The Latest

The economic contraction caused by the coronavirus pandemic has been worse than the Wall Street firm had modeled two months ago, its president John Waldron said Wednesday.

The best outcome for creditors and ABS noteholders with approximately $6 billion in outstanding bonds is likely to be through a renewal of Hertz’s operations, rather than liquidation, according to analysis from the ratings agency.

The coronavirus made it particularly tough for independent contractors and independent business owners to get home mortgages, but there are some signs that market may recover soon.

The company is looking to sell $1.1 billion of junk bonds secured by marquee properties including its State Street store in Chicago. The retailer is also setting up a line of credit worth about $3 billion, backed by its unsold goods

Mortgage applications increased 2.7% from one week earlier, as purchase volume is now outpacing the prior year's activity, according to the Mortgage Bankers Association.

Forecasts about the pandemic's impact on the mortgage market have grown less dire after forbearance requests by homeowners nearly leveled off in the first half of May.

In a report issued Tuesday, the ratings agency notes that 1,287 companies as of April 28 faced prospects of potential debt and issuer downgrades, impacted by the coronavirus outbreak and a virtual shutdown of the global economy this spring.

The bonds will finance the purchase of GSE-eligible loans for the revolving warehouse facility.

Some cities saw drops in annual housing supply nearing 40% in early May, according to Zillow.

The company, whose counters are common in airports across the globe, said the pandemic not only hit its revenues but also placed “substantial new demands” on its cash. In April, the first full month after the health crisis took hold in the U.S., its global revenue dropped 73% from the same month in the previous year, according to Hertz.