Executive Summary

This report analyzes the financial performance of three major transport sector companies, namely
Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., and Hertz Global Holdings Inc. It identifies the impact of the
pandemic on the financial performance of these companies and the wider transport sector. The
report also calculates the average profits of each company over the period of accounts available
and provides relevant graphical representations comparing at least three elements of the key
financial metrics. In summary, this report aims to provide insights into the financial health of these
companies and their response to the challenges posed by the pandemic. In the end, the short
reflection of self-learning is also provided to describe the learning outcomes of this report.
Table of Contents
Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................... 1

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 3

Report Objectives........................................................................................................................ 4

Proposed Methodology ............................................................................................................... 4

Methodology .................................................................................................................................. 5

Companies Selection ................................................................................................................... 5

Historical Perspective ................................................................................................................. 5

Collecting Data ........................................................................................................................... 5

Comparison of General Performance.......................................................................................... 6

GDPR Analysis ........................................................................................................................... 6

Comparison: Key Performance Index ......................................................................................... 7

Average Gross Profit ............................................................................................................... 7

Total Assets ............................................................................................................................. 7

Return on Assets ..................................................................................................................... 8

Total Liabilities ....................................................................................................................... 9

Self-Reflection ............................................................................................................................. 10

References .....................................................................................................................................11
 Part-1
Introduction
The transport sector plays a crucial role in any economy, facilitating the movement of goods,
people, and services. (Kukharenko et al., 2019)This report focuses on three companies that operate
in the transport sector and are competitors in their respective fields. The companies selected for
this report are Uber Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., and Hertz Global Holdings Inc. Uber and Lyft are
ride-hailing companies that operate in multiple countries, offering transportation services through
their mobile applications. Hertz Global Holdings, on the other hand, is a car rental company that
operates in over 150 countries worldwide, renting out a wide range of vehicles to customers.
(Schor, 2014)

The primary purpose of this report is to analyze the financial performance of these companies and
provide a comparison of their financial metrics over the past seven years, from 2016 to the present.
Also, to address the uncertainty, the report analyzes the impact of the pandemic on the companies'
fortunes, including any measures they took to mitigate the impact. The report uses data from
publicly available sources such as Macrotrends to analyze the financial performance of the selected
companies. The analysis will include key financial metrics such as revenue, gross profit margin,
and net profit margin. The report will also calculate the average profits of each company over the
period of accounts available.

Finally, after analyzing the data via certain statistical visualization the findings are discussed and
the areas for improvements for transportation companies are identified. The findings of this report
will have implications for the companies and the transport sector as a whole, providing valuable
insights into the financial performance of the companies and the impact of the pandemic on their
fortunes. (Nhamo et al., 2020)
Report Objectives
Following objectives is to be achieved in this report,

• To analyze the financial performance of three selected transport sector companies: Uber
Technologies Inc., Lyft Inc., and Hertz Global Holdings Inc.
• To identify the impact of the pandemic on the financial performance of the three companies
and the wider transport sector.
• To calculate the average profits of each company over the period of accounts available.
• To provide relevant graphical representations comparing at least three elements of the key
financial metrics.

Proposed Methodology
The selection process for the companies was based on their similarity in the transport sector, their
competition in the same market, and availability of at least seven years of accounts from 2016 to
present. To collect the necessary financial data, we sourced the publicly available sites such as
Macrotrends. The data was analyzed using key financial metrics such as revenue, gross profit
margin, and net profit margin, and the average profits of each company over the period of accounts
available were calculated. Finally, the report will draw conclusions from the analysis and discuss
the implications of the findings for the companies and the transport sector as a whole. Suggestions
for future research will also be provided.

Analyzing
Selecting Collecting Key Conlcuding
Companies Data Financial the Analysis
Metrics

Figure 1 Proposed Methodology

Methodology
In this section, we will explain the detailed methodology of report while performing the financial
analyzes of selected companies. Further, data collection procedure is also discussed.

Companies Selection
The three companies, Uber, Lyft, and Hertz Global Holdings, were selected for this report because
they are competitors in the same industry of ride-hailing and car rental services. (Williams,
2018)They were chosen based on their similar sizes and availability of financial data from 2016 to
present. These companies are leaders in the industry, with a significant impact on the economy and
consumers. Through analyzing their financial performance, we can gain insights into the state of
the ride-hailing and car rental sector, including the impact of the pandemic on their operations.

