Towle & Co. Invests $12.02 Million in Lyft, Inc. $LYFT

Towle & Co. acquired a new stake in Lyft, Inc. (NASDAQ:LYFT) during the 3rd quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor acquired 546,294 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock, valued at approximately $12,024,000. Lyft makes up 3.0% of Towle & Co.’s portfolio, making the stock its 6th biggest position.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Lyft in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Lyft during the third quarter worth about $50,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC raised its position in shares of Lyft by 410.6% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 3,217 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $51,000 after buying an additional 2,587 shares during the last quarter. Compagnie Lombard Odier SCmA purchased a new position in shares of Lyft during the third quarter valued at approximately $55,000. Finally, BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. purchased a new position in shares of Lyft during the second quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.07% of the company’s stock.

Lyft Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LYFT opened at $13.95 on Friday. The firm has a market capitalization of $5.57 billion, a PE ratio of 2.05, a P/E/G ratio of 0.81 and a beta of 1.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.31, a current ratio of 0.65 and a quick ratio of 0.65. The business has a 50-day moving average of $17.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $18.99. Lyft, Inc. has a 12 month low of $9.66 and a 12 month high of $25.54.

Lyft announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock buyback program on Tuesday, February 10th that authorizes the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the ride-sharing company to buy up to 15.1% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director David Lawee sold 6,578 shares of the stock in a transaction on Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.55, for a total value of $148,333.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 104,460 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,355,573. This represents a 5.92% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CAO Stephen W. Hope sold 4,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.30, for a total transaction of $107,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer directly owned 311,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,955,570.70. This represents a 1.52% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 187,443 shares of company stock worth $4,178,618. Insiders own 3.07% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research analysts have weighed in on LYFT shares. DA Davidson cut their price target on Lyft from $22.00 to $19.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price objective on Lyft from $22.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, November 10th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Lyft in a research report on Monday, February 2nd. Guggenheim decreased their price target on Lyft from $26.00 to $22.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, February 11th. Finally, BMO Capital Markets upped their price objective on shares of Lyft from $20.00 to $23.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $19.66.

Key Stories Impacting Lyft

Here are the key news stories impacting Lyft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bullish take arguing Lyft still has “incredible upside” despite autonomous‑vehicle fears, highlighting potential long‑term value if execution/monetization improves. Lyft: Incredible Upside Potential Despite AV Fears
• Neutral Sentiment: Lyft CFO Erin Brewer will appear at the Bernstein TMT forum next week; the fireside chat (webcast available) gives management a venue to address guidance, margin plans and cost discipline with investors. Lyft CFO to Participate in Fireside Chat at the Bernstein TMT Forum
• Neutral Sentiment: Comparisons between Uber and Lyft after Q4 suggest both firms missed, but analysts point to differences in valuation, buybacks and recent price performance when choosing which ride‑hailer might rebound faster. That framing leaves Lyft more exposed to sentiment shifts. UBER vs. LYFT: Which Ride‑Hailing Stock Is Better Placed Post Q4?
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 update: revenue growth missed expectations even though non‑GAAP profit topped forecasts — investors have punished the stock on growth concerns, contributing to sharp short‑term declines. Lyft (NasdaqGS:LYFT) Valuation Check After Q4 Miss On Revenue Growth But Beat On Non GAAP Profit
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have trimmed Lyft’s fair value and nudged up required returns, lowering growth assumptions (fair value moved from ~$24.07 to ~$20.31 in one note) — a direct headwind for sentiment and target prices. How The Story Behind Lyft (LYFT) Is Changing As Analysts Reset Expectations
• Negative Sentiment: Local criminal case: two teens charged in a fatal shooting of a Lyft driver — a reputational and liability issue that can raise regulatory/safety scrutiny and insurance/legal costs. 2 teens charged for Lyft driver’s deadly shooting
• Negative Sentiment: Operational cost pressure at airports: reports say SFO is collecting record fees from Uber and Lyft, which can squeeze margins on key pickup/drop‑off locations and make unit economics tougher. SFO is taking your Uber and Lyft cash at a new record high

Lyft Profile

Lyft, Inc (NASDAQ: LYFT) operates a peer-to-peer ridesharing platform that connects passengers with drivers through a mobile application. Since its founding in 2012, the company has expanded beyond traditional ride-hailing to include bike and electric scooter rentals, while also offering rental cars and public transit options in select markets. Lyft’s platform uses GPS mapping and dynamic pricing algorithms to optimize driver-passenger matches and route efficiency.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Lyft primarily serves urban and suburban markets across the United States and Canada.