Uber on Thursday disclosed that its loss increased to $2.9 billion in the first quarter as the ridesharing giant absorbed the impact of the global pandemic lockdown and pointed to signs of a tentative recovery.
The San Francisco-based company said ride bookings were up eight per cent in the first three months of the year despite the lockdowns that began in the final weeks of the quarter.
It saw 54 per cent growth in its Eats restaurant take-away delivery service, though, as people ate in to avoid the coronavirus.
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Uber shares drifted lower in after-market trades in a market braced for the crisis to take a heavy toll on the “sharing economy” giant.
“Along with the surge in food delivery, we are encouraged by the early signs we are seeing in markets that are beginning to open back up,” said Uber chief executive Dara Khosrowshahi.
AFP
