Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) Announces Quarterly Earnings Results

Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday. The ride-sharing company reported ($0.03) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.20 by ($0.23), FiscalAI reports. The firm had revenue of $1.82 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.92 billion. Lyft had a negative return on equity of 1.20% and a net margin of 42.32%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 8.1% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the business earned $0.11 earnings per share.

Here are the key takeaways from Lyft’s conference call:

• Lyft reported 17% year-over-year gross bookings growth to $5.6 billion and 10% rides growth to 273.5 million. Adjusted EBITDA rose 47% to a record $204 million, or 3.6% of bookings, while active riders reached 31.6 million.
• Management said North American rides growth accelerated for a second consecutive quarter, with a third acceleration expected in Q4; driver hours reached a record and ETAs improved. The company also cited strength in Canada, Europe, bikes and scooters, and partner-related rides.
• Lyft said total cost of revenue declined year over year as it worked to reduce insurance costs, and its latest insurance renewal is expected to have a modest impact, below the industry average. It reported more than $1 billion in trailing 12-month free cash flow for a fifth straight quarter and expects about $500 million of share repurchases for 2026.
• Lyft and DoorDash introduced Lyft Go, offering DashPass members 8% back in credits for rides and delivery. Management said hundreds of thousands had already linked accounts, but it will assess the program’s effect on customer acquisition, frequency, and economics; near-term impact is reflected in Q4 guidance.
• Lyft is expanding its AV partnerships, including fleet-management and marketplace work with Waymo in Nashville and a planned Baidu commercial service in London next year. Management described early progress and expects to expand Nashville’s serviced fleet by year-end, while noting current AV investment is relatively immaterial and future scale may require third-party capital.

Lyft Stock Performance

NASDAQ:LYFT traded down $0.75 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $17.09. The stock had a trading volume of 23,907,601 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,795,465. Lyft has a 1-year low of $12.46 and a 1-year high of $25.54. The firm’s fifty day simple moving average is $16.20 and its 200-day simple moving average is $15.13. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 0.59 and a quick ratio of 0.59. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.47 billion, a P/E ratio of 2.54, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 2.06.

Insider Activity

In other news, insider Lindsay Llewellyn sold 13,204 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, September 1st. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.64, for a total value of $219,714.56. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 781,152 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,998,369.28. This trade represents a 1.66% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director David Lawee sold 4,613 shares of Lyft stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 27th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.33, for a total value of $79,943.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 119,124 shares in the company, valued at $2,064,418.92. The trade was a 3.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 61,586 shares of company stock worth $1,024,326. Insiders own 0.92% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Lyft

Here are the key news stories impacting Lyft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lyft reported record rides and gross bookings for Q3, with coverage also highlighting stronger adjusted EBITDA. The CEO said rider growth has remained in double digits for eight consecutive quarters. Lyft reports record rides and gross bookings
• Positive Sentiment: Lyft launched Lyft Go, a $9.99 monthly membership bundling DoorDash DashPass with ride credits. The offering could encourage customer retention and increase use across both services. Lyft debuts joint membership with DoorDash
• Positive Sentiment: Lyft is expanding its Waymo robotaxi fleet in Nashville, while CEO David Risher said autonomous vehicles are not hurting the company’s business. Partnerships may let Lyft participate in autonomous rides without building its own fleet. Lyft to expand Waymo robotaxi fleet
• Neutral Sentiment: Truist raised its price target to $18 from $16 but kept a Hold rating, suggesting limited near-term conviction despite the higher valuation estimate. Truist rating and target
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 results disappointed on reported figures: Lyft posted a $0.03-per-share loss and $1.82 billion in revenue, below cited consensus estimates. Legal, tax, and regulatory reserve changes and settlements—including a reported $117.9 million charge—dented results, although some coverage emphasized stronger adjusted performance. Lyft posts surprise loss on settlement
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts flagged slowing growth and execution risks. Scotiabank cut its target to $16 from $17, and Rosenblatt lowered its target to $18 from $19; both maintained cautious ratings. Analyst commentary on Lyft

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on the company. Wells Fargo & Company lowered their price target on Lyft from $19.00 to $17.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, October 5th. Truist Financial raised their price objective on shares of Lyft from $16.00 to $18.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a “market perform” rating on shares of Lyft in a research report on Friday. Zacks Research upgraded shares of Lyft from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, August 5th. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reissued a “hold” rating and issued a $17.00 target price on shares of Lyft in a research report on Monday, August 10th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-five have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.00.

About Lyft

Lyft, Inc is a technology company that operates a transportation network platform in the United States and Canada. Its platform connects passengers with drivers through a mobile application and website, primarily offering on-demand rides in private vehicles, taxis and other transportation options.

The company also provides access to bicycles and scooters in select markets, as well as vehicle rentals and transportation solutions for businesses, healthcare organizations and other institutions.