by winston » Thu May 21, 2026 8:13 am
Grab Holdings Faces Hurdles, But Upside Potential Is Hard to Ignore
by Thomas Hughes
Grab Holdings is on track to unlock value as it expands and improves profitability with scale.
Buybacks highlight management's confidence in the outlook.
Indonesian regulation changes have a limited impact on the business.
Grab Holdings’ (NASDAQ: GRAB) biggest challenge this year is investor perception. On one hand, its dominance in Indonesia is being tested by regulatory changes. On the other, the stop-and-start negotiations with GoTo have the market on edge.
In the first case, a cap on commissions in its largest market is forcing a business reset. In the second, Grab stands to benefit either way. A merger would create a ride-hailing giant but it would also face significant obstacles, including the possibility of divestitures.
The combined company would command roughly 90% of Indonesia’s ride-sharing market, which appears unlikely given the government’s stance. Regulators are concerned about the impact on drivers, which would be substantial.
The impact of Indonesia’s regulatory change will be felt, but executives say it should be minimal, affecting only a small portion of the company’s overall business, if at all. As it stands, two-wheel transportation, including motorbikes, is the primary target of the regulation, and those services account for less than 6% of Grab's total volume.
The caveat is that capping commissions effectively increases driver pay and may reduce the need for incentives. Even so, the impact should be both limited and short-lived.
Grab Trades at Rock Bottom Pricing
Grab stock is not cheap today, trading at nearly 40X its current-year earnings forecast but it looks deeply undervalued relative to forward estimates.
Reliable forecasts put the stock at just 18X earnings by 2028, with the potential for that metric to fall into the low single digits by mid-2035.
The main constraint is time, but the recent Q1 2026 results suggest the company is on track to meet its goals. Assuming Grab grows in line with its outlook and reaches a 22X valuation in 2035, in line with the broad market average, the stock would be worth more than $30 per share based on forward earnings, representing about 1,000% upside from current levels.
Institutional investors own more than 55% of the stock, have accumulated shares for more than two years, and increased activity sequentially in 2025 and again in Q1.
Early Q2 institutional activity shows some slowing, but sentiment remains bullish, underscoring the value on offer. The likely outcome is that institutions will continue to accumulate the stock, limiting downside risk in 2026.
The chart price action suggests a bottom may be forming. Support is evident near $3.50, matching the lows set in 2025 and reinforced by the indicators.
MACD momentum and stochastic oscillators indicate the market is in the midst of a shift; the question is whether that shift is from a downtrend to a range-bound phase or to a rebound.
Grab Holdings’ Business Is Booming, Hurdles or Not
Grab Holding’s business is thriving. Q1 revenue grew 24% to $955 million, beating the consensus by nearly 400 basis points, driven by strength in on-demand and financial services.
Delivery revenue grew 22% on a 24% increase in gross merchandise volume, supported by a 7% increase in volume per user.
Mobility was also strong, up 19%, as was the Financial segment, which increased by more than 100%.
Margins were a standout detail. Adjusted EBITDA increased by 46%, providing evidence of improving profitability at scale. That improvement was also reflected in free cash flow, which rose to $489 million on a trailing 12-month basis, up 68% from the prior quarter, and is expected to remain strong through year-end.
Guidance was left unchanged, with revenue expected to grow in the low-20% range and adjusted EBITDA projected to increase by approximately 42%.
Evidence of management’s confidence in the outlook can be seen in the capital return program. The company initiated an accelerated share repurchase earlier this year and is on track to return as much as $400 million to investors by year-end. Grab’s biggest risk is competition, but it is managing that risk well.
Source: Market Beat
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