Historical Perspective
The history and ownership of a company can provide valuable insights into its corporate culture,
business model, and strategic direction.(Tucker, 2017) In the case of Uber(Rothaermel, 2017), its
founders, Garrett Camp and Travis Kalanick, envisioned a ride-hailing service that would leverage
technology to disrupt the traditional taxi industry. Their innovative approach to transportation led
to the rapid growth of Uber, which is now a household name in many parts of the world. Lyft, on
the other hand, was founded with the goal of providing a more personalized and community-
oriented ride-sharing experience. (Rosenthal et al., 2022)Hertz, a car rental company with a long
and storied history, has evolved over the years to meet changing market demands. From its humble
beginnings with a single location in Chicago, Hertz has expanded into a global brand with
operations in over 150 countries. (“Hertz Global Holdings Inc.,” 2019)

Collecting Data
To gather the necessary data for this report, we utilized the publicly available Macrotrends website.
This platform provided us with comprehensive financial data for the selected companies over the
specified period. By using this resource, we were able to access key financial metrics,(Erickson &
Sørensen, 2016) such as revenue, profit margins, and other relevant information, which we will
use to analyze and compare the performance of the three companies. The use of a publicly
accessible database ensured the transparency and reliability of our findings.
Comparison of General Performance
Uber, Lyft, and Hertz are three major competitors in the transportation industry that offer ride-
hailing and car rental services. (Tucker, 2017)While Uber and Lyft have experienced strong
revenue growth over the years, Hertz has struggled with a decline in revenue. However, all three
companies have been significantly impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic has led to
a shift in consumer behavior, with people avoiding public transportation and ride-hailing services.
It remains to be seen how long it will take for the industry to fully recover. The target audience for
these companies are primarily individuals who need transportation services for daily commuting
or occasional travel. (Sun, 2023) In terms of financial performance, Uber Technologies Inc. and
Lyft Inc. have experienced significant revenue growth over the years, while Hertz Global Holdings
Inc. has experienced a decline in revenue. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has had a significant
impact on the financial performance of all three companies, with Uber Technologies Inc. and Lyft
Inc. experiencing a decline in revenue, while Hertz Global Holdings Inc. filed for bankruptcy.
(Steinmetz, 2015)

GDPR Analysis
All three companies, Uber, Lyft, and Hertz, have faced legal challenges related to GDPR. (“GDPR
and Data Powered Marketing: The Beginning of a New Paradigm,” 2019)GDPR, or General Data
Protection Regulation, is a regulation in EU law on data protection and privacy for all individuals
within the European Union and the European Economic Area. In November 2018, Uber was fined
£385,000 by the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) (Contreras & Paz, 2018)for failing
to protect its customers' personal data during a cyber-attack. The breach affected 2.7 million
customers in the UK, and Uber did not disclose the breach until a year later. In 2019, Lyft faced a
class-action lawsuit for allegedly violating GDPR by collecting and sharing users' location data
without their consent. The lawsuit claimed that Lyft collected and shared precise location data of
its users with third-party advertisers without obtaining valid consent, which is a violation of
GDPR. In 2020, Hertz was fined €900,000 by the Italian Data (Henao, 2017)Protection Authority
for violating GDPR by sending promotional emails to individuals who had not given their consent.
The authority found that Hertz had processed personal data without the consent of the data subjects
and failed to honor their rights under GDPR. (Andrew & Baker, 2021)
Comparison: Key Performance Index
In this section, the comparison of key performance indices (KPIs) of three companies have been
made. The three KPIs are, average gross profit, total assets and Return on Assets for three
companies recording data for the past seven years sourced from publicly available website
“macrotrends”. The detailed comparison is given step by step, (Walsh & Lim, 2020)

Average Gross Profit

The given data shows the revenue of Uber Inc., Lyft Inc., and Hertz Inc. from 2016 to 2022. The
line graph of this data reveals a general trend of revenue decrease for all three companies from
2016 to 2020, followed by a rebound in 2021 and 2022. The dip in revenue in 2020 is likely due
to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the transportation industry. Overall, the graph shows
that the revenue of Uber and Lyft is significantly higher than Hertz, but all three companies have
experienced a decline in revenue in recent years.

Comparison: Gross Profit for 7 years

$14,000
$12,000
$10,000
$8,000
$6,000
$4,000
$2,000
$0
2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

Uber Inc. Lyft Inc. Hertz Inc.

