The Trade Desk Faces AI Challenges and Stock Decline
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 16 2026
0mins
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Significant Stock Decline: The Trade Desk's stock has plummeted 55% over the past year, including a sharp drop following its Q4 2024 earnings report, which missed revenue estimates, highlighting both macro challenges and internal issues the company faces.
- Slowing Revenue Growth: Although revenue reached $2.9 billion in 2025, growing 18%, this rate is below the 26% growth seen in 2024, and the mere 14% growth in Q4 2024 indicates increasing pressure in a competitive market.
- AI Platform Usability Issues: The rollout of the Kokai ad buying platform has faced criticism from customers due to its complex interface, which prevents users from viewing all parameters on one screen, and the automation has stripped away manual controls that clients valued, leading to decreased customer satisfaction.
- Future Collaboration Potential: Despite these challenges, rumors of a partnership with OpenAI could provide The Trade Desk with significant opportunities in the future of digital advertising; additionally, its current P/E ratio of 31, close to the S&P 500's 29, suggests potential for a rebound.
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Analyst Views on TTD
Wall Street analysts forecast TTD stock price to rise
28 Analyst Rating
15 Buy
12 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 22.380
Low
38.00
Averages
53.33
High
85.00
Current: 22.380
Low
38.00
Averages
53.33
High
85.00
About TTD
The Trade Desk, Inc. is a global advertising technology company. The Company offers a self-service, cloud-based ad-buying platform that empowers its clients to plan, manage, optimize and measure more expressive data-driven digital advertising campaigns. Its platform allows clients to execute integrated campaigns across ad formats and channels, including connected television (CTV) and other video, display, audio, and native, on a multitude of devices, such as televisions, streaming devices, mobile devices, computers and digital-out-of-home devices. Its platform’s integrations with inventory, publisher and data partners provide ad buyers reach and decisioning capabilities, and its enterprise application programming interfaces (APIs) enable its clients to customize and expand platform functionality. Its platform provides auto-optimization features that allow buyers to automate their campaigns and support them with computer-generated modeling and decision-making.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Analysis of Competition in Digital Advertising Market
- Trade Desk Financial Performance: In fiscal year 2025, Trade Desk reported nearly $2.9 billion in revenue, an 18% increase year-over-year, with a net income of $443.3 million, demonstrating strong growth potential on the demand side of digital advertising while maintaining a solid net margin of 15.3%.
- Magnite Market Position: As the largest independent sell-side platform, Magnite achieved $714 million in revenue for fiscal year 2025, reflecting a 6.9% year-over-year growth, with a net income of $144.6 million and a net margin of nearly 20.3%, showcasing its competitiveness in the connected TV and online video advertising markets.
- Customer Concentration Risk: Trade Desk's two holding companies accounted for over 10% of its gross billings in 2025, while Magnite's two advertising buyers contributed approximately 44% of its revenue, indicating increased business risk due to customer concentration for both companies.
- Debt and Cash Flow Status: As of the end of 2025, Trade Desk's debt-to-equity ratio was 0.2 with a current ratio of nearly 1.6, indicating strong short-term debt coverage; meanwhile, Magnite's debt-to-equity ratio was 0.3 with a current ratio of about 1.0, reflecting a moderate level of financial leverage.
See More
Analysis of Competition in Digital Advertising Market
- Market Position Comparison: The Trade Desk, as a demand-side platform, reported nearly $2.9 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025, reflecting an 18% year-over-year growth with a net income of $443.3 million and a net margin of approximately 15.3%, indicating its strong growth and profitability in the digital advertising sector.
- Customer Concentration Risk: The Trade Desk's two holding companies accounted for over 10% of gross billings in 2025, while Magnite's two advertising inventory buyers contributed about 44% of its revenue, highlighting the increased business risk both companies face due to customer concentration, which may impact their long-term stability.
- Financial Health Status: As of December 2025, The Trade Desk's debt-to-equity ratio was approximately 0.2, with a current ratio near 1.6, indicating strong short-term debt coverage; in contrast, Magnite's debt-to-equity ratio was 0.3, with a current ratio of about 1.0, suggesting a higher level of financial leverage and that its short-term assets barely cover its short-term liabilities.
- Future Growth Potential: While Magnite achieved approximately 6.9% revenue growth in fiscal year 2025, totaling $714 million with a net income of $144.6 million and a net margin of nearly 20.3%, The Trade Desk's Q1 sales of $688.9 million represented a 12% year-over-year increase, showcasing its greater growth potential as advertising spending rebounds.
See More
The Trade Desk Shares Surge Amid Cooling Treasury Yields
- Share Price Recovery: The Trade Desk's shares surged 3.1% in the afternoon session, reaching $22.13, which is a 4% increase from the previous close, indicating market confidence in its future growth potential.
