Uber beats Q3 earnings expectations powered by growth in Eats business, Rides falls short

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Uber (UBER) reported its Q3 2020 earnings after the closing bell on Thursday, beating analysts’ expectations on solid growth from its Eats business. Still, the impact of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic continues to be a concern for Uber’s main Rides business, which fell short of analysts’ forecasts.

Here are the most important numbers from the report compared to what analysts were expecting from the company in the quarter, as compiled by Bloomberg.

  • Gross bookings: $14.75 billion versus $14.49 billion expected

  • Rides gross bookings: $5.91 billion versus $6.44 billion expected

  • Eats gross bookings: $8.55 billion versus $7.80 billion expected

  • Losses per share: $0.62 versus $0.61 expected

The company’s stock was down more than 2% following the report.

Uber’s ride-sharing model has been dramatically impacted by the pandemic, with rider totals plummeting due to a lack of available entertainment options ranging from movie theaters and bars to ball games. Exacerbating the problem is a lack of business travelers who would normally look to Uber as an alternative to using a black car or yellow cab service.

For the quarter, Uber saw revenue decline 18% year-over-year, with revenue from its Rides business falling 53% year-over-year. Still, it’s Eats business continued to perform well with revenue growing 125% year-over-year.

“Despite an uneven pandemic response and broader economic uncertainty, our global scope, diversification, and the team’s tireless execution delivered steadily improving results, with total company Gross Bookings down just 6% year-on-year in September,” Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi said via a statement.

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In Q2, Uber reported a $1.8 billion loss after its Rides business collapsed by a stunning 74% year-over-year. In May, the company filed paperwork with the SEC indicating that it was to cut roughly 14% of its workforce, or 3,700 jobs, primarily in its customer support and recruiting divisions.

And while there are signs of returning growth, a steady increase of coronavirus cases across the U.S. and Europe could further hinder Uber’s efforts to return to its pre-COVID ridership levels.

Still, Wedbush analyst Dan Ives wrote in a research note that he is seeing positive movement in Uber’s direction, especially as consumers feel less comfortable taking mass transit during the pandemic.

“The overall environment is starting to considerably improve for Uber over the coming quarters with 2Q marking a clear trough in volumes and fundamentals in our opinion,” he wrote.

Uber driver Sergei Fyodorov discusses why he supports a yes vote on Proposition 22 in Oakland, California on October 9, 2020. - Ahead of a referendum that could upend the whole gig economy, Uber driver Karim Benkanoun says his relationship with the rideshare giant must stop being a one-way street. "If youre a driver with Uber or Lyft, you're nothing," said Benkanoun as he speaks of how he will vote in California's Proposition 22 referendum. (Photo by JOSH EDELSON / AFP) (Photo by JOSH EDELSON/AFP via Getty Images)
Uber driver Sergei Fyodorov discusses why he supports a yes vote on Proposition 22 in Oakland, California on October 9, 2020. (Photo by Josh Edelson/AFP via Getty Images)

“We also believe a consumer dynamic that is becoming commonplace across cities both in the US and internationally is many steering clear of mass transportation given health concerns and lack of comfort taking subways/buses and thus could be an incremental demand driver for ridesharing vendors over the next few quarters (at least).”