Uber Stock Jumps After Baidu Robotaxi London Plan: What to Know Before the Market Opens Dec. 23 (UBER)

Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) ended Monday, December 22, 2025, on a strong note, rising 2.46% to close at $81.26 as investors digested fresh headlines tying the ride-hailing leader more closely to the accelerating global robotaxi race. ^[1]

After the closing bell, trading was calm rather than euphoric—shares hovered around the low-$81 range in after-hours—suggesting that the market’s initial reaction was upbeat but measured. ^[2]

With U.S. markets reopening Tuesday, December 23, investors are now focused on a familiar question for Uber: How much of the autonomous-vehicle future becomes an opportunity for the platform—and how much becomes a threat? Here’s what’s driving Uber stock, what analysts are watching, and what could move UBER when the bell rings Tuesday.

Uber stock price recap: a solid close, but still well off the highs

Uber’s stock closed at $81.26 on Dec. 22, outperforming the broader market during a generally positive session for U.S. equities. ^[3]

Key points from Monday’s tape:

Close: $81.26 (+2.46%) ^[4]
Context: Uber remains roughly 20% below its 52-week high near $101.99 (set in late September). ^[5]
After-hours: quotes showed little change around $81 in the evening session. ^[6]

The market backdrop also mattered. U.S. stocks gained at the start of a holiday-shortened week, and Uber’s move fit neatly into a “risk-on” session where investors favored growth and tech-linked names. ^[7]

What moved Uber stock after the bell: robotaxis are back in the spotlight

The biggest Uber-specific catalyst on Dec. 22 was the announcement that Uber and Lyft are partnering with China’s Baidu to bring Baidu’s Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis into London trials in 2026. ^[8]

The headline in one sentence

Uber is aligning its platform with a major autonomous-vehicle operator—without building its own self-driving fleet—aiming to stay central as rides evolve from human-driven to software-driven.

What’s actually happening (and when)

Timing: Trials are expected in 2026, with references to the first half of 2026 for Uber’s London testing plans. ^[9]
Vehicles/tech:Baidu Apollo Go RT6 robotaxis. ^[10]
Competitive framing: Reuters described this as the first direct competition between U.S. and Chinese autonomous players in a European capital, coming after Waymo’s supervised tests in London. ^[11]

This matters because the UK is positioning itself as an unusually welcoming environment for commercial robotaxi pilots—especially relative to a more fragmented regulatory setup across the European Union.

Why the UK matters: a clearer legal roadmap for autonomy

A key detail investors shouldn’t ignore: the UK’s Automated Vehicles Act 2024 is frequently cited as a reason London has become a magnet for robotaxi testing. Reuters highlighted that the act helps clarify liability, shifting responsibility from the passenger to an “authorized self-driving entity.” ^[12]

In plain English: regulators are trying to reduce ambiguity about who is responsible if something goes wrong—an essential step before meaningful commercial scale is possible.

Uber’s autonomy strategy: “partner, don’t build” (and why that’s a double-edged sword)

Uber has spent years pivoting away from capital-heavy bets and toward an “asset-light” model. The Baidu/London headlines fit that playbook: Uber can add autonomous supply to its network without owning fleets, manufacturing vehicles, or running full-stack self-driving R&D.

The upside for Uber shareholders

If robotaxi supply grows, Uber could potentially:

Increase ride supply (especially at peak times or in driver-constrained markets),
Improve unit economics over time if autonomy reduces per-ride labor costs,
Reinforce its role as the demand aggregator—the place riders open first.

Reuters also noted an emerging industry view that hybrid networks (robotaxis plus human drivers) may be the most viable model near-term, helping platforms manage demand peaks and pricing. ^[13]

The existential risk: disintermediation

The same shift could also threaten Uber’s take rate if:

autonomous operators (or OEMs/tech companies) go directly to consumers,
cities regulate platforms differently than fleet operators,
or autonomy compresses margins due to fleet costs and competition.

This isn’t hypothetical. Reuters’ broader reporting on robotaxis describes a world where deployments are accelerating globally, with multiple operators expanding across regions. ^[14]
That expansion creates opportunity for Uber’s marketplace model—but it also increases the number of well-funded players that might want to own the customer relationship.

Today’s coverage: how analysts and news desks framed the move

Across major outlets, the dominant narrative was consistent:

Reuters focused on the strategic implications and the UK’s regulatory environment, while underscoring uncertainty about robotaxi profitability and the cost of autonomous fleets. ^[15]
AP emphasized the competitive race in London and the UK’s accelerated pilot ambitions. ^[16]
MarketWatch captured the market action—UBER’s outperformance and its distance from the 52-week high. ^[17]
Investor’s Business Daily framed the news as a catalyst for UBER’s gain while flagging that AV disruption could reshape ride-hailing economics. ^[18]

Taken together, the takeaway is not “robotaxis are instantly bullish.” It’s more nuanced: investors rewarded Uber for staying relevant in autonomy—while recognizing the path to profits and market structure is still evolving.

