obtain a replacement for such financing programs.
We finance our vehicle fleet purchases and operations through the use of asset-backed securities in the United States, Canada, Australia and Europe and other debt financing structures available through the credit markets. If the asset-backed financing and/or credit markets were to be disrupted for any reason, we may be unable to obtain refinancing for our operations or vehicle fleet purchases at current levels, or at all, when our respective asset-backed financings or debt financings mature. Likewise, any disruption of the asset-backed financing or credit markets could also increase our borrowing costs, as we seek to refinance existing debt or increase our indebtedness. In addition, we could be subject to increased collateral requirements to the extent that we request any amendment or renewal of any of our existing asset-backed or debt financings.
We face risks related to increases in interest rates.
A portion of our borrowings, primarily our vehicle-backed borrowings, bears interest at variable rates that expose us to interest rate risk. If interest rates continue to increase, whether due to continued increases in market interest rates or one or more increases in our own cost of borrowing, our debt service obligations for our variable rate indebtedness would increase even though the amount of borrowings remain the same, and our results of operations could be adversely affected. As of December 31, 2025, our total outstanding debt of approximately $25.4 billion included unhedged interest rate sensitive debt of approximately $5.9 billion. During our seasonal borrowing peak in 2025, outstanding unhedged interest rate sensitive debt totaled approximately $6.2 billion.
Virtually all of our debt under vehicle programs and certain of our corporate indebtedness matures within the next five years. If we are unable to refinance maturing indebtedness at interest rates that are equivalent to or lower than the interest rates on our maturing debt, our results of operations or our financial condition may be adversely affected.
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We face certain risks related to our share repurchase program.
Our Board of Directors previously authorized the repurchase of up to $8.1 billion of our common stock under a plan originally approved in 2013 and subsequently expanded most recently in February 2023 (the “Share Repurchase Program”). As of December 31, 2025, approximately $757 million remains available under the Share Repurchase Program. If we purchase additional shares of our common stock under the Share Repurchase Program, the percentage of our outstanding common stock owned by SRS Investment Management, LLC and its affiliates (“SRS”) may increase, even without further action by SRS. Under the terms of the Fourth Amended and Restated Cooperation Agreement between the Company and SRS (as amended from time to time), SRS has committed, with respect to shares of common stock SRS holds in excess of 45% of the Company’s outstanding common stock, to exercise its voting rights in the same proportion in which other shares of common stock are voted. Notwithstanding this commitment, the ownership by SRS of more than 50% of the Company’s outstanding common stock could trigger, or increase the likelihood that we trigger, certain change in control provisions in the indentures governing our senior notes. The Company must make a 101% change of control offer for the senior notes if, within 60 days following a change of control, the ratings on the notes are downgraded by one or more gradations or withdrawn and the applicable rating agency announces that such downgrade or withdrawal is attributable to the change of control.
RISKS RELATED TO OUR INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MATTERS, DATA SECURITY AND PRIVACY
We face risks related to our protection of our intellectual property.
We have registered certain marks and designs as trademarks in the United States and in certain other countries. At times, competitors may adopt service names similar to ours, thereby potentially impeding our ability to build brand identity and possibly leading to confusion in the marketplace. In addition, we have been subject to, and from time to time in the future may be subject to, trade name or trademark infringement claims brought by owners of other trademarks or names. From time to time, we have acquired or attempted to acquire Internet domain names held by others when such names have caused consumer confusion or had the potential to cause consumer confusion. Our efforts to enforce or protect our proprietary rights related to trademarks, trade secrets, domain names, copyrights or other intellectual property may be unsuccessful and could result in substantial costs and diversion of resources and could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
We face risks related to our reliance on communications networks and centralized information systems.
We rely heavily on the satisfactory performance and availability of our information systems, including our reservation systems, websites and network infrastructure to attract and retain customers, accept reservations, process rental and sales transactions, manage our fleet of vehicles, account for our activities and otherwise conduct our business. We rely on third-party communications service and system providers for technology services. We have been subjected to, and from time to time in the future may be subject to, a failure or interruption that results in the unavailability of certain of our information systems. Such a failure or interruption, or a major disruption, could cause a loss of reservations, interfere with our fleet management, slow rental and sales processes, create negative publicity that damages our reputation or otherwise adversely impacts our ability to manage our business effectively. We have in the past and may in the future experience system interruptions or disruptions for a variety of reasons, including from network failures, power outages, cyber-attacks, human error or misuse, software errors, an unusually high volume of visitors attempting to access our systems, or other events such as fire, explosions, earthquakes, storms, floods, epidemics, strikes, acts of war, civil unrest or terrorist acts. Because we are dependent in part on independent third parties for the implementation and maintenance of certain aspects of our systems and because some of the causes of system interruptions may be outside of our control, we may not be able to remedy such interruptions in a timely manner, or at all. Our systems’ business continuity plans and insurance programs seek to mitigate such risks but they cannot fully eliminate the risks.
We face risks related to cybersecurity breaches of our systems and information technology.
