Uber stock pops more than 14% on $7 billion share buyback

KEY POINTS

• Uber's stock spiked after the ride-hailing company announced it will buy back up to $7 billion worth of company shares.
• The news comes a week after Uber reported fourth-quarter results that beat Wall Street's earnings and revenue estimates.
• "Today's authorization of our first-ever share repurchase program is a vote of confidence in the company's strong financial momentum," Uber CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah said in a press release.

Dara Khosrowshahi, chief executive officer of Uber Technologies speaks on a webcast during the company's initial public offering on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange, May 10, 2019.

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

Uber's stock closed up more than 14% on Wednesday after the ride-hailing company announced it will buy back up to $7 billion worth of company shares.

"Today's authorization of our first-ever share repurchase program is a vote of confidence in the company's strong financial momentum," Uber CFO Prashanth Mahendra-Rajah said in a press release Wednesday morning.

Mahendra-Rajah added that Uber "will be thoughtful as it relates to the pace of our buyback, beginning with actions that partially offset stock-based compensation, and working towards a consistent reduction in share count."

The buyback news comes a week after Uber reported fourth-quarter results that beat Wall Street's earnings and revenue estimates.

CEO Dara Khosrowshahi called 2023 a year of "sustainable, profitable growth for Uber," and told CNBC in an interview Feb. 7 that a shift in consumer spending from retail to services has bolstered the company's performance.

Uber's mobility segment revenue was up 34% from the year prior, and its delivery segment's revenue was up 6% from the year before.