AMSTERDAM (dpa-AFX) - US ride-hailing provider Uber is increasing its stake in food delivery service Delivery Hero. Major shareholder Prosus is selling approximately 13.6 million shares of Delivery Hero to the US company due to antitrust requirements, the internet investment holding announced on Friday. This represents a stake of around 4.5 percent. According to the announcement, the sale price is 20 euros per share, resulting in gross proceeds of approximately 270 million euros. The news was well-received by the stock market.
Delivery Hero shares recently rose by 3.9 percent to 21.08 euros. However, the stock has lost nearly 8 percent of its value since the beginning of the year and eleven percent over the past twelve months. Prosus, meanwhile, was only slightly up.
A spokeswoman for Delivery Hero declined to provide details on Uber's current total stake in Delivery Hero when asked by the financial news agency dpa-AFX. Following the sale, Prosus now holds 21.8 percent.
Delivery Hero CEO Niklas Östberg welcomed Uber's further investment in the MDax-listed company. "As a global technology leader, Uber's increased stake is a validation of our platform, our strategy, and our ongoing efforts to create long-term value for all shareholders."
Major shareholder Prosus had agreed in August to significantly reduce its stake in Delivery Hero to obtain approval from EU authorities for the acquisition of Delivery Hero rival Just Eat Takeaway.
For Andrew Ross of Barclays, the expansion of the ride-hailing provider's stake in Delivery Hero is an interesting development. The move comes against the backdrop of Prosus having to reduce its Delivery Hero stake to a single-digit percentage. This leaves many uncertainties in a "special constellation" for the food delivery service.
According to analyst Giles Thorne of Jefferies, there are now more questions than answers. Shortly before, he had expected an acquisition of Delivery Hero by Prosus in the near future. Now, the speculation regarding Uber's intentions continues.
In May 2024, Delivery Hero intended to sell its Taiwan business to Uber. The US company planned to acquire the division in a multi-stage deal for nearly one billion US dollars. However, the Taiwanese competition authority TFTC did not approve the deal. In March 2026, management finally found a buyer for its subsidiary Foodpanda's Taiwan business in the Singapore-based group Grab. The purchase price, excluding debt and cash, is 600 million US dollars.
Delivery Hero's management had announced in December that it was reviewing the sale of business units. The group also intended to consider strategic partnerships and capital market transactions for country subsidiaries. Furthermore, "value-enhancing measures for capital structure and capital allocation" were being examined, it was stated at the time. Previously, there had been reports that investors were pressuring management to sell off business segments.
Meanwhile, Delivery Hero aims to continue growing in the current year. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) are expected to increase to between 910 and 960 million euros. Regarding Gross Merchandise Value (GMV), management is targeting growth of eight to ten percent at constant exchange rates. Total revenue across all segments is projected to rise by 14 to 16 percent, excluding currency effects./err/stk/nas