Threats to network and data security are becoming increasingly diverse and sophisticated. We have experienced cybersecurity attacks in the past, and we experience attempts to gain unauthorized access to our systems on a regular basis. As cybersecurity threats become more frequent, intense, and sophisticated, costs of proactive defense measures may increase. Third parties may have the technology or expertise to breach the security of our systems and data and our security measures may not prevent or timely detect physical security or cybersecurity
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breaches, which could result in substantial harm to our business, our reputation or our results of operations. We rely on encryption and/or authentication technology licensed from and, at times, administered by independent third parties to secure transmission of confidential information, including credit card numbers and other customer personal information. Our outsourcing agreements with these third-party service providers, including third-party hosted cloud environments, generally require that they have adequate security systems in place to protect our customer transaction data. Despite the implementation of cybersecurity measures (including access controls, data encryption, vulnerability assessments, continuous monitoring, and maintenance of backup and protective systems), our information technology systems or those used by our third-party service providers may still be vulnerable to a breach, including due to defects or other unexpected factors. Additionally, if a third-party service provider on which we rely experiences a breach, we may not learn of such breach in a timely manner, or at all, which may inhibit our ability to mitigate its impacts, and exacerbate the risks described in this paragraph.
In addition, anyone who is able to circumvent our security measures or gain unauthorized access to our systems or information or those of our third-party service providers despite such security measures, have in the past misappropriated, and could in the future misappropriate, proprietary information or cause interruptions in our operations. Cybersecurity incidents that we have experienced in the past and may experience in the future may be caused by malicious third parties using sophisticated, targeted methods to circumvent firewalls, encryption, and other security defenses, and could include hacking, viruses, malicious software, ransomware, phishing attacks, denial of service attacks and other attempts to capture, disrupt or gain unauthorized access to data, all of which are rapidly evolving. Such incidents could lead to disruptions in our reservation system or other data systems, unauthorized release of confidential or otherwise protected information or corruption of data. The techniques used by third parties change frequently and may be difficult to detect for long periods of time. Any successful efforts by individuals to infiltrate, break into, disrupt, damage or otherwise steal from the Company’s, its licensees’ or its third-party service providers’ security or information systems could damage our reputation and expose us to increased cybersecurity protection costs, litigation or other liability that could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations. Cybersecurity breaches resulting in the unauthorized use or disclosure of certain personal information create risk of identity theft, financial or other harm and costs to the Company in investigation, remediation, legal defense and in liability to parties who are financially harmed. Failure to appropriately address these issues could also give rise to potentially material legal risks and liabilities.
We are subject to privacy, data protection, data security and other regulations, as well as private industry standards, which could negatively impact our global operations and cause us to incur additional incremental expense or reputational harm that impacts our future operating results.
Our business requires the secure processing and storage of personal information relating to our customers, employees, business partners and others. Current privacy and data protection laws, particularly the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), the United Kingdom Data Protection Act (“UK DPA”), the California Consumer Privacy Act including modifications by the California Privacy Rights Act (collectively, the “CCPA”), the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (“VCDPA”), and other regulations in the jurisdictions in which we operate impose obligations and restrictions regarding the types of information that we may collect, process, sell and retain about our customers, employees and other individuals with whom we deal or propose to deal, some of which may be non-public personal data. A patchwork of new and proposed privacy and data protection legislation and regulation continues to evolve across the jurisdictions in which we operate. These laws and regulations, each wide-ranging in scope, provide individuals located in those jurisdictions with greater control over their personal data and impose various requirements on our business relating to the collection and processing of personal data. These laws also impose significant forfeitures and penalties for noncompliance and afford private rights of action to individuals under certain circumstances. The Company has adopted policies and procedures in compliance with these laws, which may need to be updated as new laws are passed or as additional guidance is made available from regulatory authorities or published enforcement decisions. Data protection laws in the countries where we operate are developing at a rapid pace and may be interpreted and applied inconsistently from jurisdiction to jurisdiction and impose inconsistent or conflicting requirements. Complying with varying jurisdictional privacy and data protection requirements could increase our operating costs, divert management attention or require additional changes to our business practices. Should we be found to not be in compliance with the GDPR, UK DPA, CCPA, VCDPA or similar privacy and data protection laws, we could be subject to substantial monetary penalties, government consent decrees, regulatory enforcement actions, and other sanctions that could negatively impact our operating results or harm our reputation.
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The centralized nature of our information systems combined with the expansive nature of our global business requires the routine flow of information regarding employees, customers and potential customers, and suppliers across national borders, particularly in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Europe. Although new and updated personal data transfer mechanisms, such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses, have been adopted by regulators following the invalidation of previously available transfer mechanisms in 2020 by the Court of Justice of the European Union, these mechanisms remain subject to legal uncertainty and face ongoing scrutiny from EU supervisory authorities. This continued uncertainty may affect our ability to process and transfer personal data, which could impact our ability to serve our customers and efficiently manage our employees and operations. Moreover, our failure to maintain the security of the data we hold, whether as a result of our own error or the actions of others, could harm our reputation or give rise to legal liabilities that adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations. Privacy and data protection laws and regulations restrict the ways that we process our transaction information, and the payment card industry imposes strict customer credit card data security standards to ensure that our customers’ credit card information is protected. Failure to meet these data privacy and security standards could result in substantial increased fees to credit card companies, other liabilities and/or loss of the right to collect credit card payments, which could adversely impact our financial condition or results of operations.
GENERAL RISK FACTORS
We face risks related to the market price of our common stock.
We cannot predict the prices at which our common stock will trade. The market price of our common stock has experienced substantial volatility in the past and may fluctuate widely in the future, depending on many factors, some of which may be beyond our control, including, but not limited to, the factors described in this “Risk Factors” section and the section titled “Forward-Looking Statements.” If any of these factors materialize, it could cause our stock price to fall and may expose us to litigation, including class action lawsuits that, even if unsuccessful, could be costly to defend, distract management, and harm our reputation.
