The Trade Desk Reports Earnings in Line with Expectations
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Feb 26 2026
0mins
Should l Buy TTD?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Earnings Performance: The Trade Desk reported earnings of $0.59 per share, aligning with the Zacks Consensus Estimate, indicating stability in the digital advertising sector as it matches last year's figures.
- Revenue Growth: The company achieved revenues of $846.79 million for the quarter, surpassing the Zacks estimate by 0.58% and reflecting a 14.3% increase from $741.01 million a year ago, showcasing enhanced competitiveness in the market.
- Market Performance: Despite a 34.3% decline in share price since the beginning of the year, The Trade Desk has exceeded consensus EPS estimates three times over the past four quarters, demonstrating some earnings resilience.
- Future Outlook: With a current Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell), the stock is expected to underperform the market in the near term, prompting investors to monitor trends in future earnings estimate revisions closely.
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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: 21.140
Low
38.00
Averages
53.33
High
85.00
Current: 21.140
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.
The Trade Desk Reports Disappointing Quarterly Results
- Quarterly Performance Overview: The Trade Desk's quarterly results fell short of investor expectations, leading to a 6.35% drop in stock prices on the afternoon of May 9, 2026, indicating market concerns about the company's future growth.
- Investor Reaction: The disappointing performance has shaken investor confidence, and the significant decline in stock prices may impact the company's market position in the advertising technology sector, potentially affecting future fundraising capabilities.
- Market Environment Challenges: In the highly competitive digital advertising market, The Trade Desk faces pressure from other advertising platforms, and the underwhelming results could lead to client attrition and a decline in market share.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: Despite ongoing investments in technological innovation, the current performance may hinder the company’s ability to attract new investors in the short term, impacting its long-term strategic development.
See More
Quarterly Revenue Comparison: The Trade Desk vs. AppLovin
- Trade Desk Revenue Performance: For the quarter ending March 31, 2026, The Trade Desk reported a net income margin of 6%, with Q1 revenue reaching $689 million, reflecting a 12% year-over-year growth despite facing an investigation regarding its previous guidance, indicating stable growth potential.
- AppLovin Revenue Growth: AppLovin achieved $1.8 billion in revenue for Q1 2026, representing a remarkable 59% year-over-year increase, with net income soaring to $1.2 billion, nearly double the prior year's $576.4 million, showcasing its significant market appeal.
- Seasonal Revenue Trends: The Trade Desk typically sees its revenue peak in Q4 due to increased advertiser spending during the holiday season, while AppLovin demonstrated consistent quarter-over-quarter growth in Q1, breaking the typical industry seasonality pattern.
- Investor Considerations: For investors, AppLovin's robust sales growth positions it as a more attractive option in the digital advertising space, while The Trade Desk's stable growth, though positive, may not match AppLovin's expansion pace, potentially influencing investment decisions.
See More
Management Team Tackles Growth Slowdown Challenges
- Addressing Growth Slowdown: The management team is actively working to tackle various headwinds that are slowing growth, aiming to restore business momentum through strategic adjustments and resource optimization to ensure the company remains competitive in a challenging market.
- Market Dynamics Analysis: The management has conducted a thorough analysis of the current market environment, identifying key external challenges such as economic fluctuations and intensified industry competition, which could impact the company's long-term growth prospects.
- Strategic Adjustment Plan: The company plans to implement a series of strategic adjustments, including optimizing its product portfolio and enhancing customer service, to improve market adaptability and increase customer satisfaction, thereby driving sales growth.
- Investor Confidence Maintenance: Despite facing challenges, the management is committed to maintaining investor confidence by ensuring transparent communication and proactive market strategies, thereby reassuring shareholders about the company's future development.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Led by Tech Gains
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices both reached all-time highs, rising 0.19% and 0.29% respectively, reflecting strong corporate earnings and optimism around artificial intelligence, although gains were limited by rising oil prices and bond yields.
- Middle East Impact: The failure of the US and Iran to reach a peace agreement led to an increase in global bond yields, with the 10-year T-note yield rising 5 basis points to 4.41%, raising concerns that sustained high energy prices could force central banks to tighten monetary policy.
- Chinese Trade Data: China's April exports rose 14.1% year-on-year, significantly exceeding expectations of 8.4%, while imports increased by 25.3%, indicating positive signals for global economic recovery that could benefit global markets.
- Earnings Reports: As of Monday, 83% of the 450 S&P 500 companies that reported earnings exceeded expectations, with Q1 earnings projected to grow 12% year-on-year, but only 3% when excluding the technology sector, highlighting disparities in profitability across industries.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Nasdaq Hits All-Time High
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 Index rose by 0.25% and the Nasdaq 100 Index increased by 0.17%, reaching all-time highs, reflecting strong corporate earnings and optimism around artificial intelligence, although rising oil prices and bond yields limited gains.
- Middle East Impact: The failure of the US and Iran to reach a peace agreement has led to rising global bond yields, with the 10-year T-note yield increasing by 3 basis points to 4.39%, raising concerns that elevated energy prices could force central banks to tighten monetary policy.
- Chinese Trade Data: China's April exports rose by 14.1% year-on-year and imports increased by 25.3%, both exceeding market expectations, indicating positive signals for global economic recovery that could benefit global markets.
