** Shares of online grocery delivery firm Instacart CART.O, formally known as Maplebear, rises ~14% to $37.95 after the bell

** Co forecasts current-quarter gross transaction value (GTV) and core profit above expectations

** Also beats fourth-quarter estimates, helped by strong demand for essentials on its online delivery platform and rising advertising revenue

** Expects Q1 GTV between $10.13 billion and $10.28 billion, topping analysts' average estimate of $9.95 billion- data compiled by LSEG

** Sees adjusted EBITDA for the current quarter between $280 million and $290 million, compared with analysts' expectations of $279.5 million

** In Q4, GTV rises 14% to $9.85 billion, beating estimates of $9.5 billion

** Reports quarterly adjusted core profit of $303 million, above estimates of $292.2 million

** Stock rose 8.5% in 2025

(Reporting by Koyena Das from Bengaluru )

((Koyena.das@thomsonreuters.com))