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Lyft, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 10 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 4 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Full-year Gross Bookings and revenue grew: Full-year Gross Bookings were $18.5 billion, up 15%, and revenue was $6.3 billion, up 9% year over year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter Gross Bookings grew 19%: Q4 Gross Bookings were $5.1 billion, up 19% year over year, which the company described as accelerated growth. Source
  • Q4 revenue included $168 million reserve impact: Q4 revenue was $1.6 billion, up 3%, including a $168 million impact from legal, tax and regulatory reserve changes and settlements. Without it, revenue would have been $1.8 billion. Source
  • Full-year rides reached 945.5 million: Rides grew 14% to 945.5 million, an all-time high. Q4 was the eleventh consecutive quarter of double-digit growth year over year. Source
  • Active Riders growth accelerated to 18%: Q4 Active Riders grew 18% year over year to 29.2 million. Full-year annual riders reached 51.3 million, another all-time high. Source
  • Q1 2026 Gross Bookings range given: For Q1 2026 management gave Gross Bookings of $4.86 billion to $5.00 billion, up approximately 17% to 20%, following Q4 2025 Gross Bookings growth of 19%. Source
  • Full-year free cash flow reached $1.12 billion: Full-year free cash flow was $1.12 billion, compared with $766.3 million in 2024. Operating cash flow was $1.17 billion, and purchases of property and equipment were $52.8 million. Source
  • 2026 framed as year of the AV: The CEO said 2026 will be the year of the AV, with deployments in the U.S. and overseas. Source

“2025 was an incredible year in Lyft’s comeback story.”

CEO David Risher

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Gross Bookings SourceQ1 2026$4.86 billion to $5.00 billion, up approximately 17% to 20% year over yearNew
Adjusted EBITDA SourceQ1 2026$120 million to $140 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin (percentage of Gross Bookings) SourceQ1 20262.5% to 2.8%New
Share repurchases SourceAdditional authorizationup to an additional $1 billionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: The release adds first-quarter 2026 ranges for Gross Bookings and Adjusted EBITDA; the prior release covered the fourth quarter of 2025. Source
  • New: A new share repurchase authorization of up to an additional $1 billion was announced, following the inaugural 2025 program. Source
  • New: The Gross Bookings definition was simplified in Q4 2025, with no impact on prior periods. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Full-year Gross Bookings and revenue grew: Full-year Gross Bookings were $18.5 billion, up 15%, and revenue was $6.3 billion, up 9% year over year. Source
  • Fourth-quarter Gross Bookings grew 19%: Q4 Gross Bookings were $5.1 billion, up 19% year over year, which the company described as accelerated growth. Source
  • Q4 revenue included $168 million reserve impact: Q4 revenue was $1.6 billion, up 3%, including a $168 million impact from legal, tax and regulatory reserve changes and settlements. Without it, revenue would have been $1.8 billion. Source
  • Tax allowance release lifted net income: Net income for Q4 and the full year includes a $2.9 billion tax benefit from releasing the valuation allowance on U.S. federal and certain state deferred tax assets. Source
  • Full-year Adjusted EBITDA rose to $528.8 million: Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $528.8 million, compared with $382.4 million in 2024. The margin on Gross Bookings was 2.9%, against 2.4% in 2024. Source

Riders, rides and products

  • Full-year rides reached 945.5 million: Rides grew 14% to 945.5 million, an all-time high. Q4 was the eleventh consecutive quarter of double-digit growth year over year. Source
  • Active Riders growth accelerated to 18%: Q4 Active Riders grew 18% year over year to 29.2 million. Full-year annual riders reached 51.3 million, another all-time high. Source
  • Lyft Teen launched for ages 13-17: The company launched Lyft Teen this week for riders aged 13 to 17 in the U.S., to offer a Lyft mode for the whole family. Source

“We delivered record financial performance in 2025 across all metrics, including all-time-high cash flow generation exceeding $1.1 billion”