Certain provisions of our certificate of incorporation and by-laws and Delaware law could prevent or delay a potential acquisition of control of our Company, which could decrease the trading price of our common stock.
Our amended and restated certificate of incorporation, amended and restated by-laws and the laws in the State of Delaware contain provisions that are intended to deter coercive takeover practices and inadequate takeover bids by making such practices or bids unacceptably expensive to the prospective acquirer and to encourage prospective acquirers to negotiate with our Board of Directors rather than to attempt a hostile takeover. Delaware law also imposes restrictions on mergers and other business combinations between us and any holder of 15% or more of our outstanding common stock.
We believe these provisions protect our stockholders from coercive or otherwise unfair takeover tactics by effectively requiring those who seek to obtain control of the Company to negotiate with our Board of Directors and by providing our Board with more time to assess any such potential acquisition of control. However, these provisions could apply even if such a potential acquisition of control of the Company may be considered beneficial by some stockholders and could delay or prevent an acquisition of control that our Board of Directors determines is not in the best interests of our Company and our stockholders.
ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
ITEM 1C. CYBERSECURITY
W e maintain processes for assessing, identifying and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats.
We regularly use both outsourced and in-house information security expertise to employ a variety of administrative, technical, and physical data safeguards designed to both deter and mitigate cybersecurity risks, including cyber incident response procedures, endpoint threat detection and response solutions, employee
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training, third-party risk reviews, penetration testing, technical control reviews, vulnerability assessments, and enterprise-wide risk assessments. These policies and procedures, which are based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology framework, align with international standards under ISO/IEC 27001 and are reviewed annually, including via an annual assessment of relevant IT SOX controls and Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard reviews performed both by external Qualified Security Assessors and authorized members of our internal information security team. Our third-party due diligence processes also include procedures for identifying cybersecurity threats associated with third-party service providers. Cybersecurity risks are also identified and evaluated through our enterprise risk management (“ERM”) processes, which are overseen by the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors. Through our ERM processes, key stakeholders across the business identify, assess, and manage risk, including material cybersecurity risks. These processes enable us to monitor and assess the evolving landscape of cybersecurity risks.
Our information security program is administered under the supervision of our EVP, Chief Digital and Innovation Officer (“CDIO”) and Vice President (“VP”) of Platforms, Infrastructure and Cybersecurity , who share responsibility for assessing and managing the Company’s cybersecurity risks. Both our CDIO and VP of Platforms, Infrastructure, and Cybersecurity have over 20 years of related experience, holding technical leadership roles at notable multinational organizations, across diverse industries.
Our CDIO and VP of Platforms, Infrastructure and Cybersecurity also monitor the prevention, detection, mitigation and remediation of cybersecurity incidents through the same processes described above for the identification and management of material cybersecurity risks.
The Audit Committee of our Board of Directors oversees risks associated with information technology and cybersecurity. Cybersecurity risks and incidents identified through these processes are evaluated by our CDIO and VP of Platforms, Infrastructure and Cybersecurity. Our VP of Platforms, Infrastructure and Cybersecurity provides regular updates on a quarterly basis, and more frequently as required, on these matters to the Audit Committee of our Board of Directors . Such reports may include discussions on current control audits, risk assessments, proposed mitigation measures, and other key information technology and cyber initiatives.
Information about our material cybersecurity risks can be found in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
ITEM 2. PROPERTIES
Our principal executive offices are owned and located at 379 Interpace Parkway, Parsippany, New Jersey 07054. We own a facility in Virginia Beach, Virginia, which serves as a satellite administrative facility for our car and truck rental operations. We also lease office space in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Boston, Massachusetts, pursuant to leases expiring in 2028 and 2031, respectively. These locations primarily provide operational and administrative services or contact center operations for our Americas segment. We also lease office space in Bracknell, England, Barcelona, Spain and Budapest, Hungary, pursuant to leases expiring in 2032, 2026 and 2027, respectively, for corporate offices, contact center activities and other administrative functions, respectively, for our International segment. Other office locations throughout the world are leased for administrative, regional sales and operations activities.
We lease or have vehicle rental concessions for our brands at locations throughout the world. We own approximately 3% of the locations from which we operate and in some cases we sublease to licensees or other third parties. The remaining locations from which we operate our vehicle rental businesses are leased or operated under concession agreements with governmental authorities and private entities. Those leases and concession agreements typically require the payment of minimum rents or minimum concession fees and often also require us to pay or reimburse operating expenses, to pay additional rent, or concession fees above guaranteed minimums based on a percentage of revenues or sales arising at the relevant premises, or to do both. See Note 3 – Leases to our Consolidated Financial Statements for information regarding lease commitments.
We believe that our properties are sufficient to meet our present needs and we do not anticipate any difficulty in securing additional space, as needed, on acceptable terms.
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ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
For information regarding legal proceedings, see Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
SEC regulations require us to disclose certain information about proceedings arising under federal, state or local environmental provisions if we reasonably believe that such proceedings may result in monetary sanctions above a stated threshold. In accordance with these regulations, we use a threshold of $1 million for purposes of determining whether disclosure of any such proceedings is required pursuant to this item.
ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
ITEM 5.
MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER
MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
MARKET FOR COMMON EQUITY
Our common stock is currently traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market (“Nasdaq”) under the symbol “CAR.” As of January 31, 2026, the number of stockholders of record was 1,980.
DIVIDEND POLICY
We evaluate our dividend policy on a regular basis and may pay dividends in the future, subject to compliance with the covenants in our senior credit facility, the indentures governing our senior notes and our vehicle financing programs. The declaration and payment of future dividends to holders of our common stock will be at the discretion of our Board of Directors and will also depend upon many factors, including our financial condition, earnings, capital requirements of our businesses, covenants associated with certain debt obligations, legal requirements, regulatory constraints, industry practice and other factors that our Board of Directors deems relevant. We did not declare or pay any cash dividends in 2025 or 2024. In December 2023, we declared and paid a $10.00 per share special cash dividend to all holders of our common stock as of December 15, 2023.
ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to approximately $8.1 billion of our common stock under a plan originally approved in 2013 and subsequently expanded, most recently in February 2023 (the “Stock Repurchase Program”). Under our Stock Repurchase Program, we may repurchase shares from time to time in open market transactions, and may also repurchase shares in accelerated share repurchases, tender offers, privately negotiated transactions or by other means. Repurchases may also be made under a plan pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”). The timing and amount of repurchase transactions is determined by management based on our evaluation of market conditions, our share price, legal requirements, restricted payment capacity under our debt instruments and other factors. The Stock Repurchase Program may be suspended, modified or discontinued without prior notice. During the fourth quarter of 2025, no common stock repurchases were made under the Stock Repurchase Program. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $757 million of authorization remained available to repurchase common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program.
PERFORMANCE GRAPH
Set forth below are a line graph and table comparing the cumulative total stockholder return of our common stock against the cumulative total returns of the S&P MidCap 400 Index and the Dow Jones US Transportation Average Index for the period of five fiscal years commencing December 31, 2020 and ending December 31, 2025. The broad equity market index used by the Company is the S&P MidCap 400 Index, which measures the performance of mid-sized companies, and the published industry index used by the Company is the Dow Jones US Transportation Average Index, which measures the performance of transportation companies. The graph and table depict the result of an investment on December 31, 2020 of $100 in the Company’s common stock, the S&P MidCap 400 Index and the Dow Jones US Transportation Average Index, including investment of dividends.
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As of December 31,
Avis Budget Group, Inc.
S&P MidCap 400 Index
Dow Jones US Transportation Average Index
ITEM 6.
RESERVED
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ITEM 7.
MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF
OPERATIONS
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with Part I, Item 1, “Business”, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and our Consolidated Financial Statements and accompanying Notes included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K commencing on page F-1. Our actual results of operations may differ materially from those discussed in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including but not limited to those included in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and other portions of this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Unless otherwise noted, all dollar amounts in tables are in millions.
OVERVIEW
OUR COMPANY
We operate three of the most globally recognized brands in mobility solutions, Avis, Budget and Zipcar together with several other brands well recognized in their respective markets. We are a leading vehicle rental operator in North America, Europe, Australasia and certain other regions we serve, with an average rental fleet of approximately 684,000 vehicles in 2025. We also license the use of our trademarks to licensees in the areas in which we do not operate directly. We and our licensees operate our brands in approximately 180 countries throughout the world.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to 2024 is presented below. A discussion regarding our financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2023 can be found under Part II, Item 7 in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 14, 2025, which is available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov and our Investor Relations website at ir.avisbudgetgroup.com.
In 2025, we saw sustained volume, decreased revenue per day and lower per-unit fleet costs, excluding other fleet charges related to the disposal of certain fleet in our Americas reportable segment . This resulted in revenues of approximately $11.7 billion, net loss of $995 million and Adjusted EBITDA of $748 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. During the fourth quarter of 2025, in conjunction with the Interpace Ventures transaction, we reviewed our fleet strategy, specific to certain United States EV rental car vehicles, and as a result shortened the useful life associated with such vehicles. Our net loss reflects $518 million in long-lived asset impairment and other related charges, which was recorded to reduce the carrying value of certain United States EV rental car vehicles to its fair value in connection with this change. See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Our strategy remains centered on driving sustainable growth through operational efficiency, analytics, customer experience and innovation . In addition to the change in fleet strategy mentioned above, during the fourth quarter of the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, we changed our fleet strategy with respect to United States and Canadian rental car vehicles, to accelerate certain fleet rotations in order to decrease the age of our fleet for competitive reasons. We believe our strategies will continue to reinforce our competitive position, support long-term profitability, and deliver value to our stakeholders.
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We continue to be susceptible to a number of industry-specific and global macroeconomic factors that may cause our actual results of operations to differ from our historical results of operations or current expectations. The factors and trends that we currently believe are or will be most impactful to our results of operations and financial condition include the following: interest rates, inflationary impact on items such as commodity prices and wages, cost of new vehicles, used car values, increases in the number of personal injury claims and cost per incident, government shutdowns, manufacturer recalls, and an economic downturn that may impact travel demand, all of which may be exacerbated by ongoing military conflicts, including in the Middle East and Eastern Europe. Additionally, uncertainty remains with respect to tariffs and tax regulations, and this uncertainty has had and may continue to have impacts on our operations. We continue to monitor the potential favorable or unfavorable impacts of these and other factors on our business, operations, financial condition, and future results of operations.