Figure 2 Gross Profit Comparison

Total Assets
The given data represents the total assets of Uber Inc., Lyft Inc., and Hertz Inc. from the years
2016 to 2022. The data shows that all three companies have seen a steady increase in their total
assets from 2016 to 2019, with Uber having the highest total assets among the three. However, in
2020, there is a significant drop in the total assets of all three companies, which can be attributed
to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. The data also shows a gradual recovery in 2021 and
2022, with Lyft having the highest increase in total assets compared to the other two companies.
The bar graph visually displays the differences in total assets among the three companies over the
given time period.

Comparison: Total Asstes of three Companies for 7

Years
$60,000

$40,000

$20,000

$0
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

Uber Inc. Lyft Inc. Hertz Inc.

Figure 3 Assets Comparison of Three Companies

Return on Assets
The given data represents the return on assets (ROA) of three companies, Uber Inc., Lyft Inc., and
Hertz Inc., for the years 2016 to 2022. The bar graph comparing the ROA of the three companies
shows that Uber's ROA has been consistently negative, indicating that the company has been
unsuccessful in generating profits with its assets. Lyft's ROA has been positive, with a high of
15.68% in 2016 and a low of -22.14% in 2018. Hertz's ROA has been fluctuating, with a high of
6.5% in 2016 and a low of -11.96% in 2020. The bar graph also shows a downward trend in 2020
for all three companies.

Chart Title
20.00%

10.00%

0.00%
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
-10.00%

-20.00%

-30.00%

-40.00%

-50.00%

Uber Inc. Lyft Inc. Hertz Inc.

Figure 4 ROA Comparison

Total Liabilities
The data represents the total liabilities of Uber Inc, Lyft Inc, and Hertz Inc for the years 2016-
2022. The line graph visualizes the trend of the total liabilities of these companies over time. The
graph shows that the total liabilities of all three companies have been increasing over time, with
some fluctuations. The data and bar graph show the total liabilities of three companies, Uber Inc,
Lyft Inc, and Hertz Inc, from 2016 to 2022. The bar graph visually represents the total liabilities
for each company in each year, with the height of the bars indicating the amount of liabilities. The
data and bar graph provide insights into the financial health of each company, particularly in terms
of their liabilities, and can be used to compare the liabilities of each company over time.

Total Liabilities Comparison

$35,000

$30,000

$25,000

$20,000

$15,000

$10,000

$5,000

$0
2022 2021 2020 2019 2018 2017 2016

Uber Inc Lyft Inc. Hertz Inc.

Figure 5 Comparison of total liabilities of companies

The data comparison report analyzes and compares the financial performance of three companies:
Uber Inc, Lyft Inc, and Hertz Inc. The report compares the companies' total liabilities, gross profit,
and total assets over a period of seven years, from 2016 to 2022. The bar graphs and statistical
evidence presented in the report provide a clear picture of the companies' financial standing and
performance over the years. The report reveals that the companies have experienced varying rates
of growth and decline in their financial metrics. Overall, the report highlights the importance of
financial performance analysis in understanding and assessing the success and growth potential of
companies in various industries.
 Part-2
Self-Reflection
We selected the transportation sector for this study to analyze their financial performance and to
compare and contrast the performance according to key performance indices. The analysis of the
financial performance of companies in the transport sector is helpful and effective in understanding
the overall health of the sector, identifying areas for improvement, and evaluating the impact of
external factors on its performance. Analyzing and interpreting financial data can provide valuable
insights into a company's financial health and performance. It can help identify areas where a
company is excelling or struggling, as well as potential areas for improvement. By analyzing
financial metrics such as revenue, gross profit margin, and net profit margin, it is possible to gain
a deeper understanding of a company's financial performance over a given period. (Chen & Lee,
2020)

It is also important to consider external factors, such as the impact of the pandemic, as this can
significantly affect a company's financial performance. By analyzing financial data in conjunction
with external factors, it is possible to identify the extent to which the pandemic has affected a
company's financial health and identify measures taken to mitigate the impact. Overall, analyzing
and interpreting financial data is a crucial component of evaluating a company's performance and
making informed business decisions.

It is also important to note that interpreting financial data requires a certain level of expertise and
knowledge. It is important to have a clear understanding of financial terminology, accounting
principles, and financial analysis techniques to accurately interpret financial data. As such,
companies may need to rely on the expertise of financial analysts or engage in ongoing training to
ensure that they have the necessary skills to effectively analyze and interpret financial data. Thus,
this study has enabled us to conduct the financial check and balance of companies and analyze the
performance of companies to implement changes to further improve the effectiveness of company.
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