In contrast to the intense optimism we saw on the market during the trading day, the after-hours scene is mixed.
There are reasons for investors to be optimistic -- after months of "will they or won't they" suspense, IT companies Broadcom (AVGO 2.94%) and Symantec (SYMC +3.22%) finally effected a sale. But there was some discouraging news, too, especially for Uber (UBER 2.89%) investors. Let's get right to it.
Image source: Uber.
Uber's Q2 growth is not good enough
Maybe it's better if you walk instead, at least if you're looking at Uber shares. The company's stock is one of the most prominent decliners in post-market action, following its after-market posting of Q2 of fiscal 2019 results. These landed short of expectations.
The quarter saw the ridesharing giant collect revenue of $3.16 billion, a 14% improvement on a year-over-year basis. That was on the back of gross bookings that rose 31% to $15.76 billion. The non-GAAP (adjusted) net loss deepened considerably, to $5.24 billion ($4.72 per share) from Q2 2018's $878 million ($2.01).
Much of Uber's growth in bookings can be ascribed to a general take-up of ride-hailing services, a dynamic that also underpinned Lyft's (LYFT 0.49%) year-over-year improvements.
The difference is that Lyft's just-reported Q2 convincingly beat analyst estimates, while Uber's missed them by a considerable amount. On average, prognosticators following the stock were anticipating $3.36 billion in revenue and a per-share net loss of only $3.19.
Even when backing out $3.9 billion of stock-based compensation related to the company's IPO and a $298 million "driver appreciation award" connected with same, Uber still would have made a substantial loss.
At the moment, Uber's stock is down by 6% in after-market trading. Perhaps this bearishness is spilling over into Lyft, too -- that company's shares are off by nearly 2%.
Broadcom buying Symantec's enterprise unit
As widely expected, Broadcom and Symantec have reached a deal for the former to buy the latter's enterprise security business, both companies announced after market close in separate press releases. Broadcom will pay $10.7 billion in cash for the unit.
The agreement comes shortly after Broadcom tried to buy Symantec outright. Negotiations on that effort failed at a late stage, and Broadcom regrouped to make a play for the enterprise unit.
In its press release, the buyer said that "[t]he addition of Symantec's enterprise security portfolio will significantly expand Broadcom's infrastructure software footprint as it continues to build one of the world's leading infrastructure technology companies."
Although the purchase considerably widens Broadcom's product range, $10.7 billion is a dear price to pay for the Symantec unit. Broadcom estimates that it will add "more than $2 billion of sustainable, incremental, run-rate revenues and approximately $1.3 billion of Pro Forma EBITDA, including synergies."
Broadcom said it will fund the purchase price through debt financing. The deal, which has been approved by Symantec's board of directors, is subject to the relevant regulatory authorities. Broadcom expects it will close during the company's Q1 of fiscal 2020; Symantec believes this will occur before the end of this calendar year.
Since media reports Wednesday night strongly suggested that the two companies would reach a deal, the action was hot in the two stocks during today's market hours. There's still some pop in Symantec, which is up by almost 4% at the moment, while Broadcom is down marginally tonight.
