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Lyft, Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 5 November 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 3 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record Gross Bookings and revenue: The company reported record Gross Bookings of $4.8 billion, up 16% year over year, and revenue of $1.7 billion, up 11%. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 29 percent: Adjusted EBITDA was $138.9 million, up 29% from $107.3 million a year earlier, and the company described it as a record. Source
  • Rides at an all-time high: Rides grew 15% year over year to 248.8 million, the tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth year over year. Source
  • Operating income turned positive: Income from operations was $23.1 million, against a loss of $(56.7) million a year earlier. Source
  • Quarterly free cash flow at a record: Free cash flow was $277.8 million, compared with $242.8 million a year earlier. Source
  • Q4 Rides, bookings and EBITDA ranges: Fourth-quarter guidance calls for Rides growth in the mid- to high-teens, Gross Bookings of $5.01 billion to $5.13 billion, and Adjusted EBITDA of $135 million to $155 million. Source
  • Comeback strategy framed as working: The CEO said the Q3 results show the comeback strategy is working, and that several catalysts are converging to drive momentum. Source

“Our Q3 results prove that Lyft’s comeback strategy is working,”

CEO David Risher

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Gross Bookings SourceQ4 2025$5.01 billion to $5.13 billion, up approximately 17% to 20% year over yearNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ4 2025approximately $135 million to $155 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin (percentage of Gross Bookings) SourceQ4 2025approximately 2.7% to 3.0%New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First guidance given for the fourth quarter of 2025, covering Rides growth, Gross Bookings, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin ranges. Source
  • New: Lyft announced a Waymo integrated supply management partnership in Nashville. Source
  • New: Lyft announced a planned partnership with Tensor for consumer-owned autonomous vehicles powered by NVIDIA. Source
  • New: Lyft acquired TBR Global Chauffeuring in October, a luxury chauffeuring company. Source
  • New: The Freenow acquisition closed on July 31, so Q3 includes two months of combined company results.

Results and growth drivers

  • Record Gross Bookings and revenue: The company reported record Gross Bookings of $4.8 billion, up 16% year over year, and revenue of $1.7 billion, up 11%. Source
  • Net income turned positive: Net income was $46.1 million, against a loss of $(12.4) million a year earlier; diluted EPS was $0.11 compared with $(0.03). Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA up 29 percent: Adjusted EBITDA was $138.9 million, up 29% from $107.3 million a year earlier, and the company described it as a record. Source

Rides and riders

  • Rides at an all-time high: Rides grew 15% year over year to 248.8 million, the tenth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth year over year. Source
  • Active Riders at an all-time high: Active Riders rose 18% year over year to 28.7 million, another all-time high, up from 26.1 million in the prior quarter. Source
  • Rides and Gross Bookings definitions reworded: Compared with the prior release, the Rides definition no longer names bike and scooter rides, and Gross Bookings now covers transactions invoiced to riders, not rideshare riders only. Source

“We once again achieved all-time high records for Active Riders and Gross Bookings”

CFO Erin Brewer

Costs and margins

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin held at 2.9%: Adjusted EBITDA margin on Gross Bookings was 2.9%, the same as in the second quarter and up from 2.6% a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income turned positive: Income from operations was $23.1 million, against a loss of $(56.7) million a year earlier. Source
  • Sales and marketing spend increased: Sales and marketing expense was $243.3 million, up from $215.8 million; cost of revenue was $927.2 million, against $888.3 million. Source
  • Other income declined: Other income, net was $25.8 million, down from $50.9 million a year earlier, and interest expense was $4.7 million. Source

Cash flow, capital and returns

  • Quarterly free cash flow at a record: Free cash flow was $277.8 million, compared with $242.8 million a year earlier. Source
  • Trailing free cash flow at an all-time high: For the trailing twelve months, free cash flow reached $1.03 billion, an all-time high. Source
  • Operating cash flow below second quarter: Net cash provided by operating activities was $291.3 million, down from $343.7 million in the second quarter and up from $264.0 million a year earlier. Source
  • Share repurchases of $400 million: Nine-month repurchases of Class A common stock were $400 million, against $50 million a year earlier. Source
  • Convertible notes refinanced: The company settled $390.7 million of convertible notes due 2025 and issued $500 million of convertible notes due 2030 in the nine months. Source
  • Cash up, long-term debt up: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,305.9 million at September 30, up from $759.3 million at December 31, 2024; long-term debt, net of current portion, was $1,010.0 million. Source

“We are well positioned to accelerate growth through the end of 2025, and into 2026.”

CFO Erin Brewer

Acquisitions and investment

  • Acquisition cash outlay: Cash paid for acquisitions, net of cash acquired, was $202.9 million in the nine months ended September 30, 2025. Source
  • Quarterly capital spending: Purchases of property and equipment and scooter fleet were $13.4 million in the quarter, against $21.2 million a year earlier. Source

Fourth quarter guidance

  • Q4 Rides, bookings and EBITDA ranges: Fourth-quarter guidance calls for Rides growth in the mid- to high-teens, Gross Bookings of $5.01 billion to $5.13 billion, and Adjusted EBITDA of $135 million to $155 million. Source
  • No GAAP equivalent provided: The company did not provide forward GAAP equivalents for its non-GAAP guidance, citing variability in reconciling items such as stock-based compensation and income tax. Source

Strategy and long-term targets

  • Comeback strategy framed as working: The CEO said the Q3 results show the comeback strategy is working, and that several catalysts are converging to drive momentum. Source
  • More autonomous vehicle partnerships: The CEO said the company announced more autonomous vehicle partnerships and acquired a luxury chauffeuring company, consistent with its customer-focused approach to growth. Source
  • Long-term targets reaffirmed: The CFO said the company is well positioned to accelerate growth through the end of 2025 and into 2026, and remains on track for its long-term targets. Source

Coming up, as management said on 5 November 2025

  • Growth expected to accelerate: Management said it is well positioned to accelerate growth through the end of 2025 and into 2026. Source
  • Tensor partnership still planned: The Tensor partnership is described as planned; the document gives no launch date. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Active Riders Source28.7 million
Rides Source248.8 million
Gross Bookings Source$4.8 billion

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: The company said reconciling items such as stock-based compensation and income tax could have a significant effect on future GAAP results. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: The CFO said the company remains on track to deliver on its long-term targets. Source
  • Not stated: The prior release guided Q3 Rides growth to the mid-teens; this release reports Rides growth of 15% and does not compare it to that guidance.

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.