Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER.US) Q4 operating profit hits record high but profit outlook weak, management embraces "Robotaxi growth narrative"

Global leader in online car hailing, Uber Technologies, Inc. (UBER.US), announced its latest quarterly performance and future outlook in pre-market trading on Wednesday. The company's management provided a weak profit outlook and promoted a candid supporter of autonomous taxi fans to serve as the new Chief Financial Officer, signaling a further expansion into the emerging sectors of its business, as well as the future strong revenue engine of Uber Technologies, Inc. - Robotaxi (fully autonomous taxi). The executive, Balaji Krishnamurthy, has been working at Uber Technologies, Inc. for over six years, currently serving as the Vice President of Strategic Finance and Investor Relations. According to a regulatory filing released on Wednesday, he will succeed the current CFO, Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah. The latter has been with the company for less than three years and has chosen to leave for other opportunities. The departing CFO will step down on February 16 and remain as a senior financial advisor until July 1. Following the release of weaker-than-expected performance outlook, Uber Technologies, Inc. stock price plummeted over 9% in pre-market trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Uber Technologies, Inc. introduced a new performance outlook indicator this year - adjusted earnings per share - which is expected to range from 65 cents to 72 cents for the current period (i.e., first quarter), lower than the Wall Street analysts' average expectations of about 77 cents. The company's forecast for adjusted EBITDA in the mid-range of the forecast range is also lower than the general expectations of Wall Street analysts. For the first quarter, the latest total booking range provided by the management of Uber Technologies, Inc. is $52 billion to $53.5 billion, which, calculated at fixed exchange rates, implies a year-on-year growth of 17% to 21%, significantly higher than the average Wall Street expectations. The weak profit forecast somewhat overshadowed the impressive total booking expectations of Uber Technologies, Inc. In terms of performance for the fourth quarter of 2025, Uber Technologies, Inc. delivered outstanding results. Under the GAAP guideline, Uber Technologies, Inc. achieved an operating profit of $1.8 billion, a historic high, representing a 130% year-on-year increase. The company's total revenue in the fourth quarter was approximately $14.37 billion, a 20% increase year-on-year, which was basically in line with the average expectations of Wall Street. Uber Technologies, Inc. achieved a net profit of about $1.5 billion in the fourth quarter under the Non-GAAP guideline, a 25% increase year-on-year, with an adjusted earnings per share of $0.71 under the Non-GAAP guideline, higher than the $0.56 in the same period of the previous year. Uber Technologies, Inc. has invested hundreds of millions of dollars in its autonomous driving technology partner and agreed to... (To be continued in another message)