Wells Fargo & Company Cuts Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) Price Target to $18.00

Lyft (NASDAQ:LYFT) had its price target decreased by analysts at Wells Fargo & Company from $26.00 to $18.00 in a research note issued on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an “equal weight” rating on the ride-sharing company’s stock. Wells Fargo & Company‘s target price indicates a potential upside of 26.49% from the company’s current price.

LYFT has been the topic of a number of other research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $17.00 price objective on Lyft in a report on Wednesday. TD Cowen reissued a “buy” rating on shares of Lyft in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Canaccord Genuity Group set a $16.00 price target on Lyft in a research note on Wednesday. Benchmark reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of Lyft in a report on Tuesday, October 28th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c-)” rating on shares of Lyft in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, twenty-two have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $21.06.

Lyft Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:LYFT traded down $2.62 during midday trading on Wednesday, hitting $14.23. The stock had a trading volume of 22,311,031 shares, compared to its average volume of 13,824,316. Lyft has a 1 year low of $9.66 and a 1 year high of $25.54. The company has a current ratio of 0.72, a quick ratio of 0.72 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.76. The stock has a 50 day moving average price of $19.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $19.08. The company has a market capitalization of $5.68 billion, a PE ratio of 37.28, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 1.93.

Lyft announced that its board has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, February 10th that allows the company to repurchase $1.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the ride-sharing company to repurchase up to 15.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity

In other Lyft news, CAO Stephen W. Hope sold 4,800 shares of Lyft stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.30, for a total transaction of $107,040.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 311,909 shares in the company, valued at approximately $6,955,570.70. The trade was a 1.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director David Lawee sold 6,578 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, December 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $22.55, for a total transaction of $148,333.90. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 104,460 shares in the company, valued at $2,355,573. This trade represents a 5.92% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 187,443 shares of company stock worth $4,178,618 in the last three months. Company insiders own 3.07% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Lyft

Several hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bogart Wealth LLC lifted its position in shares of Lyft by 1,242.2% in the second quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 2,161 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $34,000 after acquiring an additional 2,000 shares in the last quarter. Quent Capital LLC acquired a new position in Lyft in the 3rd quarter valued at about $34,000. International Assets Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in Lyft in the 4th quarter valued at about $40,000. Huntington National Bank lifted its holdings in Lyft by 171.8% in the 4th quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 2,174 shares of the ride-sharing company’s stock valued at $42,000 after purchasing an additional 1,374 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Abich Financial Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Lyft during the 3rd quarter worth about $50,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 83.07% of the company’s stock.

Key Lyft News

Here are the key news stories impacting Lyft this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board-authorized $1.0 billion share repurchase (up to ~15% of shares outstanding), a clear signal management views the stock as undervalued and a direct source of support for the equity. RTT News: Stock Buybacks
• Positive Sentiment: Company and management highlight “record” Q4 and full‑year 2025 financial results in the press release, and CEO commentary emphasized strategic momentum into 2026 (including AVs). These positives underpin longer‑term bull cases. BusinessWire: Record Q4/Full‑Year Results
• Neutral Sentiment: Management reiterated plans for expanded autonomous‑vehicle (AV) deployments in 2026 — a potential long‑term margin lever but with near‑term execution and capital intensity risks. MarketWatch: AV Deployments & Mixed Outlook
• Neutral Sentiment: Product expansion: rollout of teen accounts across major U.S. cities could support user growth over time but is not an immediate revenue driver. WABE: Teen Accounts Launch
• Negative Sentiment: Q4 results disappointed some key expectations — reported EPS missed consensus (reported -$0.20 vs. ~$0.32 expected), revenue and active riders/ride counts came in below estimates, and the company reported an unexpected operating loss; the print triggered a large intraday selloff. Business Insider: Q4 Disappointment
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst reactions have been mixed-to-cautious: Deutsche Bank cut its target to $16 (hold), Truist trimmed its target to $18 (hold), and other firms maintained conservative stances — putting further near‑term pressure on sentiment. TickerReport / Benzinga: Deutsche Bank Cut TipRanks: Needham Hold
• Negative Sentiment: Reputational and safety concerns after two Lyft drivers were killed in Cleveland in separate attacks, a reminder of operational and regulatory risks for the rideshare business. MSN: Driver Fatalities

About Lyft

Lyft, Inc (NASDAQ: LYFT) operates a peer-to-peer ridesharing platform that connects passengers with drivers through a mobile application. Since its founding in 2012, the company has expanded beyond traditional ride-hailing to include bike and electric scooter rentals, while also offering rental cars and public transit options in select markets. Lyft’s platform uses GPS mapping and dynamic pricing algorithms to optimize driver-passenger matches and route efficiency.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Lyft primarily serves urban and suburban markets across the United States and Canada.