Key Points<\/h2>\n\n- \n
Uber should continue to expand its user base, with methods that could drive stronger engagement. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
The company has evolved from a money-losing entity into one with sizable and growing profits. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- \n
Autonomous vehicle technology presents both a risk and an opportunity for Uber. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
- 10 stocks we like better than Uber Technologies \u203a<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Uber<\/span><\/strong> (NYSE: UBER)<\/a><\/span> stock has been under pressure recently — down 20% from its fall peak — but that didn’t eliminate its gains this year. Shares remain up 33% year to date. Despite that stellar performance, the <\/span>growth stock<\/span><\/a> isn’t expensive: It trades at a 1-year forward price-to-earnings ratio of under 19. The current setup might present a compelling opportunity for investors. <\/span><\/p>\nIf you’re thinking about buying Uber stock in 2026, here are three critical factors that you should not overlook.<\/span><\/p>\nWhere to invest $1,000 right now?<\/strong> Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks <\/strong>to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks \u00bb<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n![\"Uber](\"https:\/\/g.foolcdn.com\/image\/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fg.foolcdn.com%2Feditorial%2Fimages%2F845306%2Fuber-logo-on-top-of-car_getty.jpg&w=700\"\/)
<\/p>\n
Image source: Getty Images.<\/p>\n
1. Uber has a massive user base<\/span><\/h2>\nUber ended the third quarter with 189 million <\/span>monthly active users<\/span><\/a> (MAUs). That figure was up by 17% year over year. Based on historical trends, the business should attract millions more customers in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\nOne lever the company can pull to make that happen is brand awareness. Boosting engagement, whether by Uber One subscription sign-ups, cross-selling between mobility and delivery, and by the use of data and artificial intelligence efforts, is another focal point for the leadership team. <\/span><\/p>\n2. Profitability reveals a scalable business model<\/span><\/h2>\nIt’s hard to believe now, but Uber was once burning through cash like nobody’s business. In 2019, it posted an alarming net loss of $8.5 billion. But through the first nine months of 2025, Uber generated profits of $9.8 billion. That’s an incredible turnaround.<\/span><\/p>\nCredit goes to its scalable business model. At a high level, Uber simply operates a robust technological platform that connects various stakeholders, facilitating transactions in the process. Since that platform has largely been built out, each ride or delivery that occurs today should produce high margins. <\/span><\/p>\nUber spends lots of money on sales and marketing, as well as research and development. Over time, though, these expenses should decrease as a percentage of its overall revenue. Indeed, Wall Street analysts expect its operating income to rise 44% between 2025 and 2026, much faster than projected sales growth. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n3. Autonomous vehicles could be a good thing for Uber (or not)<\/span><\/h2>\nBoth the biggest risk and the biggest opportunity that Uber faces is the advent of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. Up to this point, Uber has made itself a partner of choice for <\/span>enterprises pushing AV innovations<\/span><\/a>. Uber’s advantage is that it has direct relationships with those previously mentioned 189 million monthly active users. And its app shows that it has leading technical expertise.<\/span><\/p>\nBut if AV ride-hailing services like <\/span>Alphabet<\/span><\/strong>‘s Waymo or <\/span>Tesla<\/span><\/strong>‘s robotaxi operation have breakthrough years in 2026, with improved driving capabilities, expansion into new markets, lower costs, favorable regulation, and wider consumer adoption, they could undermine Uber’s position. <\/span><\/p>\nThe opposite could also happen. And Uber could continue entering new partnerships with businesses that want to leverage its network to scale quickly. Investors will want to watch closely to see how things develop. <\/span><\/p>\nShould you buy stock in Uber Technologies right now?<\/h2>\n
Before you buy stock in Uber Technologies, consider this:<\/p>\n
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor<\/em> analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks<\/a><\/strong> for investors to buy now\u2026 and Uber Technologies wasn\u2019t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.<\/p>\nConsider when Netflix<\/strong> made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $506,935<\/strong>!* Or when Nvidia<\/strong> made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $1,067,514<\/strong>!*<\/p>\nNow, it\u2019s worth noting Stock Advisor\u2019s<\/em> total average return is 958% \u2014 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 192% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor<\/em>, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\nSee the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n*Stock Advisor returns as of December 20, 2025. <\/em><\/p>\nNeil Patel<\/a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Tesla, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\nThe views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