We measure performance principally using the following key metrics: (i) rental days, which represent the total number of days (or portion thereof) a vehicle was rented, (ii) revenue per day, which represents revenues divided by rental days, (iii) vehicle utilization, which represents rental days divided by available rental days, with available rental days being defined as average rental fleet times the number of days in the period, and (iv) per-unit fleet costs, which represent vehicle depreciation, lease charges and gain or loss on vehicle sales, divided by average rental fleet. Our rental days, revenue per day and vehicle utilization metrics are all calculated based on the actual rental of the vehicle during a 24-hour period. We believe that this methodology provides management with the most relevant metrics in order to effectively manage the performance of the business. Our calculation may not be comparable to the calculation of similarly-titled metrics by other companies. We present currency exchange rate effects to provide a method of assessing how our business performed excluding the effects of foreign currency rate fluctuations. Currency exchange rate effects are calculated by translating the current period results at the prior period average exchange rate plus any related gains and losses on currency hedges.
We assess performance and allocate resources based upon the separate financial information of our operating segments. We aggregate certain of our operating segments into our reportable segments. In identifying our reportable segments, we also consider the management structure of the organization, the nature of services provided by our operating segments, the geographical areas and economic characteristics in which the segments operate, and other relevant factors. Management evaluates the operating results of each of our reportable segments based upon revenues and Adjusted EBITDA, which we define as income (loss) from continuing operations before non-vehicle related depreciation and amortization; long-lived asset impairment and other related charges; other fleet charges; restructuring and other related charges; early extinguishment of debt costs; non-vehicle related interest; transaction-related costs, net; legal matters, net, which primarily includes amounts recorded in excess of $5 million, related to unprecedented self-insurance reserves for allocated loss adjustment expense, class action lawsuits and personal injury matters; non-operational charges related to shareholder activist activity, which includes third-party advisory, legal and other professional fees; COVID-19 charges, net; cloud computing costs; other (income) expense, net; severe weather-related damages in excess of $5 million, net of insurance proceeds; and income taxes. In the first quarter of 2025, we revised our definition of Adjusted EBITDA to exclude other fleet charges. We did not revise prior years' Adjusted EBITDA amounts because there were no other charges similar in nature to these.
We believe Adjusted EBITDA is useful as a supplemental measure in evaluating the performance of our operating businesses and in comparing our results from period to period. We also believe that Adjusted EBITDA is useful to investors because it allows them to assess our results of operations and financial condition on the same basis that management uses internally. Adjusted EBITDA is a non-GAAP measure and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for net income or other income statement data prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP. Our presentation of Adjusted EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly-titled measures used by other companies.
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Year Ended December 31, 2025 vs. Year Ended December 31, 2024
Our consolidated results of operations comprised the following:
Year Ended
December 31,
$ Change
% Change
Revenues
Expenses
Operating
Vehicle depreciation and lease charges, net
Selling, general and administrative
Vehicle interest, net
Non-vehicle related depreciation and amortization
Interest expense related to corporate debt, net:
Interest expense
Early extinguishment of debt
Long-lived asset impairment and other related charges
Restructuring and other related charges
Transaction-related costs, net
Other (income) expense, net
Total expenses
Loss before income taxes
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
Net loss
Less: Net income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests
Net loss attributable to Avis Budget Group, Inc.
n/m Not meaningful.
Revenues decreased $137 million or 1% for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the similar period in 2024, primarily due to a 1% decrease in revenue per day, excluding exchange rate effects and sustained volume, partially offset by a $71 million positive impact from currency exchange rate movements. Total expenses decreased 13% for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the similar period in 2024, primarily due to the long-lived asset impairment and other related charges recorded in 2024. See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Our effective tax rates for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024 were a provision of 7.1% and a benefit of 30.8%, respectively. As a result of these items, our net loss attributable to Avis Budget Group, Inc. decreased by $932 million compared to the similar period in 2024. For the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, we reported diluted loss per share of $25.25 and $51.23, respectively.
Operating expenses decreased to 50.3% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 51.0% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to a settlement distribution relating to our participation in the In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation and decreased fleet operating costs, partially offset by increased facilities costs. See Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Vehicle depreciation and lease charges increased to 25.9% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 25.2% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to other fleet charges related to the disposal of certain fleet in our Americas reportable segment, partially offset by an increase in the gain on sale of vehicles. Selling, general and administrative costs increased to 12.4% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 11.5% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to increased commissions, marketing and
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other general and administrative costs. Vehicle interest costs were 7.9% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 8.0% during the similar period in 2024.
Following is a more detailed discussion of the results of each of our reportable segments and corporate and other, together with a reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA:
Revenues
Adjusted EBITDA
Revenues
Adjusted EBITDA
Americas
International
Corporate and other (a)
Total Company
Reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA:
Net loss
Provision for (benefit from) income taxes
Loss before income taxes
Non-vehicle related depreciation and amortization
Interest expense related to corporate debt, net:
Interest expense
Early extinguishment of debt
Long-lived asset impairment and other related charges (b)
Other fleet charges (c)
Restructuring and other related charges
Transaction-related costs, net
Other (income) expense, net (d)
Legal matters, net (e)
Cloud computing costs (f)
Severe weather-related damages, net (f)
Adjusted EBITDA
(a) Includes unallocated corporate expenses which are not attributable to a particular segment.
