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Hertz Reports Record Q3 Earnings

13 October 1998

Hertz Reports Record Third Quarter Earnings of $118.7 Million, Up 27%
    PARK RIDGE, N.J., Oct. 13 -- The Hertz Corporation
, the world's largest car rental company and a leading industrial
and construction equipment rental business, reported record earnings of
$118.7 million for the third quarter of 1998, up 27 percent from the
$93.4 million reported for the same period last year.  Earnings per share on a
diluted basis were $1.09 per share for third quarter, 1998, up from 86 cents
in the third quarter of the prior year.
    Net income for the first nine months of 1998 was $229.1 million, up
37 percent from $167.1 million earned in the same period, 1997.
    Hertz also achieved record third quarter revenues of $1.225 billion, up
11.2 percent or $123 million from the $1.102 billion reported for the same
period, 1997.  Before the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates, the
revenue increase would have been $129 million or 11.7 percent growth over the
prior year.
    Revenues for the first nine months were up 7.3 percent from $2.957 billion
in 1997 to $3.172 billion in 1998.  Before the impact of changes in foreign
exchange rates, the increase would have been 8.5 percent or $252 million over
the prior year.
    Frank A. Olson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Hertz, said, "We
are very pleased with our trends on volume and pricing recovery, and are
comfortable that we will produce our fifth consecutive record profit year."
    Domestic car rental operations reported revenues of $756.7 million for the
quarter, up 6.7 percent from $709.4 million in the same quarter last year.
    International car rental and leasing reported a 2.6 percent increase in
revenues for the third quarter from $263.0 million in 1997 to $270.0 million
in 1998.  Before the impact of changes in foreign exchange rates and
adjustments for the franchising of previously owned locations, revenue for the
quarter would have been 7.6 percent higher than 1997.
    Hertz' worldwide industrial and construction equipment rental operations,
including acquisitions, generated revenues of $189.5 million for the third
quarter, 1998, up 54.3 percent from the $122.8 million in the third quarter
last year.
    Headquartered in Park Ridge, New Jersey, Hertz operates from over
5,500 locations throughout the U.S. and in over 140 foreign countries.

                            THE HERTZ CORPORATION
                       CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF INCOME
                          (In Thousands of Dollars)
                                  Unaudited

                                Three Months                 As % of
                            Ended September 30,            Total Revenue
                             1998         1997           1998         1997

    Revenue             $1,225,145    $1,102,142       100.0%        1O0.0%
    Expenses:
     Direct operating      514,718       479,426        42.0%         43.5%
     Depreciation of
      revenue earning
       equipment           304,453       266,947        24.8%         24.2%
     Selling, general and
      administrative       119,762       113,244         9.8%         10.3%
     Interest - net         85,894        80,829         7.0%          7.3%
      Total expenses     1,024,827       940,446        83.6%         85.3%
    Income before
     income taxes          200,318       161,696        16.4%         14.7%
    Income taxes            81,640        68,262         6.7%          6.2%
    Net income            $l18,678       $93,434         9.7%          8.5%

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

    Weighted average
     number of shares
      outstanding:
     Basic             108,070,628   108,230,984           --            --
     Diluted           108,557,208   108,631,839           --            --

                                BALANCE SHEET DATA
                            (In Thousands of Dollars)
                                    Unaudited

                               September 30,
                           1998           1997
    Revenue earning
     equipment:
     Cars               $4,809,553    $4,518,696
     Other equipment     1,307,052       876,614
    Total assets         8,950,650     7,788,362
    Total debt           5,820,956     5,103,762
    Stockholders' equity 1,352,646     1,116,096