Uber Eyes US$90b IPO Valuation

Uber is aiming to make its stock market debut at a share price that would value the leading ride-share startup between US$80 billion and US$90 billion, Bloomberg reported on Thursday.

Uber's keenly-anticipated initial public offering of shares is expected next month, and Bloomberg cited unnamed sources as saying it is considering pricing shares between US$44 and US$50.

The price set for the IPO will likely be influenced by interest expressed by potential investors when Uber pitches its promise on a "roadshow" that routinely precedes the event.

The price range reported on Thursday would value the company at between US$80 billion and US$90 billion, less than a US$100 billion Uber valuation that had been anticipated by some sources.

Uber filed documents on April 11 for its much-anticipated public share offering, which is expected to be the largest in the tech sector in years and a bellwether for other venture-backed startups eying Wall Street listing.

The filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission contained no specific pricing or timing for the market debut for Uber, which according to media reports was expected to raise some US$10 billion.

Uber offers ride-sharing in some 700 cities but has bolder ambitions to reshape how people and goods are transported with operations such as meal deliveries, freight, and electric bikes and scooters.

Uber may have throttled back its IPO ambitions due to a lackluster debut by US rival Lyft.

Lyft shares were priced at US$72 for the company's IPO in March, but were US$56.34 at the close of trading Thursday on the Nasdaq exchange. (AFP)