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Uber Raised to Investment-Grade by S&P on Earnings Growth

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Uber signage on a vehicle in New York, US, on Thursday, Aug. 8, 2024. In the past two weeks, Uber Technologies Inc., DoorDash Inc., Instacart, Grubhub parent Just Eat Takeaway, and Deliveroo Plc have all delivered upbeat earnings reports, suggesting that ride-sharing and food delivery are both entrenched habits baked into consumer's budgets, and serving as a counterpoint to fears that US consumer spending is softening across the board. (Yuki Iwamura/Bloomberg)

(Bloomberg) -- S&P Global Ratings upgraded Uber Technologies Inc.’s credit ratings to investment-grade status on Friday, citing the ride-hailing and food-delivery company’s consistent earnings growth.

Uber’s main bond ratings were upgraded to BBB-, the lowest investment-grade level, from BB+, the highest junk grade, S&P said in a statement. Investment-grade credit ratings can translate to lower borrowing costs for a company, because a wider array of investors are eligible to buy high-grade securities. 

The company is on track to generate about $5.9 billion of a key measure of earnings, known as Ebitda, in 2024, and $7.6 billion in 2025, according to S&P. Even as income grows, the company is remaining conservative with borrowing, and has publicly said it wants to maintain an investment-grade credit profile, the ratings firm said. 

Uber’s financial discipline and its cash flow puts it in a good position to use capital for acquisitions and to otherwise boost shareholder returns, S&P said.

In February, Moody’s Ratings upgraded Uber’s main bond rating to Ba1, the highest junk level, from B1, a three notch upgrade.  

As of the end of June, Uber had about $11.1 billion of short- and long-term debt, including bonds and lease liabilities, according to data compiled by Bloomberg.    

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