Lyft began the year mired in the same ditch it ended in last year, with its ride-hailing service struggling to recover from a pandemic-driven downturn that triggered a change in leadership and layoffs that wiped out a quarter of its workforce.
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The pandemic initially walloped Lyft by drying up demand for ride-hailing services, a blow Uber was able to soften through an aggressive expansion in food delivery. That gave people a reason to continue using Uber's app even when they were stuck at home while Lyft fell out of favor.
Uber dominates U.S. market shareBy April 2022, Uber sales exceeded their pre-pandemic levels and remained elevated throughout most months of 2022 and into 2023. Meanwhile, sales at Lyft are yet to reach their pre-pandemic levels as of July 2023.
Revenue of $1.021 billion was up 3% year-over-year, reflecting strong growth in rideshare rides, up 18% year-over-year. Net loss of $114.3 million compares with $187.6 million in Q1'23 and $377.2 million in Q2'22. Net loss includes $116.6 million of stock-based compensation and related payroll tax expenses.
Lyft said an increased driver supply meant the company couldn't continue to charge higher fares during peak times. Lyft stock tumbled early Friday after disappointing guidance pointed to a resumption of fierce competition on pricing with Uber . The earnings were so bad at least seven analysts downgraded the stock.
Shares of Lyft plunged nearly 15% in after-hours trading Thursday following the earnings results. The latest earnings report comes on the heels of Lyft shaking up its the C-suite and announcing plans to cut 26% of its employees as it fights for market share and profitability.
Lyft's 2022 revenue was $4.1 billion, up 28%, topping the $3.6 billion recorded in 2019, the last prepandemic year. But the stock has fallen 17% this year to a little over $9, just a smidgen above its all-time low.
Lyft to cut 1,072 employees, or 26% of its workforceThe layoffs had been announced last week without a specific number. New CEO David Risher told employees that the cuts would form part of a continued focus on “better meeting” consumer and driver needs.
On average, Uber paid its drivers about 6.2% more per hour than Lyftin 2022: $21.14 versus Lyft's $19.90, according to the ride-hailing business site Gridwise.
In terms of revenue, Uber is about 10 times the size of Lyft. Granted, more revenue means Uber is spending more on variable costs like driver compensation and administrative support. More revenue, however, also means Uber can spend more on research and development, which in turn maintains its technological edge.
In conclusion, Uber's lack of profitability is due to several factors such as heavy investments in research and development, pricing strategy, legal challenges, and its business model.
LYFT Stock 12 Months ForecastBased on 25 Wall Street analysts offering 12 month price targets for Lyft in the last 3 months. The average price target is $12.15 with a high forecast of $22.00 and a low forecast of $9.00. The average price target represents a 10.15% change from the last price of $11.03.
As of 2022, Uber has a 71% share of sales in the U.S. rideshare market, whereas Lyft only has 29%. However, both have seen significant sales increases since 2021. As of January 2022, Uber's sales are up 84%, and Lyft sales are up 62% year-over-year.
Out of 12 analysts, 1 (8.33%) are recommending LYFT as a Strong Buy, 3 (25%) are recommending LYFT as a Buy, 8 (66.67%) are recommending LYFT as a Hold, 0 (0%) are recommending LYFT as a Sell, and 0 (0%) are recommending LYFT as a Strong Sell. If you're new to stock investing, here's how to buy Lyft stock.
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