Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) is back in the spotlight on Thursday, December 18, 2025, as investors weigh a familiar question with a new sense of urgency: will robotaxis disrupt Uber’s ride-hailing model—or make Uber even more valuable as the “demand layer” for autonomous fleets?
As of the latest available quote today, UBER traded around $80 per share, with a market capitalization near $164 billion.
Below is a complete, publication-ready rundown of the major Uber stock headlines, analyst forecasts, and market-moving themes dated Dec. 18, 2025, plus the key catalysts investors are tracking next.
Uber stock price check: where UBER trades on Dec. 18, 2025
Uber shares were last quoted around $80 in Thursday trading, placing the stock well below the $90+ zone often referenced as longer-term moving-average resistance in many technical models. [1]
Market data and filings referenced in today’s coverage also highlight how wide the last year has been for Uber investors—roughly the high-$50s to around $100+ depending on the data source and intraday prints. [2]
The takeaway: UBER is no longer priced like a “straight-line winner” in 2025. It’s priced like a stock the market is actively re-underwriting—mainly because of autonomy, regulation, and the cost of staying trusted at scale.
What’s driving Uber stock news on Dec. 18, 2025
1) Bernstein reiterates “Outperform” with a $115 price target — argues robotaxi fears are “overdone”
One of the most market-relevant items dated today is a Bernstein research update that reiterated an Outperform rating and maintained a $115 price target on Uber. [3]
The core of Bernstein’s argument, as summarized in today’s note:
- Investors may be overestimating how quickly autonomous vehicles will disintermediate Uber’s core business. [4]
- Uber can potentially benefit from an ecosystem with many AV players, especially if Uber remains the platform that matches riders to whichever fleet is available (human-driven or autonomous). [5]
- The note discusses autonomy benchmarks (including Waymo scale references) and frames Uber’s valuation as attractive relative to its longer-term earnings power, while acknowledging the competitive narrative around AVs. [6]
This is the kind of analyst framing that tends to matter for UBER: not because it “solves” robotaxis, but because it re-anchors the conversation from existential threat to timeline + economics.
2) Reuters: Momenta expands overseas with Grab — and Uber is linked to Munich robotaxi testing in 2026
A separate, high-credibility headline today comes via Reuters: China’s autonomous-driving startup Momenta announced a strategic partnership with Grab in Southeast Asia, including an undisclosed strategic investment. [7]
Why Uber investors care: Reuters notes that Momenta and Uber previously said they would begin robotaxi testing in Munich, Germany, in 2026. [8]
For Uber stock, this reinforces a key strategic reality the market keeps returning to:
- Uber isn’t betting on a single autonomy winner.
- Uber is positioning itself to integrate multiple AV suppliers across geographies as regulatory approvals expand.
That “platform-of-platforms” vision can be bullish—if Uber can defend take rates and user experience while AV partners scale.
3) Bloomberg Law: Uber safety chief Gus Fuldner to depart in January
Another notable, date-stamped development for Dec. 18: Uber’s senior vice president of safety and core services, Gus Fuldner, will leave the company in January, according to a LinkedIn post cited by Bloomberg Law. [9]
Bloomberg Law frames the departure as part of ongoing executive change and notes the timing coincides with heightened scrutiny around rider protection and safety practices. [10]
For UBER shareholders, leadership changes in safety functions can cut both ways:
- Neutral-to-positive if investors interpret it as organizational streamlining or a shift to the next phase of product and trust systems.
- Negative if it adds uncertainty while Uber faces legal pressure and brand-safety sensitivity.
4) MarketBeat filings: Czech National Bank adds shares; NatWest trims position
Today also brought two institution-focused filings recaps that are widely circulated in stock news feeds:
- Czech National Bank increased its Uber stake (MarketBeat reports it ended the quarter with 529,653 shares). [11]
- NatWest Group reduced its position (MarketBeat reports it ended the quarter with 86,459 shares after selling 29,132). [12]
These aren’t “fundamentals-changing” events on their own, but they contribute to an ongoing narrative around Uber’s shareholder base. MarketBeat also cites high institutional ownership levels for Uber in the same coverage. [13]
The legal overhang investors are still pricing: Uber One subscription lawsuit expansion
While the lawsuit headline itself is dated December 15, it remains a live factor in the market’s risk calculus this week—especially because states continue to publicize their participation.
The FTC announced it filed an amended complaint joined by 21 states and the District of Columbia, alleging Uber charged consumers without consent, failed to deliver promised savings (including $0 delivery fees), and made cancellation difficult—citing reports of as many as 23 screens and 32 actions to cancel. [14]
Reuters and other outlets reported Uber disputes the allegations and says cancellation is typically fast inside the app—an important detail because these cases often hinge on user-flow design and disclosure standards. [15]
For Uber stock, the legal issue matters less for day-to-day ride demand and more for:
- potential penalties and compliance changes,
- reputational risk around subscription growth, and
- whether subscription monetization becomes harder just as delivery economics tighten.
