Zacks Research Upgrades Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) to Hold

Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) was upgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages have also issued reports on LYFT. BTIG Research upgraded shares of Lyft from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, June 17th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. boosted their price objective on shares of Lyft from $17.00 to $18.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Friday, May 8th. William Blair cut shares of Lyft to a “market perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 17th. Jefferies Financial Group upped their price objective on shares of Lyft from $15.00 to $15.50 and gave the stock a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, July 14th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada decreased their target price on shares of Lyft from $22.00 to $18.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-two have given a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $19.43.

Lyft Price Performance

Shares of LYFT stock opened at $16.30 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $6.19 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 2.38, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.80. The business’s fifty day moving average is $14.88 and its 200 day moving average is $14.53. Lyft has a twelve month low of $12.46 and a twelve month high of $25.54. The company has a quick ratio of 0.58, a current ratio of 0.58 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, August 6th. The ride-sharing company reported $0.13 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.14 by ($0.01). The firm had revenue of $1.84 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.81 billion. Lyft had a net margin of 43.82% and a negative return on equity of 2.09%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 16.1% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the business posted $0.10 EPS. Research analysts expect that Lyft will post 0.69 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CFO Erin Brewer sold 15,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.59, for a total transaction of $203,850.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 705,979 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $9,594,254.61. This represents a 2.08% decrease in their position. 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, CAO Stephen W. Hope sold 5,460 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 27th. The shares were sold at an average price of $13.76, for a total transaction of $75,129.60. Following the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 335,463 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,615,970.88. This represents a 1.60% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 81,749 shares of company stock worth $1,221,950 in the last 90 days. 0.92% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in LYFT. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Lyft by 23.2% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 3,399 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $75,000 after purchasing an additional 639 shares in the last quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. boosted its stake in shares of Lyft by 5.6% during the fourth quarter. PNC Financial Services Group Inc. now owns 12,808 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $248,000 after purchasing an additional 681 shares in the last quarter. Allegiance Financial Group Advisory Services LLC boosted its stake in shares of Lyft by 4.3% during the fourth quarter. Allegiance Financial Group Advisory Services LLC now owns 18,153 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $352,000 after purchasing an additional 756 shares in the last quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio increased its holdings in Lyft by 0.5% during the third quarter. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio now owns 167,399 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $3,684,000 after buying an additional 771 shares during the period. Finally, AlphaQuest LLC increased its holdings in Lyft by 1.0% during the fourth quarter. AlphaQuest LLC now owns 89,753 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $1,739,000 after buying an additional 854 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 83.07% of the company’s stock.

More Lyft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lyft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Lyft reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $1.84 billion, up 16.1% year over year and ahead of the $1.81 billion analyst estimate. The company also reported record active riders, supported by demand for higher-value rides, international expansion, and partnerships. Lyft signals steady demand as second-quarter revenue tops estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Second-quarter gross bookings climbed to about $5.5 billion. Lyft’s outlook for the current quarter calls for bookings growth that is slightly above Wall Street expectations, potentially signaling continued demand despite a more cautious growth trajectory. Lyft signals steady demand as second-quarter revenue tops estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Lyft highlighted record quarterly growth and profitability gains, but reported metrics were mixed. Investors will likely focus on whether higher-value rides and international operations can sustain growth while the company expands its platform. Lyft Reports Record Q2 Growth and Profitability Gains
• Negative Sentiment: Adjusted second-quarter earnings fell short of expectations. Zacks cited EPS of $0.29 versus a $0.39 consensus estimate; another report cited $0.13 versus $0.14. Although earnings improved from the prior year, the miss raises concerns about cost control and profit growth. Lyft Misses Q2 Earnings Estimates
• Negative Sentiment: Management expects current-quarter bookings growth of roughly 15% to 19%, indicating a slowdown from the recent pace. That moderation may limit enthusiasm despite the revenue beat and slightly favorable bookings outlook. Lyft’s Bookings Climb, But Expects Growth to Moderate
• Negative Sentiment: Insider Lindsay Catherine Llewellyn sold 36,214 shares worth approximately $584,494 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Because the sale was scheduled in advance and the insider retained more than 817,000 shares, its impact is likely limited, but it may add modest sentiment pressure. Lyft Insider Sale

Lyft Company 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.