CNN
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Lyft may have a bumpy road ahead to recovery.
The ride-hailing company reported revenue of $1 billion for the quarter ending in March, marking a 14% year-over-year increase and beating Wall Street estimate’s. But the company forecast weaker-than-expected revenue for the current quarter, which was enough to jitter investors.
Shares of Lyft plunged nearly 15% in after-hours trading Thursday following the earnings results.
The latest earnings report comes on the heels of Lyft shaking up its the C-suite and announcing plans to cut 26% of its employees as it fights for market share and profitability.
David Risher, who previously worked at Amazon and Microsoft, recently took over as CEO of Lyft and the company’s two co-founders stepped down from their management positions at the company. Risher has been a member of the Lyft board since 2021.
On a conference call with analysts on Thursday to discuss the results, Risher said Lyft is currently at “an inflection point” as people return to pre-pandemic social habits.
“I am very aware of our current levels of growth and profitability are not acceptable,” Risher said on the call, his first as CEO. “I am committed to growing Lyft into a large, durable, profitable business, that our riders, drivers and shareholders love, and I look forward to keeping you informed on our progress.”
Compared to its chief rival Uber, Lyft has so far struggled to bounce back from the pandemic’s hit to its business. While Uber diversified its business beyond ride-hailing by delivering meals and grocery items during the health crises, Lyft never did. Uber also was able to attract drivers back to the platform better than Lyft as pandemic restrictions eased in the U.S.
Earlier this week, Uber said in its quarterly earnings report that revenue was up 29%, as demand for its rideshare and delivery services held firm despite lingering recession fears.
