They do know a lot. But the work the analysts are doing is price of entry stuff.

You don't make money on Wall Street by "knowing a lot" you make money by knowing one thing that one person opposite you doesn't.

That means you have to know a lot of things that won't make you rich, just to prevent becoming poor.

Of course, they might be totally off base and completely wrong and the company might go to $10 or $0. But when compared to the media who live and die by the dramatic story that garners the most interest and the markets which are amplified by many factors I personally prefer the opinion of those who at least spent time modeling it out. I also personally think transportation is a necessity and Lyft has levers it can pull which can make a big impact in their bottom line.

Maybe they're on their way there? Gotta start somewhere. Maybe not ridesharing IPOs though.