Uber stock forecasts: where Wall Street price targets sit heading into Tuesday

Even after Monday’s rally, many sell-side models still imply meaningful upside—at least on paper.

Across widely tracked analyst aggregates, Uber’s:

average 12‑month price target clusters around ~$108–$112,
with a low-end target around ~$78 and high-end targets up to ~$150. ^[19]

That spread matters. It signals that analysts broadly like Uber’s long-term earnings power, but disagree on how robotaxi disruption, regulation, and competitive intensity will shape margins.

The near-term fundamental anchor: earnings timing and recent performance

A practical “next big date” for many investors is Uber’s next earnings report. MarketWatch’s estimates page indicates Uber is expected to report 2025 earnings on Feb. 11, 2026 (as listed there). ^[20]

And the most recent company-reported operating picture still reflects strong platform momentum: Uber’s third-quarter 2025 release reported Trips up 22% year over year and Gross Bookings up 21%, alongside Adjusted EBITDA of $2.3 billion (up 33% year over year). ^[21]

Key risks that remain in focus (even on a green day)

Robotaxi excitement didn’t erase ongoing headline risk. Two areas continue to matter for Uber stock sentiment:

1) Subscription and consumer-protection scrutiny (Uber One)

The FTC has been pursuing allegations tied to deceptive billing and cancellation practices around Uber One, and a multistate amended complaint has also been in the news in December. ^[22]

Separately, Michigan’s Attorney General announced a lawsuit alleging deceptive and unfair practices connected to Uber One, including “negative option” tactics related to trials and cancellation. ^[23]

Investors typically watch these stories for potential impacts on:

subscription growth and churn,
compliance cost and operational changes,
headline risk that can pressure multiples even when fundamentals are solid.

2) Geopolitics and “Chinese tech” sensitivities in critical infrastructure

The Guardian highlighted that some experts have raised concerns about Chinese technology being embedded in key infrastructure and data flows, a theme that can resurface quickly in regulatory or political debates. ^[24]

This doesn’t mean the London pilot is doomed—but it does mean the Uber–Baidu headline can be interpreted through both a growth lens and a security/regulatory lens, depending on the day.

What to watch before the market opens Tuesday, Dec. 23

Here are the most actionable items for UBER holders and watchers before the opening bell:

1) Premarket reaction and follow-through on the Baidu/London headline

Because after-hours trading looked relatively steady in the low-$81 range, Tuesday’s open will show whether institutions want to add exposure—or whether Monday’s move was the full reaction. ^[25]

Look for:

additional details on the pilot scope (fleet size, operating zones, safety driver requirements),
any updates tied to the UK’s accelerated testing timeline,
and any analyst notes reframing Uber’s autonomy risk/reward.

2) Macro data that can sway “growth” positioning

Uber is often traded partly as a growth/tech-adjacent platform name, so big U.S. economic prints can ripple into the stock—especially in thin holiday liquidity.

MarketWatch’s calendar lists Tuesday, Dec. 23 as featuring 8:30 a.m. ET releases including GDP (Q3, delayed report) and durable-goods orders. ^[26]
If those numbers surprise, they can move yields and reprice growth multiples—sometimes more than company-specific news.

3) Holiday trading conditions and early close

Liquidity and volatility dynamics shift this week:

The NYSE lists an early close at 1:00 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 24, 2025, with markets closed Thursday, Dec. 25. ^[27]
Nasdaq’s calendar similarly flags Dec. 24 as an early close. ^[28]

Thin markets can amplify moves—up or down—on headlines that might normally be absorbed more smoothly.

The bottom line for Uber stock heading into Tuesday’s open

Uber’s Dec. 22 rally was powered by a clear message the market wanted to hear: Uber intends to remain a central “front door” for rides even as autonomy accelerates, leaning on partnerships like Baidu rather than expensive in-house fleet development. ^[29]

But the story is not one-dimensional. Robotaxis can expand supply and improve economics over time—yet they also raise strategic questions about platform power, future take rates, and regulation. Meanwhile, ongoing consumer-protection litigation remains a reputational and operational overhang investors will keep pricing in. ^[30]

For Tuesday, the clearest “before the bell” checklist is simple:

Watch whether the robotaxi news gets follow-through beyond Monday’s pop,
track 8:30 a.m. ET macro releases that can move risk sentiment, ^[31]
and remember the holiday-shortened week can magnify intraday swings. ^[32]

This article is for informational purposes and is not financial advice.

References

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Procter & Gamble (PG) Stock After Hours: Shares Close at $142.69 on Dec. 22, 2025—What to Know Before Tuesday’s Open

Visa Stock After Hours (Dec. 22, 2025): V Closes at $352, Holds Flat Late as Fiserv “Agentic Commerce” Deal and ATM Fee Settlement Hit the Tape — What to Know Before Tuesday’s Open