(b) For the year ended December 31, 2025, includes an impairment charge of approximately $518 million within our Americas reportable segment, related to the acceleration of the rotation of certain United States EV rental car vehicles in conjunction with the Interpace Ventures transaction. For the year ended December 31, 2024 , includes an impairment charge of approximately $2.3 billion related to the acceleration of the rotation of our fleet and a charge of $180 million related to the write-down of the carrying value of certain vehicles held for sale within our Americas reportable segment. See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies – Impairment of Long-Lived Assets to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
(c) Costs reported within vehicle depreciation and lease charges, net related to the disposal of certain fleet in our Americas reportable segment.
(d) Primarily consists of gains or losses related to our equity method investment in a former subsidiary, offset by fleet related and certain administrative services provided to the same former subsidiary.
(e) Consists of $3 million and $4 million reported within selling, general and administrative expenses for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, and $102 million of income and $60 million reported within operating expenses for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The $60 million recorded within operating expenses for the year ended December 31, 2024 includes $46 million relating to our self-insurance reserves for allocated loss adjustment expense.
(f) Reported within operating expenses.
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Americas
% Change
Revenues
Adjusted EBITDA
Revenues decreased for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the similar period in 2024, primarily due to a 3% decrease in revenue per day, excluding exchange rate effects and a $6 million negative impact from currency exchange rate movements, partially offset by a 1% increase in volume.
Operating expenses decreased to 50.5% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 51.2% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to a settlement distribution relating to our participation in the In re Automotive Parts Antitrust Litigation and decreased fleet operating costs, partially offset by increased facilities costs. See Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies to our Consolidated Financial Statements. Vehicle depreciation and lease charges increased to 27.1% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 25.3% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to other fleet charges related to the disposal of certain fleet in our Americas reportable segment, partially offset by an increase in the gain on sale of vehicles. Selling, general and administrative costs increased to 10.6% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 9.5% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to increased commissions, marketing and other general and administrative costs. Vehicle interest costs were 8.8% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 8.6% during the similar period in 2024.
Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended December 31, 2025 is comparable to the similar period in 2024.
International
% Change
Revenues
Adjusted EBITDA
Revenues increased for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the similar period in 2024, primarily due to a 3% increase in revenue per day, excluding exchange rate effects and a $77 million positive impact from currency exchange rate movements, partially offset by a 3% decrease in volume.
Operating expenses decreased to 47.5% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 48.3% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to an increase in revenue per day, excluding exchange rate effects and a positive impact from currency exchange rate movements, partially offset by a decrease in volume. Vehicle depreciation and lease charges decreased to 21.8% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 25.2% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to decreased per-unit fleet costs, excluding exchange rate effects, and decreased fleet levels. Selling, general and administrative costs were 15.4% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 15.3% during the similar period in 2024. Vehicle interest costs decreased to 4.9% of revenues for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to 5.7% during the similar period in 2024, primarily due to decreased fleet levels and interest rates.
Adjusted EBITDA increased for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the similar period in 2024, primarily due to an increase in revenue, lower per-unit fleet costs and an approximately $11 million positive impact from currency exchange rate movements.
Corporate and Other
% Change
Adjusted EBITDA
Adjusted EBITDA decreased for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to the similar period in 2024, primarily due to increased selling, general and administrative expenses, which are not attributable to a particular segment.
FINANCIAL CONDITION, LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
We present separately the financial data of our vehicle programs. These programs are distinct from our other activities as the assets under vehicle programs are generally funded through the issuance of debt that is collateralized by such assets. The income generated by these assets is used, in part, to repay the principal and interest associated with the debt. Cash inflows and outflows relating to the generation or acquisition of such assets and the principal debt repayment or financing of such assets are classified as activities of our vehicle programs. We believe it is appropriate to segregate the financial data of our vehicle programs because, ultimately, the source of repayment of such debt is the realization of such assets.
FINANCIAL CONDITION
As of December 31,
Change
Total assets exclusive of assets under vehicle programs
Total liabilities exclusive of liabilities under vehicle programs
Assets under vehicle programs
Liabilities under vehicle programs
Redeemable non-controlling interests
Total stockholders’ equity
The increase in total assets exclusive of assets under vehicle programs compared to 2024 is primarily due to our deferred income taxes which reflect the enactment of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act and the increase in operating lease right-of-use assets. See Note 3 – Leases and Note 9 – Income Taxes to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
The increase in total liabilities exclusive of liabilities under vehicle programs compared to 2024 is primarily due to the increase in corporate indebtedness from the issuance of Senior Notes due June 2032. See “Liquidity and Capital Resources,” and Note 13 – Long-term Corporate Debt and Borrowing Arrangements to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
The increases in both assets and liabilities under vehicle programs are primarily due to the increase in the cost of our rental fleet.
The increase in redeemable non-controlling interests relates to the Interpace Ventures transaction. Refer to Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.
The decrease in total stockholders’ equity compared to 2024 is primarily due to our net loss.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Overview
Our principal sources of liquidity are cash on hand and our ability to generate cash through operations and financing activities, as well as available funding arrangements and committed credit facilities, each of which is discussed below.
In February 2025, we borrowed $500 million under a floating rate term loan due December 2025, which is part of our senior revolving credit facilities. The proceeds were primarily used to pay down fleet indebtedness. In June 2025, we fully repaid our outstanding borrowings under the floating rate term loan due 2025.
