We recently compiled a list of the 12 Best Technology Stocks to Invest In for the Long Term. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) stands against the other technology stocks.
On January 1, King Lip, BakerAvenue Wealth Management’s chief strategist and partner, joined CNBC’s ‘Closing Bell’ to discuss market outlooks as we enter 2025. His focus was on the impressive performance of tech stocks in 2024, with expectations for a second consecutive year of double-digit gains. Lip was against the prevailing sentiment among investors that big tech has peaked and that funds should rotate into smaller stocks or other themes. He argued that the recent weakness in the tech sector is largely due to technical rebalancing rather than a fundamental downturn. He emphasized that cash is likely to flow back into leading tech stocks, as they are projected to deliver the highest earnings growth in 2025, with an anticipated earnings increase of over 20%.
Discussing high valuations in the tech sector, particularly for large-cap stocks trading at forward earnings multiples between 32 and 35 times, Lip countered that many valuations remain within one standard deviation of their historical norms over the past decade. He pointed out that the MAG7 have consistently provided strong returns and are well-positioned for future growth. Lip identified Broadcom as a top stock, praising its management under Hock Tan and its unique role in the market as a provider of custom AI chips. He noted that the company operates at a lower earnings multiple while benefiting from substantial growth.
Lip also discussed Palantir, which has garnered attention for its profitability and positive cash flow since becoming profitable two years ago; despite its high valuation exceeding 50 times revenue, he believes it is well-positioned to benefit from government spending cuts and AI initiatives. While acknowledging concerns about insider selling and high valuations for the company, Lip remains optimistic about its future potential, suggesting it could be more appealing if it drops to the mid-$60 range.
Lip is bullish on tech stocks in 2025 that will be driven by strong earnings growth and ongoing investments in AI infrastructure. The NASDAQ 100 index has performed remarkably well, achieving a return of 27% in 2024 following a staggering 53.8% return in 2023. This reflects a broader trend where major tech companies have outperformed traditional indices significantly, and with that being acknowledged, we’re here with a list of the 12 best technology stocks to invest in for the long term.
Methodology
To identify the best long-term tech stocks according to media, we sifted through financial media reports and watched Wall Street analysts’ appearances on the news. We compiled a preliminary list of 25 stocks first and then selected 12 stocks that were the most popular among elite hedge funds. The stocks are ranked in ascending order of the number of hedge funds that have stakes in them, as of Q3 2024. The hedge fund data was sourced from Insider Monkey’s database which tracks the moves of over 900 elite money managers.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A close up view of a hand holding a smartphone, using a ride sharing app.
Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 136
Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) is a technology company that operates a global platform connecting consumers with service providers. It operates across 3 core segments: Mobility, Delivery, and Freight. It provides consumers with flexible and cost-effective transportation options, eliminating the need for personal vehicle ownership.
Its platform has evolved beyond traditional ride-hailing to Uber Eats, Uber Freight, and Uber Shopping, which collectively generate $20 billion in annual gross bookings. The company’s gross bookings were up 20% year-on-year in Q3 2024. This was driven by an increase in user frequency, evidenced by the 70% year-on-year growth in Uber One members, which now exceeds 25 million. Uber One is a paid membership program for discounts on rides and deliveries through the Uber and Uber Eats apps.
It has market dominance in major urban centers, such as its ~30% market share in New York City and ~40% in London. However, its growth trajectory is now shifting towards suburban and secondary cities, due to a surge in demand and those regions are expanding at 20-25% annually, outpacing the 10-15% growth observed in core urban areas. Uber Technologies Inc. (NYSE:UBER) has the potential to maintain its position as a leader in the mobility market.
The RiverPark Large Growth Fund broke down Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER)’s impressive market reach in the fund’s Q4 2023 investor letter:
“Uber Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:UBER): UBER was a top contributor in the quarter following better than expected 3Q23 earnings and 4Q23 guidance. Gross bookings of $35.3 billion were up 21% year over year. Mobility gross bookings of $17.9 billion grew 30% over last year driven by a combination of product innovation and driver availability. Delivery gross bookings of $16 billion were up 16% from last year and continued to be strong throughout the quarter. 1Q Adjusted EBITDA of $1.1 billion, up $576 million year over year, was better than management’s guidance of $1 billion, and the company generated $900 million of free cash flow, up from $358 million last year. Management guided to continuing growth in 4Q Gross Bookings (23.5% growth) and Adjusted EBITDA (of $1.2 billion).
UBER remains the undisputed global leader in ride sharing, with a greater than 50% share in every major region in which it operates. The company is also a leader in food delivery, where it is number one or two in the more than 25 countries in which it operates.1 Moreover, after a history of losses, the company is now profitable, delivering expanding margins and substantial free cash flow. We view UBER as more than a ride sharing and food delivery service; we also see it as a global mobility platform with 142 million users (by comparison, Amazon Prime has 200 million members) and the ability to penetrate new markets of on-demand services, such as package and grocery delivery, travel, and hourly worker staffing. Given its $5.2 billion of unrestricted cash and $5.1 billion of investments, the company today has an enterprise value of $128 billion, indicating that UBER trades at 21x our estimates of next year’s free cash flow.”
Overall UBER ranks 8th on our list of the best technology stocks to invest in for the long term. As we acknowledge the growth potential of UBER as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold great promise for delivering high returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than UBER but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.