Loss-making Deliveroo needs extra sauce to tempt investors
Deliveroo, the unprofitable takeaway-food platform, is to float next month. Sales soared last year, but will the momentum now ebb? Matthew Partridge reports


Get set for “the biggest market debut in Britain for three years”, says Sky News. The online food-delivery platform Deliveroo is to float on the London Stock Exchange next month. The process could result in it being valued as much as £7.5bn.
In an offer branded “great food with a side of shares”, £50m of the shares in the “blockbuster” initial public offering (IPO) have been reserved for customers, who will be able to apply for up to £1,000 of them. However, priority will be given to long-standing users if the flotation is oversubscribed.
Deliveroo deserves “top marks” for inviting customers to buy a few shares in the company’s flotation, especially since “few firms bother to include retail investors in their IPOs these days”, says Nils Pratley in The Guardian. Not only is it a “fairer way to proceed”, but it will also help them “secure a crew of like-minded investors”. However, those investors may need to be very patient, since even a £5bn valuation, let alone the higher figures that some experts are talking about, relies on investors believing that the company, which is still loss-making overall, has “decades of growth ahead”.
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE

Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
A lockdown boost
There’s no doubt that the lockdown has been good for business, as “new customers and higher order frequency” have lifted revenue by 54% to £1.2bn last year, says Karen Kwok on Breakingviews. If you value it on a similar price-to-sales multiple as rivals Just Eat or Takeaway.com, the company could be “worth $10bn including debt”. Still, Deliveroo “may need to add extra sauce to win over new shareholders”. There are growing concerns that sales could subside as customers “flock back to restaurants”, especially in the UK and Ireland, which account for around half Deliveroo’s revenue.
Already shares in American food delivery firm DoorDash have started to slide back after a “blistering debut” due to fears about what will happen after a “return to restaurants”, says James Titcomb in The Daily Telegraph. What’s more, even if sales continue to grow, there is no guarantee that costs won’t grow even faster.
While Deliveroo makes around 88p in gross profit (earnings minus the cost of making deliveries, such as drivers’ fees) from each £10 order, changes to employment rules around the “gig economy” may wipe this out. The freelance status of delivery workers is “being challenged in several countries”, with the UK Supreme Court recently ruling against Uber.
Still, even if Deliveroo is overvalued, you can’t blame its owners for cashing in while investors are still “hungry” for growth stories, says Patrick Hosking in The Times. Already, conditions are becoming “less benign for high-growth shares” as long-term interest rates start to rise. As a result, the share prices of growth firms have started to tumble, with Tesla down by nearly a third since January. Given the roster of “fast-growing disruptors” queueing to list in London, tech firms that delay flotation could be left out in the “undignified scramble” for investor’s money.
Sign up for MoneyWeek's newsletters
Get the latest financial news, insights and expert analysis from our award-winning MoneyWeek team, to help you understand what really matters when it comes to your finances.

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.
He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.
Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.
As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.
Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri
-
What is the average salary by age – and how do you compare?
Are you making more than your peers? We look at the average salary by age to see how much the typical Brit earns at different stages of their life
By Daniel Hilton
-
Tesco braces for supermarket price war with rival Asda
Tesco, Britain’s biggest grocer, has opted to cut its prices more quickly to prevent Asda grabbing market share
By Dr Matthew Partridge
-
BP's 'long, painful decline' – and why next year could be even tougher
Opinion Long-suffering shareholders in oil giant BP have been pushing for change. It won’t come soon enough, says Matthew Lynn
By Matthew Lynn
-
Investment trusts tap the profits in exotic and obscure global markets
Opinion Peter Walls, manager of the Unicorn Mastertrust fund, highlights three investment trusts as he shares where he'd put his money
By Peter Walls
-
Falling revenues and mounting debt spell trouble for Jumia Technologies
Struggling African e-commerce platform Jumia Technologies looks headed for the exit, says Dr Matthew Partridge.
By Dr Matthew Partridge
-
Bargain Britain boasts both value and momentum
Interview Ian Lance, manager of the Temple Bar Investment Trust, tells Andrew Van Sickle that the outlook for UK stocks has improved and healthy long-term returns are in prospect
By Andrew Van Sickle
-
Next reports £1 billion in annual profits for the first time – what's next for the retailer?
Clothing retailer Next has become only the fourth member of its sector to surpass £1 billion in annual profits. What does this mean for the company's future?
By Dr Matthew Partridge
-
Best of British bargains: cash in on undervalued companies in the UK stock market
Opinion Michael Field, Chief Equity Market Strategist, EMEA, Morningstar, selects three attractive UK stocks where he'd put his money
By Michael Field
-
Building firm Keller presents low debt and ample scope for growth
Geotechnical contractor Keller, which supports vital global infrastructure, boasts rising profits and a cheap valuation
By Dr Mike Tubbs
-
PZ Cussons share price down 75% in last decade – why it's one to watch
Opinion Once-strong consumer-goods business PZ Cussons is out of favour with the market. That spells opportunity for investors, says Jamie Ward
By Jamie Ward