- Interest Rate Impact: A drop in the 10-year Treasury yield can boost SaaS valuations by 5-10%, highlighting the market's sensitivity to long-duration cash flows, particularly given the high renewal rates of these contracts.
- Market Sentiment Shift: With progress in Iran peace talks, market sentiment has calmed, leading investors to focus on SaaS companies that can leverage AI to extend their competitive moats, suggesting a healthier market environment compared to the previous day's broad sell-off.
- Long-term Underperformance: Despite today's rebound, The Trade Desk has declined 41.3% since the beginning of the year, and its current share price remains 75.4% below its 52-week high, reflecting ongoing concerns about its future growth trajectory.
See More
The Trade Desk Faces 84% Stock Crash Amid Eroding Growth
- Stock Crash: The Trade Desk's stock has plummeted 84% since its peak in 2024, indicating a significant erosion of its competitive advantages in the adtech sector, leading to declining investor confidence and heightened concerns about its future prospects.
- Slowing Revenue Growth: The company's revenue growth rate fell to 12% in the first quarter, down from over 20% pre-pandemic, while adjusted earnings per share dropped from $0.33 to $0.28, missing the $0.32 estimate, reflecting a persistent decline in profitability.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Amid a booming digital ad market, The Trade Desk faces fierce competition from Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon, all of which reported substantial ad revenue growth, resulting in a loss of market share for The Trade Desk.
- Frequent Executive Changes: The company has replaced two CFOs in less than six months and is currently led by an interim CFO, a situation that typically signals internal management issues and exacerbates market unease regarding its future development.
See More
The Trade Desk Faces Revenue Growth Slowdown Amid Leadership Changes
- Revenue Growth Slowdown: The Trade Desk has experienced a revenue growth slowdown for four consecutive quarters, with the first quarter growth rate dropping to 12%, significantly lower than the over 20% growth seen at the pandemic's onset, indicating a substantial erosion of competitive advantages in the adtech sector that could impact future market share.
- Declining Profitability: Adjusted earnings per share fell from $0.33 to $0.28, missing the market expectation of $0.32, reflecting ongoing pressure on the company's profitability that may further erode investor confidence and lead to a sell-off.
- Frequent Executive Changes: The loss of two CFOs in less than six months, now with only an interim CFO, signals instability in the company's management, which is often a warning sign of significant challenges ahead and could hinder strategic execution.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Despite CEO Jeff Green's claims of a “strong” performance, competitors like Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon reported ad revenue growth exceeding 20%, indicating that The Trade Desk is clearly losing out on customer ad dollars, which may lead to further market share erosion.
See More
Analysis of the Most Hated Stocks in the Market
- Market Sentiment: Two stocks are currently among the most hated in the market, indicating strong investor concerns about their future performance, which could lead to further declines in stock prices and affect overall investment confidence.
- AI and Wealth Creation: A report suggests that AI technology may create the world's first trillionaire, highlighting the significance of technology in the future economy and potentially attracting investor interest in related tech stocks.
- Salesforce Investment Warning: Despite Salesforce's market presence, the analyst team has excluded it from the current list of the top 10 best stocks to buy, advising investors to be cautious and avoid potential losses.
- Investment Return Comparison: According to Motley Fool, the average return of Stock Advisor is 994%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 207%, demonstrating the importance of stock selection, and investors should pay attention to these recommendations for higher returns.
See More
Analysis of Competition in Digital Advertising Market
- Trade Desk Financial Performance: In fiscal year 2025, Trade Desk reported nearly $2.9 billion in revenue, an 18% increase year-over-year, with a net income of $443.3 million, demonstrating strong growth potential on the demand side of digital advertising while maintaining a solid net margin of 15.3%.
- Magnite Market Position: As the largest independent sell-side platform, Magnite achieved $714 million in revenue for fiscal year 2025, reflecting a 6.9% year-over-year growth, with a net income of $144.6 million and a net margin of nearly 20.3%, showcasing its competitiveness in the connected TV and online video advertising markets.
- Customer Concentration Risk: Trade Desk's two holding companies accounted for over 10% of its gross billings in 2025, while Magnite's two advertising buyers contributed approximately 44% of its revenue, indicating increased business risk due to customer concentration for both companies.
- Debt and Cash Flow Status: As of the end of 2025, Trade Desk's debt-to-equity ratio was 0.2 with a current ratio of nearly 1.6, indicating strong short-term debt coverage; meanwhile, Magnite's debt-to-equity ratio was 0.3 with a current ratio of about 1.0, reflecting a moderate level of financial leverage.
See More
Analysis of Competition in Digital Advertising Market
- Market Position Comparison: The Trade Desk, as a demand-side platform, reported nearly $2.9 billion in revenue for fiscal year 2025, reflecting an 18% year-over-year growth with a net income of $443.3 million and a net margin of approximately 15.3%, indicating its strong growth and profitability in the digital advertising sector.