In May 2025, we issued $600 million of 8.375% Senior Notes due June 2032. Net proceeds were used to repay our floating rate term loan due 2025 and a portion of our 5.750% Senior Notes due July 2027, with the remaining proceeds being used to repay outstanding fleet debt and for general corporate purposes.
In June 2025, we redeemed $100 million of our outstanding 5.750% Senior Notes due July 2027.
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In July 2025, we amended our floating rate term loan, extending its maturity date from August 2027 to July 2032 and increasing the interest rate to Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) plus 2.50%.
In December 2025, in conjunction with the Interpace Ventures transaction, Interpace Funding LLC, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Interpace Ventures LLC, issued $965 million of alternative funding asset-backed securities with a targeted two-year term and a maturity date of June 2028. In connection with the issuance, on December 31, 2025, we repaid an aggregate amount of $965 million of notes issued by our Avis Budget Rental Car Funding (AESOP) LLC subsidiary pursuant to certain asset-backed variable funding financing facilities. See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
During 2025, our Avis Budget Rental Car Funding (AESOP) LLC subsidiary issued approxi mately $1,708 million of asset-backed notes with expected final payment dates ranging from August 2027 to February 2031 and a weighted average interest rate of 5.33% . Avis Budget Rental Car Funding (AESOP) LLC has also amended and extended its asset-backed variable funding financing facilities, most recently in December 2025. The proceeds from these borrowings were used to fund the repayment of maturing vehicle-backed debt and the acquisition of rental cars in the United States.
Our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to approximately $8.1 billion of our common stock under a plan originally approved in 2013 and subsequently expanded, most recently in February 2023 (the “Stock Repurchase Program”). Our stock repurchases may occur through open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or trading plans pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The amount and timing of specific repurchases are subject to market conditions, applicable legal requirements, restricted payment capacity under our debt instruments and other factors. The Stock Repurchase Program may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time without prior notice. The Stock Repurchase Program has no set expiration or termination date. For the year ended December 31, 2025, we did not repurchase shares of common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program. As of December 31, 2025, approximately $757 million of authorization remained available to repurchase common stock under the Stock Repurchase Program.
Cash Flows
Year Ended December 31, 2025 vs. Year Ended December 31, 2024
The following table summarizes our cash flows:
Year Ended December 31,
Change
Cash provided by (used in):
Operating activities
Investing activities
Financing activities
Effect of changes in exchange rates on cash and cash equivalents, program and restricted cash
Net change in cash and cash equivalents, program and restricted cash
Cash and cash equivalents, program and restricted cash, beginning of period
Cash and cash equivalents, program and restricted cash, end of period
Cash provided by operating activities during 2025 is consistent with 2024.
The increase in cash used in investing activities during 2025 compared with 2024 is primarily due to the increase in our investment in vehicles, partially offset by the increase in proceeds received on vehicle sales.
The increase in cash provided by financing activities during 2025 compared with 2024 is primarily due to the increase in our net borrowings under vehicle programs.
We anticipate that our non-vehicle property and equipment additions will be approximately $250 million in 2026.
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Debt and Financing Arrangements
As of December 31, 2025, we had approximatel y $25.3 billion of indebtedness, including corporate indebtedness of approximately $6.1 billion and debt under vehicle programs of approximately $19.2 billion. For information regarding our debt and borrowing arrangements, see Note 1 – Basis of Presentation, Note 13 – Long-term Corporate Debt and Borrowing Arrangements, and Note 14 – Debt Under Vehicle Programs and Borrowing Arrangements to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
LIQUIDITY RISK
Our primary liquidity needs include the procurement of rental vehicles to be used in our operations, servicing of corporate and vehicle-related debt and the payment of operating expenses. The present intention of management is to reinvest the undistributed earnings of our foreign subsidiaries indefinitely into our foreign operations. Our primary sources of funding are operating revenue, cash received upon the sale of vehicles, borrowings under our vehicle-backed borrowing arrangements and our senior revolving credit facility, and other financing activities.
Our liquidity has in the past been, and could in the future be, negatively affected by any financial market disruptions, a worsening of the United States and worldwide economies or by increases in interest rates, which may result in unfavorable conditions in the mobility industry, in the asset-backed financing market and in the credit markets generally. We believe these factors have affected and could further affect the debt ratings assigned to us by credit rating agencies and the cost of our borrowings. Additionally, a worsening or prolonged downturn in the worldwide economy or a disruption in the credit markets could further impact our liquidity due to (i) decreased demand and pricing for vehicles in the used vehicle market, (ii) increased costs associated with, and/or reduced capacity or increased collateral needs, including due to a decrease in the fair value of our fleet, under, our financings, (iii) the adverse impact of vehicle manufacturers being unable or unwilling to honor their obligations to repurchase or guarantee the depreciation on the related program vehicles and (iv) disruption in our ability to obtain financing due to negative credit events specific to us or affecting the overall debt market (see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” for further discussion).
As of December 31, 2025, we had $519 million of available cash and cash equivalents and access to $299 million of available borrowing capacity under our revolving credit facility, providing us with access to approximately $818 million of total liquidity.
