Rental-car companies, crushed by a collapse in bookings at the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, are now getting a lift from two unexpected sources: rising used-car prices and more people looking to travel by car.
When the new coronavirus outbreak hit the U.S. in force this spring, the rental-car industry sustained a dual blow: a steep drop-off in business as people and companies canceled travel plans and a nosedive in resale values for their fleets. The drop-off in used-car prices was particularly damaging for Hertz Global…