- Customer Concentration Risk: The Trade Desk's two holding companies accounted for over 10% of gross billings in 2025, while Magnite's two advertising inventory buyers contributed about 44% of its revenue, highlighting the increased business risk both companies face due to customer concentration, which may impact their long-term stability.
- Financial Health Status: As of December 2025, The Trade Desk's debt-to-equity ratio was approximately 0.2, with a current ratio near 1.6, indicating strong short-term debt coverage; in contrast, Magnite's debt-to-equity ratio was 0.3, with a current ratio of about 1.0, suggesting a higher level of financial leverage and that its short-term assets barely cover its short-term liabilities.
- Future Growth Potential: While Magnite achieved approximately 6.9% revenue growth in fiscal year 2025, totaling $714 million with a net income of $144.6 million and a net margin of nearly 20.3%, The Trade Desk's Q1 sales of $688.9 million represented a 12% year-over-year increase, showcasing its greater growth potential as advertising spending rebounds.
See More
The Trade Desk Shares Surge Amid Cooling Treasury Yields
- Share Price Recovery: The Trade Desk's shares surged 3.1% in the afternoon session, reaching $22.13, which is a 4% increase from the previous close, indicating market confidence in its future growth potential.
- Interest Rate Impact: A drop in the 10-year Treasury yield can boost SaaS valuations by 5-10%, highlighting the market's sensitivity to long-duration cash flows, particularly given the high renewal rates of these contracts.
- Market Sentiment Shift: With progress in Iran peace talks, market sentiment has calmed, leading investors to focus on SaaS companies that can leverage AI to extend their competitive moats, suggesting a healthier market environment compared to the previous day's broad sell-off.
- Long-term Underperformance: Despite today's rebound, The Trade Desk has declined 41.3% since the beginning of the year, and its current share price remains 75.4% below its 52-week high, reflecting ongoing concerns about its future growth trajectory.
See More
The Trade Desk Faces 84% Stock Crash Amid Eroding Growth
- Stock Crash: The Trade Desk's stock has plummeted 84% since its peak in 2024, indicating a significant erosion of its competitive advantages in the adtech sector, leading to declining investor confidence and heightened concerns about its future prospects.
- Slowing Revenue Growth: The company's revenue growth rate fell to 12% in the first quarter, down from over 20% pre-pandemic, while adjusted earnings per share dropped from $0.33 to $0.28, missing the $0.32 estimate, reflecting a persistent decline in profitability.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Amid a booming digital ad market, The Trade Desk faces fierce competition from Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon, all of which reported substantial ad revenue growth, resulting in a loss of market share for The Trade Desk.
- Frequent Executive Changes: The company has replaced two CFOs in less than six months and is currently led by an interim CFO, a situation that typically signals internal management issues and exacerbates market unease regarding its future development.
See More
The Trade Desk Faces Revenue Growth Slowdown Amid Leadership Changes
- Revenue Growth Slowdown: The Trade Desk has experienced a revenue growth slowdown for four consecutive quarters, with the first quarter growth rate dropping to 12%, significantly lower than the over 20% growth seen at the pandemic's onset, indicating a substantial erosion of competitive advantages in the adtech sector that could impact future market share.
- Declining Profitability: Adjusted earnings per share fell from $0.33 to $0.28, missing the market expectation of $0.32, reflecting ongoing pressure on the company's profitability that may further erode investor confidence and lead to a sell-off.
- Frequent Executive Changes: The loss of two CFOs in less than six months, now with only an interim CFO, signals instability in the company's management, which is often a warning sign of significant challenges ahead and could hinder strategic execution.
- Intensifying Market Competition: Despite CEO Jeff Green's claims of a “strong” performance, competitors like Meta, Alphabet, and Amazon reported ad revenue growth exceeding 20%, indicating that The Trade Desk is clearly losing out on customer ad dollars, which may lead to further market share erosion.
See More
Analysis of the Most Hated Stocks in the Market
- Market Sentiment: Two stocks are currently among the most hated in the market, indicating strong investor concerns about their future performance, which could lead to further declines in stock prices and affect overall investment confidence.
- AI and Wealth Creation: A report suggests that AI technology may create the world's first trillionaire, highlighting the significance of technology in the future economy and potentially attracting investor interest in related tech stocks.
- Salesforce Investment Warning: Despite Salesforce's market presence, the analyst team has excluded it from the current list of the top 10 best stocks to buy, advising investors to be cautious and avoid potential losses.
- Investment Return Comparison: According to Motley Fool, the average return of Stock Advisor is 994%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 207%, demonstrating the importance of stock selection, and investors should pay attention to these recommendations for higher returns.
See More