Uber should continue to expand its user base, with methods that could drive stronger engagement. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
The company has evolved from a money-losing entity into one with sizable and growing profits. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Autonomous vehicle technology presents both a risk and an opportunity for Uber. <\/p>\n<\/li>\n
Uber<\/span><\/strong> (NYSE: UBER)<\/a><\/span> stock has been under pressure recently — down 20% from its fall peak — but that didn’t eliminate its gains this year. Shares remain up 33% year to date. Despite that stellar performance, the <\/span>growth stock<\/span><\/a> isn’t expensive: It trades at a 1-year forward price-to-earnings ratio of under 19. The current setup might present a compelling opportunity for investors. <\/span><\/p>\n If you’re thinking about buying Uber stock in 2026, here are three critical factors that you should not overlook.<\/span><\/p>\n Where to invest $1,000 right now?<\/strong> Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks <\/strong>to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks \u00bb<\/strong><\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n Image source: Getty Images.<\/p>\n Uber ended the third quarter with 189 million <\/span>monthly active users<\/span><\/a> (MAUs). That figure was up by 17% year over year. Based on historical trends, the business should attract millions more customers in 2026.<\/span><\/p>\n One lever the company can pull to make that happen is brand awareness. Boosting engagement, whether by Uber One subscription sign-ups, cross-selling between mobility and delivery, and by the use of data and artificial intelligence efforts, is another focal point for the leadership team. <\/span><\/p>\n It’s hard to believe now, but Uber was once burning through cash like nobody’s business. In 2019, it posted an alarming net loss of $8.5 billion. But through the first nine months of 2025, Uber generated profits of $9.8 billion. That’s an incredible turnaround.<\/span><\/p>\n Credit goes to its scalable business model. At a high level, Uber simply operates a robust technological platform that connects various stakeholders, facilitating transactions in the process. Since that platform has largely been built out, each ride or delivery that occurs today should produce high margins. <\/span><\/p>\n Uber spends lots of money on sales and marketing, as well as research and development. Over time, though, these expenses should decrease as a percentage of its overall revenue. Indeed, Wall Street analysts expect its operating income to rise 44% between 2025 and 2026, much faster than projected sales growth. <\/span><\/p>\n Both the biggest risk and the biggest opportunity that Uber faces is the advent of autonomous vehicle (AV) technology. Up to this point, Uber has made itself a partner of choice for <\/span>enterprises pushing AV innovations<\/span><\/a>. Uber’s advantage is that it has direct relationships with those previously mentioned 189 million monthly active users. And its app shows that it has leading technical expertise.<\/span><\/p>\n But if AV ride-hailing services like <\/span>Alphabet<\/span><\/strong>‘s Waymo or <\/span>Tesla<\/span><\/strong>‘s robotaxi operation have breakthrough years in 2026, with improved driving capabilities, expansion into new markets, lower costs, favorable regulation, and wider consumer adoption, they could undermine Uber’s position. <\/span><\/p>\n The opposite could also happen. And Uber could continue entering new partnerships with businesses that want to leverage its network to scale quickly. Investors will want to watch closely to see how things develop. <\/span><\/p>\n Before you buy stock in Uber Technologies, consider this:<\/p>\n The Motley Fool Stock Advisor<\/em> analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks<\/a><\/strong> for investors to buy now\u2026 and Uber Technologies wasn\u2019t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.<\/p>\n Consider when Netflix<\/strong> made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $506,935<\/strong>!* Or when Nvidia<\/strong> made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $1,067,514<\/strong>!*<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s worth noting Stock Advisor\u2019s<\/em> total average return is 958% \u2014 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 192% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor<\/em>, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n See the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n *Stock Advisor returns as of December 20, 2025. <\/em><\/p>\n Neil Patel<\/a> has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Tesla, and Uber Technologies. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p>\n1. Uber has a massive user base<\/span><\/h2>\n
2. Profitability reveals a scalable business model<\/span><\/h2>\n
3. Autonomous vehicles could be a good thing for Uber (or not)<\/span><\/h2>\n
Should you buy stock in Uber Technologies right now?<\/h2>\n