NEW YORK (Reuters) – Uber Technologies Inc (UBER.N) and Lyft Inc (LYFT.O), the two leading U.S. ride-hailing companies, are on divergent paths as Uber pours money into money-losing side businesses while smaller rival Lyft focuses on moving people around.
FILE PHOTO – A banner announcing the IPO of Uber Technologies Inc. hangs outside the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York, U.S., May 10, 2019. REUTERS/Andrew Kelly
Uber shares shot up 9% on Friday after the company said on Thursday it could achieve a measure of company-wide profitability in the fourth quarter of 2020, a year ahead of a previous target. That measure excludes expenses for stock-based compensation and other items. Uber still expects to lose more than $1 billion for all of 2020.
Uber and Lyft, both based in San Francisco, are ride hailing’s odd couple. Uber is much larger, with $3.8 billion in revenues for the first nine months of 2019 compared to $956 million for Lyft. At almost $69 billion, Uber’s market valuation is nearly five times that of Lyft’s – and well ahead of automaker General Motors Co(GM.N).
Uber operates in more markets around the world, although it has clashed with regu