What to Expect When Uber and Lyft Report Later This Week

August 6, 2019 by Chris Lange

The two biggest ride-sharing firms are due to report their most recent financial results this week. Although neither of these firms has made much headway since their respective initial public offerings earlier this year, with markets recently near all-time highs, these firms could break out.

Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE: UBER) is scheduled to release its second-quarter financial results after the markets close on Thursday. Analysts are calling for Uber to have a net loss of $3.20 per share and $3.39 billion in revenue.

Canaccord Genuity has issued a Buy rating for Uber with a $55 price target, implying upside of roughly 41% from the most recent closing price of $39.05.

The firm expects Uber’s core ridesharing business to sustain solid top-line momentum as the secular shift away from individual car ownership toward transportation as a service continues, and it sees ongoing upside to its volume estimates for riders and ride frequency.

Canaccord Genuity also sees potential for pricing expansion going forward, as referenced in its recently published monthly “Rideshare pricing tracker,” in which its proprietary data shows that both Uber X and Uber Pool prices rose modestly across the country through the second half of the second quarter. The price increases were driven in part by New York City, which experienced the highest price growth primarily due to the city’s new minimum wage law.

According to Canaccord Genuity:

The rideshare business should be top-of-mind, and we see constructive trends leading to about 18% Rides gross bookings growth. Investors will also likely be focused on Uber Eats about 18.5% of revenue) amidst a backdrop of increasing competition and consolidation in the food delivery space.

Shares of Uber traded down about 1% on Tuesday, at $38.63 in a 52-week range of $36.08 to $47.08. The consensus price target is $52.13.

Lyft Inc. (NASDAQ: LYFT) is set to release its most recent results after the markets close on Wednesday. The consensus forecast calls for Lyft to have a net loss of $1.54 per share and $809.27 million in revenue.

Canaccord Genuity said in its report that Lyft continued to show strong top-line momentum in the first quarter, growing its active riders by about 46% to a record 20.5 million and expanding revenue per active rider by about 34% to $38.

While both of these metrics will moderate slightly into the seasonally slower second quarter, the firm still expects revenue growth of 60% year over year, driven by a larger overall rider base coupled with increasing prices, as implied by the monthly “Rideshare pricing tracker.” While general rideshare adoption likely will drive both the number of riders and frequency of rides, Canaccord Genuity sees additional growth coming from the continued roll-out of new features and the expansion of new and existing partnerships. In the quarter, Lyft rolled out Shared Saver to more markets, further enhanced safety alerts and expanded PIN pickups at airports. New partnerships with the likes of Agero for roadside assistance and Arizona Medicaid for doctor’s visits also were announced.

Canaccord Genuity further detailed in its report:

We expect strong rider growth and continued improvements in ride frequency to combine with a more constructive pricing environment to drive ~60% revenue growth in Q2. Key themes should include multi-modal development (bikes & scooters) and updates around gross margin leverage coming from insurance savings.

Shares of Lyft traded down about 3% to $57.75. The 52-week range is $47.17 to $88.60, and the consensus price target is $71.34.


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