CFO Erin Brewer

Costs, operating loss and tax

  • Cost of revenue rose year over year: Cost of revenue was $3,697,653 thousand in 2025, versus $3,337,714 thousand in 2024. Total costs and expenses were $6,504,635 thousand, versus $5,904,928 thousand. Source
  • Operating loss was larger in 2025: Loss from operations was $188,374 thousand in 2025, versus $118,912 thousand in 2024. Other income, net was $155,882 thousand in 2025. Source
  • Full-year diluted EPS was $6.81: Full-year diluted EPS was $6.81, compared with $0.06 in 2024. Source
  • Stock-based compensation was lower: Stock-based compensation in the cash flow statement was $322,268 thousand in 2025, versus $330,921 thousand in 2024. Source

First-quarter guidance and demand

  • Q1 2026 Gross Bookings range given: For Q1 2026 management gave Gross Bookings of $4.86 billion to $5.00 billion, up approximately 17% to 20%, following Q4 2025 Gross Bookings growth of 19%. Source
  • Q1 margin set in line with 2025: The Q1 2026 Adjusted EBITDA margin is expected at approximately 2.5% to 2.8% of Gross Bookings, in line with Q1 2025. Source
  • Q1 Adjusted EBITDA range given: Q1 2026 Adjusted EBITDA is expected at approximately $120 million to $140 million. Source

“we remain right on track to hit our long-term targets.”

CFO Erin Brewer

Cash, capital and shareholder returns

  • Full-year free cash flow reached $1.12 billion: Full-year free cash flow was $1.12 billion, compared with $766.3 million in 2024. Operating cash flow was $1.17 billion, and purchases of property and equipment were $52.8 million. Source
  • 2025 repurchases totaled $499,992 thousand: Repurchases of Class A common stock were $499,992 thousand in 2025, compared with $50,000 thousand in 2024. Source
  • Repurchases via open market or private deals: Repurchases may be made from time to time through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions. Source
  • Long-term debt rose after convertible notes: Long-term debt, net of current portion, was $1,002,404 thousand at December 31, 2025, versus $565,968 thousand. The company issued $500,000 thousand of convertible senior notes due 2030 in 2025. Source
  • Cash and equivalents rose in 2025: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,132,009 thousand at December 31, 2025, versus $759,319 thousand a year earlier. Restricted cash and cash equivalents were $705,361 thousand. Source

Strategy and autonomous vehicles

  • 2026 framed as year of the AV: The CEO said 2026 will be the year of the AV, with deployments in the U.S. and overseas. Source
  • Shift to global hybrid transportation platform: The CEO described the company as moving from a local rideshare app to a global, hybrid transportation platform, driven by customer obsession. Source
  • Acquisitions raised goodwill and intangibles: Goodwill rose to $439,754 thousand from $251,376 thousand, and intangible assets, net rose to $178,944 thousand from $42,776 thousand. Cash paid for acquisitions was $307,320 thousand in 2025. Source

Coming up, as management said on 10 February 2026

  • Form 10-K for 2025 due by March 2: The company said its Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal 2025 will be filed with the SEC by March 2, 2026. Source
  • Repurchase timing depends on market factors: The timing and number of repurchased shares depend on factors including the stock price, business and market conditions. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Rides (full year 2025) Source945.5 million
Active Riders (Q4 2025) Source29.2 million
Annual riders (2025) Source51.3 million

Risks management discussed

  • Regulatory: Legal, tax and regulatory reserve changes and settlements drove a $168 million revenue impact in Q4. Source
  • Regulatory: Management said legal, tax and regulatory reserve matters have limited precedent and are unpredictable in magnitude and timing. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: The prior release said growth would accelerate through end of 2025 and into 2026. This release says Q4 Gross Bookings growth accelerated year over year. Source
  • On track: The headline states the company is on track with its 2027 targets. Source

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.