Uber Stock (UBER) News Today, Dec. 22, 2025: Baidu Robotaxi Trials in London, Analyst Forecasts, and What Could Move Uber Shares Next

Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: UBER) is ending 2025 with its stock caught between two powerful forces: a steady drumbeat of operating momentum (rides, delivery, membership, cash flow) and a noisy, high-stakes future narrative dominated by robotaxis and regulation.

On Monday, December 22, 2025, Uber shares traded around $79.31, down about 0.5% on the day at the time of reporting.

What’s new today is not a quarterly report or a buyback headline—it’s another major step in Uber’s long-running strategy to partner its way into autonomy rather than build autonomous vehicles itself: Uber and Lyft say they’ll work with Baidu’s Apollo Go to trial robotaxis in London starting in 2026, adding fresh fuel to the debate over whether autonomous vehicles are Uber’s biggest opportunity… or its eventual disintermediator. ^[1]

Below is a detailed breakdown of today’s key news, the latest analyst forecasts, and the core bull/bear arguments shaping Uber stock as 2025 closes.

Uber stock news on Dec. 22, 2025: Baidu robotaxi trials are coming to London

Uber + Baidu (Apollo Go) in the UK: what was announced

Uber and Lyft announced partnerships with Baidu to launch driverless taxi trials in the UK in 2026, using Baidu’s Apollo Go RT6 robotaxi platform. Uber expects testing to begin in the first half of 2026. ^[2]

The UK is becoming a focal point because its legal framework is increasingly explicit about who is responsible when a self-driving car is operating. Reuters notes that the UK’s Automated Vehicles Act 2024 helps clarify liability by placing responsibility on the vehicle’s authorized operating entity rather than the passenger. ^[3]

Why investors care (even though this doesn’t add revenue tomorrow)

For Uber stockholders, the London pilot matters less for near-term bookings and more for what it signals about Uber’s positioning in autonomy:

Uber wants to be the demand layer. Uber’s core bet is that the app is where riders show up, regardless of whose vehicle does the driving.
It’s a portfolio approach to autonomy. London adds Baidu to a growing set of autonomous partners.
Europe is becoming a competitive testbed. Reuters frames this as a milestone that sets up direct competition between American and Chinese AV ecosystems in a major European capital. ^[4]

The other side of the story: data and national-security concerns

UK coverage also emphasized the potential sensitivity of letting foreign autonomous systems operate in a capital city. The Guardian reported that the Baidu tie-ups have triggered national-security concerns among some observers, including worries about data access and critical infrastructure dependencies. ^[5]

Uber’s autonomy strategy in 2025: partnerships, pilots, and “hybrid” networks

The London news fits a broader 2025 pattern: Uber is expanding autonomy through partnerships and limited rollouts, usually starting with constrained geography and operational guardrails.

Dallas: Uber + Avride robotaxi rides are already live

On December 3, 2025, Uber announced that riders in Dallas can be matched with an Avride robotaxi across a defined 9-square-mile operating area. Riders requesting UberX/Comfort/Comfort Electric may be matched at no additional cost, with the option to switch to a non-AV ride. Uber also said that, at launch, an onboard specialist monitors from behind the wheel, with fully driverless operations planned later. ^[6]

This is important context for Uber stock: Uber isn’t waiting for a single “robotaxi moment.” It is layering in autonomy where regulators, technology readiness, and unit economics allow.

Abu Dhabi: fully driverless operations outside the U.S.

Reuters also reported that Uber rolled out driverless robotaxis in Abu Dhabi with WeRide, describing it as Uber’s first city outside the U.S. to host fully driverless operations on its platform (with rider matching through UberX/Uber Comfort). ^[7]

Delivery automation: sidewalk robots enter the mix

Uber’s automation push is not only about passenger rides. In a Nov. 20, 2025 press release, Starship Technologies and Uber Eats announced a partnership to roll out autonomous sidewalk robot delivery, starting in the UK (Leeds) in December 2025, expanding into multiple European countries in 2026, and planning U.S. expansion by 2027. ^[8]

Fundamentals check: Uber’s latest results and outlook (what the company is actually delivering)

Autonomy headlines grab attention, but Uber stock still trades on bookings, margins, and cash generation.

Q3 2025 highlights: trips up, bookings up, profitability at record levels

In its Q3 2025 earnings release, Uber reported:

Trips: 3.5 billion, +22% YoY
Gross Bookings:$49.7 billion, +21% YoY
Revenue:$13.5 billion, +20% YoY
Income from operations:$1.1 billion
Adjusted EBITDA:$2.3 billion, +33% YoY
Free cash flow:$2.2 billion
Unrestricted cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments:$9.1 billion (end of Q3) ^[9]

Uber noted that Q3 net income included large one-time impacts (including a tax valuation release and investment revaluations), which is relevant when investors compare Uber’s headline EPS to operating performance. ^[10]

Q4 2025 guidance: bookings growth still projected at a healthy pace

Uber’s guidance for Q4 2025 projected:

Gross Bookings:$52.25B to $53.75B
Adjusted EBITDA:$2.41B to $2.51B ^[11]

Reuters also described how legal and regulatory costs weighed on operating profit in the quarter reported in early November, and noted Uber’s plan to shift guidance from adjusted EBITDA to an adjusted profit metric starting with first-quarter guidance. ^[12]

The Uber One factor: subscription strength—and subscription risk

Uber One has been a major growth lever

In August 2025, Reuters reported that Uber’s paid loyalty program Uber One (priced at $9.99) had climbed to more than 36 million members, up 60% year over year, and that more than one-third of Uber’s bookings were coming from members. ^[13]

In the same report, Uber unveiled a $20 billion stock buyback program, reinforcing the market’s view that Uber has shifted from “growth at all costs” to a capital-return story alongside growth. ^[14]

But regulators are challenging Uber’s subscription practices

That brings us to one of the biggest regulatory overhangs on Uber stock right now.

