Uber shares fall as CEO resigns

Uber Inc., the ride-hailing app company, reported disappointing earnings Wednesday, as its chief executive resigned amid a backlash over a series of sexual harassment allegations.

The shares fell as much as 2.3 percent to $35.50 in premarket trading after the news broke.

The stock has lost more than half its value since the beginning of the year, hitting a new low.

The company’s stock fell as little as 2 percent in pre-market trading.CEO Travis Kalanick, a popular and influential figure in Silicon Valley, has resigned from his post at the company after a series for sexual harassment claims were made public by former Uber engineer Susan Fowler.

In an email obtained by The Associated Press, she said she was forced out after a monthlong investigation into the alleged behavior.

“After reviewing the information, I have concluded that I am unable to continue as the CEO of Uber,” Kalanicky wrote in the email, which was obtained by the AP.

The company did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Uber’s stock plunged more than 6 percent in after-hours trading Wednesday after the announcement.

The departures come just weeks after a scathing report on Uber by the Federal Trade Commission.

It alleged that the company engaged in unfair and deceptive business practices and discriminated against female employees.

The FTC has since opened an investigation into Kalanicks behavior, which is also a topic of a separate investigation.

Kalanick has denied any wrongdoing and said the allegations were false.

He told reporters Tuesday that he resigned over a lack of support from employees.

“The allegations of inappropriate conduct against me have no merit, and I accept full responsibility for them,” he said.

“I have been the CEO for two decades, and this is my last day.”

The company, which has more than 4,500 employees in the U.S. and Canada, has faced pressure to improve its reputation as a place for workers to live, work and play.

Kalanickers company has been criticized for a lackadaisical approach to improving employee health and safety.