Grab Raises 2026 Forecasts on Stronger Demand

Singapore-based Grab, Southeast Asia’s largest ride-hailing and delivery platform, lifted its full-year 2026 revenue and profit forecasts on Tuesday after posting stronger-than-expected second-quarter results, citing sustained demand across its mobility and delivery segments and a broadening push into financial services. The revised guidance, alongside a new US$750 million share buyback programme, drove the Nasdaq-listed company’s shares up 3 per cent in extended trading — though the stock remains more than 26 per cent lower for the year.

Grab now projects 2026 revenue of between US$4.10 billion and US$4.15 billion, up from its prior forecast of US$4.04 billion to US$4.10 billion, broadly in line with analyst consensus of US$4.12 billion compiled by LSEG. The company also raised its adjusted EBITDA guidance to a range of US$720 million to US$740 million, from US$700 million to US$720 million previously.

Second-quarter revenue rose 22 per cent year-on-year to US$997 million, edging past analysts’ estimate of US$990.8 million for the three months ended June.

Gross merchandise value (GMV) across Grab’s mobility and deliveries businesses climbed 21 per cent to US$6.5 billion in the quarter, propelled by growth in active user numbers. The platform, which serves 54 million users across more than 900 cities in the region, deployed US$706 million in incentives for customers and drivers during the period — including over US$7 million directed specifically at supporting driver earnings amid elevated fuel costs linked to the Iran war.

The grocery and financial services expansions are particularly significant. Both segments address structural gaps in Southeast Asian markets where traditional banking penetration remains uneven and last-mile logistics infrastructure is still maturing — dynamics that Grab’s platform positioning allows it to exploit with relative efficiency.

The share buyback announcement signals a degree of balance-sheet confidence, though the stock’s year-to-date decline points to persistent investor caution over the company’s path to durable profitability at scale.