Cendant’s 1st-Quarter Earnings Climb 43%

Cendant Corp. said its first-quarter earnings rose 43% as the world’s largest hotel franchiser was helped by a rebound in travel and acquisition of the Avis car rental firm and other businesses.

The New York-based owner of the Days Inn and other hotel chains had net income of $342 million, or 34 cents a share. Revenue rose 83% to $2.71 billion.

Travel has rebounded from the first drop in 19 years last year, boosting demand for Cendant’s cars, hotel rooms and timeshares. The company, which also franchises Coldwell Banker and other real estate brokerages, is being helped by a record level of home sales.

Cendant shares fell 7 cents to $18.68 on the NYSE. The results were released after the close of trading.

The company also said it agreed to buy its partner’s stake in NRT Inc. for about $230 million in stock to gain full control of the largest owner of residential brokerages.