Latest news with #Wait&Save
The Hill
23-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hill
Uber unveils ‘Women Preference' feature for drivers, riders
Women in select U.S. cities will soon be able to express a preference for female Uber drivers and riders in the popular ride-sharing service, the company announced Wednesday. Uber said pilot programs will roll out in the next few weeks in Los Angeles, Detroit and San Francisco. The company previously launched the system abroad, where women can request female drivers and riders in 40 countries. The program first launched in Saudi Arabia in 2019 and expanded after receiving an 'overwhelmingly positive' response, the company said. A spokesperson for Uber told The Hill that the company doesn't yet have a target launch date for other American cities but added, 'we're excited to learn from these pilots and bring these features to more cities soon.' The rollout comes as Uber has recorded thousands of incidents of sexual assaults throughout the years and has taken steps to mitigate the risk for women. 'Across the US, women riders and drivers have told us they want the option to be matched with other women on trips. We've heard them—and now we're introducing new ways to give them even more control over how they ride and drive,' Uber's press release Wednesday read. Uber is providing its female app users different ways to request rides with other women. After verifying their own gender on the app, female riders will see 'Women Drivers' as an on-demand option — along with UberX, UberXL, Black, Wait & Save and others — when they go to request a ride. Similarly, riders can reserve trips in advance with female drivers. Both riders and drivers can alternatively toggle the preference for women in their app settings. Lyft, a competitor to Uber, rolled out pilots for the 'Women+ Connect' option in September 2023, expanding it nationwide in February 2024.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
LYFT Q1 Earnings Call: Management Focuses on Product Expansion, International Growth, and AV Partnerships
Ride sharing service Lyft (NASDAQ: LYFT) missed Wall Street's revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, but sales rose 13.5% year on year to $1.45 billion. Its non-GAAP profit of $0.11 per share was 46.7% below analysts' consensus estimates. Is now the time to buy LYFT? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Revenue: $1.45 billion vs analyst estimates of $1.47 billion (13.5% year-on-year growth, 1.3% miss) Adjusted EBITDA: $106.5 million vs analyst estimates of $92.39 million (7.3% margin, 15.3% beat) EBITDA guidance for Q2 CY2025 is $122.5 million at the midpoint, in line with analyst expectations Operating Margin: -2%, up from -4.9% in the same quarter last year Active Riders: 24.2 million, up 2.3 million year on year Market Capitalization: $6.57 billion Lyft's first quarter results reflected management's ongoing focus on expanding its rider base, including both new demographic segments and geographic markets. CEO David Risher pointed to the successful launch of products like Lyft Silver and the company's entrance into Europe through the FREENOW acquisition as key factors supporting active rider growth. On the call, management highlighted that the commute segment now represents a significant share of rides, underscoring a shift in use cases. CFO Erin Brewer referenced operational discipline in cost management and continued product innovation, such as Wait & Save and Price Lock, as contributors to the company's operating margin improvement from last year. Looking ahead, Lyft's outlook is shaped by its ability to integrate international operations, scale new products, and execute on partnerships in autonomous vehicles (AVs). Management emphasized that the FREENOW acquisition will double Lyft's addressable market, although CEO David Risher acknowledged the need for careful integration. The company is also positioning itself to benefit from the expansion of fleet management and AV supply, with Risher noting, 'AVs are an absolutely extraordinary opportunity for us,' while cautioning that large-scale adoption remains a longer-term prospect. Brewer added that Lyft's insurance and risk programs are expected to support safe platform growth, but acknowledged that macroeconomic factors and evolving competitive dynamics will continue to influence near-term performance. Management attributed first quarter trends to product diversification, operational focus, and early progress in international and AV initiatives, while noting that competitive pricing and insurance costs remained ongoing challenges. Product portfolio expansion: Lyft's management highlighted the growing impact of products like Wait & Save and Price Lock, with Price Lock membership retention rising to approximately 75%. These offerings are designed to address rider preferences for price predictability and affordability, particularly in the commute segment, which now accounts for about a third of all rides. International and demographic growth: The company's rider base expanded through the launch of Lyft Silver and significant progress in Canada, where rider activity nearly doubled over the past year. The FREENOW acquisition, pending closing in the second half of the year, is expected to provide access to nine new European countries and strengthen Lyft's presence in premium taxi markets. Autonomous vehicle partnerships: Management underscored partnerships with May Mobility and Mobileye as steps toward integrating AVs into Lyft's network. Initial pilots, such as the upcoming Atlanta launch, are intended to generate operational insights. However, CEO David Risher emphasized that the pace and economics of AV adoption remain uncertain due to insurance, utilization rates, and supply constraints. Advertising and media platform development: Lyft Media is tracking toward a $100 million annualized revenue run rate, supported by new ad formats and 'sponsored rides' experiments. Management sees opportunities to attract both brand and performance advertisers as the platform's scale and engagement improve. Pricing and insurance dynamics: The average ride price was modestly higher year-over-year but declined compared to the previous quarter. Management cited increased competition and broader market dynamics as factors, while noting that improvements in risk management and insurance partnerships are ongoing but have not yet fully translated into pricing stability. Lyft's forward outlook is anchored by international expansion, deeper product adoption, and the execution of partnerships in AV technology and advertising. FREENOW integration and international focus: Management expects the FREENOW acquisition to be a primary catalyst for growth, effectively doubling Lyft's total addressable market. Early integration efforts will focus on operational alignment and leveraging FREENOW's fleet management expertise in European premium taxi markets, though management stressed that the deal must first close and that further expansion will be considered only after initial integration. AV partnerships and supply diversification: Lyft aims to broaden its supply base through partnerships with both AV technology providers and traditional fleet operators. Management believes these partnerships will diversify service offerings and enhance platform reliability, but cautioned that the impact on margins and pricing from large-scale AV deployments is difficult to predict given current market constraints and insurance complexities. Media and monetization initiatives: The development of Lyft Media and continued innovation in ad formats are expected to contribute incremental revenue. Management stated that successful advertiser adoption—particularly for location-based and 'sponsored ride' campaigns—will be a key determinant of media platform growth, while investments in marketing and technology to support these initiatives may pressure near-term margins. Looking ahead, the StockStory team will monitor (1) the closing and early integration of the FREENOW acquisition, (2) the performance of new product offerings like Price Lock and Lyft Silver in driving rider engagement and retention, and (3) operational milestones in AV partnerships, including pilot launches and fleet management scalability. The continued ramp of Lyft Media and expansion into new geographic markets will serve as additional indicators of strategic execution. Lyft currently trades at a forward EV/EBITDA ratio of 12.9×. At this valuation, is it a buy or sell post earnings? Find out in our full research report (it's free). Donald Trump's victory in the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election sent major indices to all-time highs, but stocks have retraced as investors debate the health of the economy and the potential impact of tariffs. While this leaves much uncertainty around 2025, a few companies are poised for long-term gains regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate, like our Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025). Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-small-cap company Comfort Systems (+782% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today. 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