NEW YORK, July 11 (Reuters Breakingviews) – Uber Technologies (UBER.N) boss Dara Khosrowshahi has an opening to shift into higher gear. The $87 billion company’s departing Chief Financial Officer Nelson Chai helped deliver on founder Travis Kalanick’s original vision of dominating ride-hailing while closing in on profitability. His eventual replacement can dial back on spending even more and really open up a spigot of cash flow.
The company is edging out rivals like Lyft (LYFT.O), taking approximately 70% of the U.S. ride-sharing market. And this year, Uber might finally start making profit, with analysts polled by Refinitiv expecting full-year earnings of some $26 million. But there is more to tinker with under the hood. In the first quarter, Uber – which has left behind bleeding-edge tech endeavors like self-driving cars and flying taxis – spent $775 million on research and development. That matches companies actually working on robotaxis, like Tesla (TSLA.O).
Uber shares have nearly doubled over the year, handily beating the S&P 500 Index (.SPX), as profit pulls into view. And with nearly $3 billion in expected free cash flow this year, according to Refinitiv, there might be spoils to share with investors soon. Ensuring that Uber keeps its eyes on that prize is a worthy task for future executives.(By Jennifer Saba)