Reuters reported that the FTC, joined by 21 states and Washington, D.C., filed an amended complaint alleging deceptive billing and cancellation practices tied to Uber One—claiming some users were charged without consent and that cancellations could require up to 32 actions. Uber disputes the allegations, saying charges require consent and cancellations usually take less than 20 seconds in-app. ^[15]

For investors, the risk isn’t only potential penalties. It’s also whether Uber has to change onboarding flows, disclosures, or cancellation design in ways that reduce subscription conversion or retention.

Other legal and regulatory headlines still in play

Antitrust lawsuit involving taxi-hailing app integrations

Reuters reported a proposed class action alleging that several taxi-hailing app companies colluded with Uber through integrations that allegedly resulted in “uniform or near-uniform pricing” between Uber rides and taxis booked via Uber or the defendants’ apps. Uber is not a named defendant in that case, according to Reuters’ reporting. ^[16]

Gig economy rules: Australia sets a minimum pay agreement for delivery workers

Uber also faces ongoing labor and classification pressures globally. Reuters reported that Uber agreed to guarantee minimum pay to food delivery workers in Australia after a deal with the Transport Workers Union. ^[17]

M&A/expansion optionality: potential Getir Food acquisition talks

In another strategic thread, Reuters reported that Uber had reached agreement on key elements of a deal to acquire Getir’s food business from Mubadala and sought Turkish regulatory approval, though the proposed sale price was unclear and a final deal was not guaranteed. ^[18]

Uber stock forecast: what Wall Street expects for UBER shares

Consensus view: still broadly bullish, but targets vary

Across major analyst-aggregation dashboards, Uber stock continues to carry a broadly positive consensus rating and a wide target range:

MarketWatch lists an average target price around $112.40 (with a “Buy” average recommendation). ^[19]
StockAnalysis shows a consensus “Strong Buy” and an average target near $108.75, with a range from $78 to $150. ^[20]
MarketBeat lists an average target around $108.43, also showing a wide range and upside from current levels. ^[21]

With Uber trading around $79, those average targets imply roughly high-30% to mid-40% upside, depending on which consensus set you use. ^[22]

Recent rating and target changes (why the street is split)

Some of the most recent analyst notes highlight the push-pull in the Uber stock story:

Erste Group downgraded Uber from Buy to Hold, citing expectations of slower operating income growth in the coming year. ^[23]
Wedbush cut its price target to $78 from $84 and maintained a Neutral rating (as reported by Finviz). ^[24]
In contrast, Bernstein reaffirmed Buy and raised its target to $115 from $110 (also as reported by Finviz), arguing Uber was trading at a discounted multiple relative to its earnings power and that AV concerns may be overdone. ^[25]
MarketBeat also reported Morgan Stanley trimming a target (from $115 to $110) while keeping an overweight stance in early December, illustrating that even bulls are tuning their models. ^[26]

The practical takeaway for readers: analyst models are currently highly sensitive to (1) assumptions about long-term take rates and competition, (2) how fast autonomy scales, and (3) whether Uber’s membership economics remain strong under regulatory scrutiny.

Credit market perspective: S&P turns more positive on Uber’s trajectory

Equity investors aren’t the only ones weighing Uber’s stability. Investing.com reported that S&P Global Ratings revised Uber’s outlook to positive from stable (while affirming the rating), citing Uber’s platform strength and operating framework.

The same report said S&P expects gross bookings to exceed $190 billion in 2025, and forecast adjusted free operating cash flow rising to about $5.9 billion in 2025 and $7.2 billion in 2026 (adjusted for restricted cash and investments), while noting AV tech as a longer-term uncertainty but not an immediate credit issue. ^[27]

What to watch next for Uber stock (UBER) as 2026 approaches

Heading into 2026, Uber shares likely hinge on a few high-signal catalysts:

Robotaxi execution without margin erosion
London (Baidu), Dallas (Avride), Abu Dhabi (WeRide) and other pilots will be watched for safety performance, rider adoption, and the true cost of scaling fleets. ^[28]
Regulatory outcomes around Uber One
Any settlement, court ruling, or mandated UX changes could affect subscription growth and attach rates—especially given Uber One’s strategic importance. ^[29]
Next earnings cycle: guidance durability
Investors will compare actual Q4 bookings/profitability to Uber’s outlook, and to the narrative that Uber is now a steady cash compounder rather than a cyclical mobility trade. ^[30]
Capital returns and balance sheet choices
Buyback pacing and cash-flow conversion remain central to the equity story as Uber matures. ^[31]

Bottom line for Uber stock on Dec. 22, 2025

Uber Technologies’ stock is trading near the $80 level while the company pushes deeper into a future where rides may increasingly be delivered by software-driven fleets—often owned by someone else, but booked through Uber.

Today’s Baidu robotaxi announcement in London underscores that Uber is trying to become the “operating system” for urban mobility, while still growing the very non-futuristic engine that pays the bills: trips, delivery, membership, and cash flow. ^[32]

The market’s core question as 2025 closes is wonderfully simple and brutally hard: Can Uber keep compounding profits while autonomy arrives—without getting regulated into a slower-growth utility or outflanked by vertically integrated robotaxi networks? Commentary outlets have framed autonomy as both a risk and an opportunity for Uber’s moat, and the stock’s next leg may depend on which side of that paradox starts producing hard numbers first. ^[33]