Our liquidity position could also be negatively impacted if we are unable to remain in compliance with the consolidated first lien leverage ratio requirement and other covenants associated with our senior credit facilities and other borrowings. As of December 31, 2025, we were in compliance with the financial covenants governing our indebtedness. For additional information regarding our liquidity risks, see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors”.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
For contractual obligations for material cash requirements from known contractual and other obligations as part of a liquidity and capital resources discussion, see Note 3 – Leases, Note 13 – Long-term Corporate Debt and Borrowing Arrangements, Note 14 – Debt Under Vehicle Programs and Borrowing Arrangements, and Note 15 – Commitments and Contingencies to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
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CRITICAL ACCOUNTING ESTIMATES
Accounting Policies
The results of the majority of our recurring operations are recorded in our financial statements using accounting policies that are not particularly subjective, nor complex. However, in presenting our financial statements in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we are required to make estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported therein. Several of the estimates and assumptions we are required to make relate to matters that are inherently uncertain as they relate to future events and/or events that are outside of our control. If there is a significant unfavorable change to current conditions, it could result in a material adverse impact to our consolidated results of operations, financial position and liquidity. We believe that the estimates and assumptions we used when preparing our financial statements were the most appropriate at that time. Presented below are those accounting policies that we believe require subjective and complex judgments that could potentially affect reported results.
Goodwill and Other Indefinite-lived Intangible Assets. We have reviewed the carrying value of our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment. In performing this review, we are required to make an assessment of fair value for our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. When determining fair value, we utilize various assumptions, including the fair market trading price of our common stock and management’s projections of future cash flows, which include forecast of future revenue and Adjusted EBITDA. When appropriate, comparative market multiples and other factors are used to corroborate the discounted cash flow results. A change in these underlying assumptions will cause a change in the results of the tests and, as such, could cause the fair value to be less than the respective carrying amount. In such event, we would then be required to record a charge, which would impact earnings. We review the carrying value of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment annually or more frequently if circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred.
Our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets are allocated among our reporting units. During 2025, there was no impairment of goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets. During 2024, we recorded $28 million in long-lived asset impairment and other related charges for impairment of one of our unamortized indefinite-lived intangible assets. During 2024, there was no impairment of goodwill.
See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 7 – Intangible Assets to our Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding our goodwill and other indefinite-lived intangible assets.
Vehicles. We present vehicles at cost, net of accumulated depreciation, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We record the initial cost of the vehicle, net of incentives and allowances from manufacturers. We acquire our rental vehicles either through repurchase and guaranteed depreciation programs with certain automobile manufacturers or outside of such programs. For rental vehicles purchased under such programs, we depreciate the vehicles such that the net book value on the date of sale or return to the manufacturers is intended to equal the contractual guaranteed residual values. For risk vehicles acquired outside of manufacturer repurchase and guaranteed depreciation programs, we depreciate based on the vehicles’ estimated residual market values at their expected dates of disposition. The estimation of residual values requires us to make assumptions regarding the age and mileage of the vehicle at the time of disposal, as well as expected used vehicle market conditions. We regularly evaluate estimated residual values and adjust depreciation rates as appropriate. Differences between actual residual values and those estimated result in a gain or loss on disposal and are recorded as part of vehicle depreciation and lease charges, net, at the time of sale.
During 2025, we recorded $518 million in long-lived asset impairment and other related charges related to the acceleration of the rotation of certain United States EV rental car vehicles and shortened useful life associated with such vehicles, in conjunction with the Interpace Ventures transaction. During 2024, we recorded $2.5 billion in long-lived asset impairment and other related charges related to vehicles, including an approximately $2.3 billion impairment charge related to the acceleration of rotation of our fleet and shortened useful life associated with such vehicles. See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 8 – Vehicle Rental Activities to our Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding our vehicles. For a discussion of risk factors and assumptions relative to our vehicle valuations, refer to Item 1A, “Risk Factors”, included under Part 1 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
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Income Taxes. We account for income taxes under the asset and liability method, which requires the recognition of deferred tax assets and liabilities for the expected future tax consequences of events that have been reflected in the financial statements. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are determined based on the differences between the financial statement and tax bases of assets and liabilities using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which the differences are expected to reverse. The effect of a change in tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date.
We record net deferred tax assets to the extent we believe these assets will more likely than not be realized. In making such determination, we consider all available positive and negative evidence, including scheduled reversals of deferred tax liabilities, projected future taxable income, tax planning strategies and recent results of operations. In the event we were to determine that we would be able to realize deferred income tax assets in the future in excess of their net recorded amount, we would make an adjustment to the valuation allowance which would reduce the provision for income taxes. Currently we do not record valuation allowances on the majority of our tax loss carryforwards as there are adequate deferred tax liabilities that could be realized within the carryforward period.
See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 9 – Income Taxes to our Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding income taxes.
Public Liability, Property Damage and Other Insurance Liabilities. Insurance liabilities on our Consolidated Balance Sheets include additional/supplemental liability insurance, personal effects protection insurance, public liability, property damage and personal accident insurance claims for which we are self-insured. We estimate the required liability of such claims on an undiscounted basis utilizing an actuarial method that is based upon various assumptions which include, but are not limited to, our historical loss experience and projected loss development factors. The required liability is also subject to adjustment in the future based upon changes in claims experience, including changes in the number of incidents for which we are ultimately liable and changes in the cost per incident.
See Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our Consolidated Financial Statements for more information regarding public liability, property damage and other insurance liabilities.
Adoption of New Accounting Pronouncements
For a description of our adoption of new accounting pronouncements and the impact thereof on our business, see Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our Consolidated Financial Statements.
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements
For a description of recently issued accounting pronouncements and the impact thereof on our business, see Note 2 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies to our Consolidated Financial Statements.