Table:
|  |  | Years Ended December 31, |  |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
|  | 2019 | 2018 | Increase / (Decrease) |
| Selling, general and administrative | $24.9 | $33.5 | $(8.6) |
| Depreciation and amortization | 0.1 | 0.1 | — |
| Loss from operations | $(25.0) | $(33.6) | $8.6 |
Paragraphs:
Non-operating Corporate
Selling, general and administrative: Selling, general and administrative expenses from our Non-operating Corporate segment for the year ended December 31, 2019 decreased $8.6 million to $24.9 million from $33.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The decrease was driven by reductions in bonus expense, consulting and professional service fees, and employee wage and benefits expenses.
The HC2 Compensation Committee establishes annual salary, cash and equity-based bonus arrangements for certain HC2 executive employees on an annual basis. In determining the amounts payable pursuant to such cash and equity-based bonus arrangements for these employees, the Company has historically measured the growth in the Company’s NAV in accordance with a formula established by HC2’s Compensation Committee ("Compensation NAV") in 2014.
The Compensation NAV is generally determined by dividing the end of year Compensation NAV per share by the beginning year Compensation NAV per share and subtracting 1 from this amount (the "NAV Return"), and then subtracting the required threshold return rate from the NAV Return. The hurdle rate has consistently been set at 7%, and the plan allows for the share of up to 12% of growth over and above the hurdle rate.
HC2’s accrual for cash and equity-based bonus arrangements of HC2 executive employees as of December 31, 2019 and 2018 resulted in a $4.4 million decrease in expense recognized. These changes reflect the underlying performance in the Compensation NAV in the respective periods. In 2019 the NAV did not meet the hurdle rate, while in 2018 it grew approximately 21%.
For 2019, Compensation NAV did not meet the hurdle rate, and declined by 26.1%, resulting primarily from external events that occurred in the fourth quarter at our Insurance segment, with respect to our views on the future of the management fee agreement, along with our expectations of future dividends, after recent and ongoing discussions with our domestic regulator.
In accordance with the terms of the plan, this decline in Compensation NAV directly reduces the deferred cash compensation awarded in 2017 and 2018. The total reduction recognized in 2019 was $0.8 million, related to the claw back of a portion of the 2017 and 2018 awards which were unpaid as of December 31, 2019. In addition, the plan requires that future NAV growth continues to be determined using the high water mark based on the beginning Compensation NAV established at the beginning of 2019.
Question:
What was the percentage increase / (decrease) in the selling, general and administrative expenses from 2018 to 2019?
Answer: 24.9 / 33.5 - 1 = -25.67