Uber stock forecast: where analysts see UBER heading from here
Even with autonomy and regulation dominating the headlines, sell-side forecasts remain broadly constructive—and today’s analyst chatter reinforces that.
MarketBeat consensus (updated and widely syndicated)
MarketBeat shows:
- Consensus rating: “Moderate Buy” (based on 41 analyst ratings)
- Average 12-month price target: $108.60
- Range: $78 (low) to $135 (high) [16]
TipRanks consensus (recent 3-month window)
TipRanks reports:
- Average price target: $115.73
- Range: $84 (low) to $150 (high)
- Consensus described as Strong Buy based on the mix of buy/hold ratings captured in its dataset [17]
The “headline target” today: Bernstein at $115
Bernstein’s reiterated $115 target sits comfortably inside the broader Street range—high enough to signal conviction, but not so high it ignores autonomy uncertainty. [18]
The big theme: Are robotaxis an existential threat to Uber—or the next growth lever?
This is the question dominating UBER valuation debates in late 2025, and today’s news cycle added fuel on both sides.
Why the robotaxi story can pressure Uber stock
Autonomy is attracting capital and accelerating in public view:
- Reuters reported Waymo (Alphabet’s AV unit) is in discussions to raise a large round at $100B+ valuation, underscoring how much money is chasing commercial robotaxi deployment. [19]
- Reuters also reported Tesla testing robotaxis without safety monitors, a datapoint markets often interpret as “timeline compression,” even if real-world scaling remains uncertain. [20]
If robotaxi providers (or automakers) build direct-to-consumer networks at scale, investors worry Uber could get pushed down the stack.
Why the robotaxi story can help Uber
Today’s Reuters item connecting Uber to Munich robotaxi testing in 2026 supports the opposing view: Uber can operate as the distribution layer for multiple AV players across regions. [21]
And the broader public messaging from leadership in recent days has leaned into the opportunity set. Business Insider summarized Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi describing robotaxis as a “trillion-dollar-plus” opportunity and outlining expansion ambitions across multiple markets. [22]
That’s the bull thesis in one line:
If autonomy proliferates, Uber doesn’t have to own the cars to monetize the demand.
But it does have to prove it can keep pricing power, reliability, and consumer trust as the fleet mix changes.
What investors should watch next
1) Earnings timing and guidance trajectory
Multiple market calendars currently point to early February 2026 as the expected window for Uber’s next earnings report—often listed as Feb. 4, 2026 (unconfirmed/estimated) based on historical reporting patterns. [23]
Key items likely to matter most in the next report cycle:
- Mobility and Delivery booking growth
- Adjusted EBITDA and free cash flow trend
- Any updates on take rates and insurance/legal cost lines
- Commentary on autonomy partnerships and rollout economics
2) Regulatory and legal developments around subscriptions
The FTC case is now multi-state and will likely continue to generate periodic headlines—especially if courts allow discovery into subscription flows or if Uber changes UX and disclosure language. [24]
3) AV partnerships: Europe and beyond
If Uber-linked testing timelines (like Munich 2026) gain detail—fleet sizes, operating design domains, regulatory milestones—that could become a meaningful catalyst for Uber’s long-run multiple. [25]
Bottom line for Uber stock on Dec. 18, 2025
Uber stock is trading in a zone that reflects real skepticism—but today’s coverage shows the Street is still trying to separate headline risk from economic reality.
- Analysts like Bernstein are essentially arguing that autonomy is a transition, not a cliff—and that Uber’s platform strategy can still win. [26]
- Reuters-linked autonomy developments keep Uber in the center of the next-generation mobility conversation. [27]
- At the same time, legal scrutiny around subscriptions and high-sensitivity safety governance issues remain part of the risk backdrop. [28]
References
1. www.marketbeat.com, 2. www.marketbeat.com, 3. www.investing.com, 4. www.investing.com, 5. www.investing.com, 6. www.investing.com, 7. www.reuters.com, 8. www.reuters.com, 9. news.bloomberglaw.com, 10. news.bloomberglaw.com, 11. www.marketbeat.com, 12. www.marketbeat.com, 13. www.marketbeat.com, 14. www.ftc.gov, 15. www.reuters.com, 16. www.marketbeat.com, 17. www.tipranks.com, 18. www.investing.com, 19. www.reuters.com, 20. www.reuters.com, 21. www.reuters.com, 22. www.businessinsider.com, 23. www.wallstreethorizon.com, 24. www.ftc.gov, 25. www.reuters.com, 26. www.investing.com, 27. www.reuters.com, 28. www.ftc.gov
