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Uber opens at $42 per share

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Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#421
post #337

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is that really monetizable? I feel like Uber's biggest revenue generator would be putting a small smartboard in front of passengers and selling targeted ads. Data isn't valuable. Using that data to create a product that people will pay for is (e.g. showing an ad to someone en route to the restaurants across the street).

Hah, I guess they'll do that within the next year (the ads thing). Tell drivers they'll earn more if they did that, or the passenger can hit a button on their phonw to turn the thing off for a "premium ride". Just xx cents per ad-free minute! Or most likely the driver will agree to put the running gadget in the glove compartment for an off-the-app tip.

"Please verify your ride by pointing your camera at the information screen"

"Uber needs to access your microphone to communicate with the information screen"

"I can't communicate with the information screen Dave. It's voice sounds muffled. Have you done something with it?"

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#422
post #179

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Facebook was also profitable and had about 10x the number of users compared to Uber pre IPO https://www.forbes.com/sites/greatspeculations/2019/04/22/ub...

Uber has paying users. Facebook had advertisement targets. Doesn't make too much sense to conflate the two.

Uber doesn't have paying customers, it has customers it pays for.

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#423
post #332

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does Uber even want to encourage people to take more rides if each single one is at a loss? It's hard to envision the strategy going forward.

Yes, they want to eat up the whole market until all the competitors die. Then they can raise prices.

Main competitor here is traditional taxi (can be hailed, paid and tracked through app, has dozens of competing operators, has nice cars). If Uber would raise prices their only appeal would vanish.

If I take an Uber instead of a taxi it’s solely because Uber investors sponsor my ride. The taxi experience is 100% the same thing. I don’t think this is a great business model.

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#424

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I can't get a clear reading from Uber's most recent financials filing in Feb to determine that they have negative marginal profit. It looks the opposite to me. Given their substantial gross profits, I have to think that they last ride they sell is profitable.

What gross profits?

For FY2018, Uber reported $5.6 billion in gross profits and gross profit margins around 50%.

https://craft.co/uber/metrics

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#425
post #80

Earlier quoted context omitted.

How much would you like to bet on that? I'm happy to be your counterparty.

If only there were some sort of large, liquid, well-regulated market offering opportunities to bet on the prospects of publicly traded companies.

You can't really bet on "it'll be bankrupt in < 2 years" in the public market.

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#427

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What gross profits?

For FY2018, Uber reported $5.6 billion in gross profits and gross profit margins around 50%. https://craft.co/uber/metrics

So they made money as long as you ignore stuff like operating expenses..

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#428
post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Uber is currently well below it’s IPO price. Historically, that’s not uncommon. The claim was that Uber might be the first major IPO to close below its IPO price that day. If its not that uncommon then please show me the other major IPO's that traded below their IPO price on the day they went public. I'll wait :)

Off the top of my head. Alstom and CIT Group where both top 20 IPO’s of all time and they fell opening day. Several others where up and down at various points in the day. Which is more my point, being down at some point on opening day is fairly common.

Again, the claim was since 2008 there hasn't been a major IPO to close below its IPO price.

And you site an IPO form the 90's? sigh...

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#429
post #334

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Off the top of my head. Alstom and CIT Group where both top 20 IPO’s of all time and they fell opening day. Several others where up and down at various points in the day. Which is more my point, being down at some point on opening day is fairly common.

Again, the claim was since 2008 there hasn't been a major IPO to close below its IPO price. And you site an IPO form the 90's? sigh...

Saying it has not happened in 10 years is not the same as saying it’s uncommon. 1+ billion dollars IPO’s is a tiny sample set and completely arbitrary cutoff points. Go back another 8 years and you can find 18.

Re: Uber opens at $42 per share

#430
post #298
post #268

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Is it though? Cabs have apps now. What makes them different? If the answer is the price, well, that price is unsustainable and denies thousands of people a living wage.

Uber offers a single app that works in most major cities in the world, which is fantastic as a regular traveler. Versus having to find, download, and set up a new app for every new city... maybe on roaming data or dodgy airport WiFi... when you've just flown in...

Somebody needs to make a MetaHail app that shows the fare and wait time for every service available and then you pick the one you want.
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