- Earnings Reports: So far, 83% of the 446 S&P 500 companies that reported earnings have beaten estimates, with Q1 earnings projected to climb by 12% year-on-year, although excluding the technology sector, the growth is only 3%, marking the weakest performance in two years.
See More
Trade Desk Downgrade Leads to Stock Plunge
- Trade Desk Downgrade: The stock of Trade Desk fell nearly 7% after HSBC downgraded its rating from hold to reduce and slashed the price target from $31 to $20, indicating about a 13% downside, marking the company's fourth consecutive negative trading day.
- Corning Stock Surge: Corning's shares jumped 10% after Nvidia announced a $3.2 billion investment and a partnership to open three new manufacturing plants, leading to its inclusion in Bank of America's U.S. 1 List, reflecting strong market confidence in its growth prospects.
- Wendy's Rating Cut: JPMorgan downgraded Wendy's from neutral to underweight with a new price target of $6, implying an 18% downside, primarily due to a continued decline in U.S. same-store sales trends and uncertainty about the company's future, resulting in a 6% drop in stock price.
- Circle Internet Group Mixed Results: Circle's stock rose 15% after reporting earnings per share of 21 cents, beating expectations, although its revenue of $694 million fell short of the $722 million forecast, while successfully raising $222 million from various institutions, indicating market confidence in its stablecoin.
See More
The Trade Desk Reports Disappointing Quarterly Results
- Quarterly Performance Overview: The Trade Desk's quarterly results fell short of investor expectations, leading to a 6.35% drop in stock prices on the afternoon of May 9, 2026, indicating market concerns about the company's future growth.
- Investor Reaction: The disappointing performance has shaken investor confidence, and the significant decline in stock prices may impact the company's market position in the advertising technology sector, potentially affecting future fundraising capabilities.
- Market Environment Challenges: In the highly competitive digital advertising market, The Trade Desk faces pressure from other advertising platforms, and the underwhelming results could lead to client attrition and a decline in market share.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: Despite ongoing investments in technological innovation, the current performance may hinder the company’s ability to attract new investors in the short term, impacting its long-term strategic development.
See More
Quarterly Revenue Comparison: The Trade Desk vs. AppLovin
- Trade Desk Revenue Performance: For the quarter ending March 31, 2026, The Trade Desk reported a net income margin of 6%, with Q1 revenue reaching $689 million, reflecting a 12% year-over-year growth despite facing an investigation regarding its previous guidance, indicating stable growth potential.
- AppLovin Revenue Growth: AppLovin achieved $1.8 billion in revenue for Q1 2026, representing a remarkable 59% year-over-year increase, with net income soaring to $1.2 billion, nearly double the prior year's $576.4 million, showcasing its significant market appeal.
- Seasonal Revenue Trends: The Trade Desk typically sees its revenue peak in Q4 due to increased advertiser spending during the holiday season, while AppLovin demonstrated consistent quarter-over-quarter growth in Q1, breaking the typical industry seasonality pattern.
- Investor Considerations: For investors, AppLovin's robust sales growth positions it as a more attractive option in the digital advertising space, while The Trade Desk's stable growth, though positive, may not match AppLovin's expansion pace, potentially influencing investment decisions.
See More
Management Team Tackles Growth Slowdown Challenges
- Addressing Growth Slowdown: The management team is actively working to tackle various headwinds that are slowing growth, aiming to restore business momentum through strategic adjustments and resource optimization to ensure the company remains competitive in a challenging market.
- Market Dynamics Analysis: The management has conducted a thorough analysis of the current market environment, identifying key external challenges such as economic fluctuations and intensified industry competition, which could impact the company's long-term growth prospects.
- Strategic Adjustment Plan: The company plans to implement a series of strategic adjustments, including optimizing its product portfolio and enhancing customer service, to improve market adaptability and increase customer satisfaction, thereby driving sales growth.
- Investor Confidence Maintenance: Despite facing challenges, the management is committed to maintaining investor confidence by ensuring transparent communication and proactive market strategies, thereby reassuring shareholders about the company's future development.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Led by Tech Gains
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices both reached all-time highs, rising 0.19% and 0.29% respectively, reflecting strong corporate earnings and optimism around artificial intelligence, although gains were limited by rising oil prices and bond yields.
- Middle East Impact: The failure of the US and Iran to reach a peace agreement led to an increase in global bond yields, with the 10-year T-note yield rising 5 basis points to 4.41%, raising concerns that sustained high energy prices could force central banks to tighten monetary policy.
- Chinese Trade Data: China's April exports rose 14.1% year-on-year, significantly exceeding expectations of 8.4%, while imports increased by 25.3%, indicating positive signals for global economic recovery that could benefit global markets.
- Earnings Reports: As of Monday, 83% of the 450 S&P 500 companies that reported earnings exceeded expectations, with Q1 earnings projected to grow 12% year-on-year, but only 3% when excluding the technology sector, highlighting disparities in profitability across industries.
See More
US Stocks Rise Slightly, Nasdaq Hits All-Time High
- Market Performance: The S&P 500 Index rose by 0.25% and the Nasdaq 100 Index increased by 0.17%, reaching all-time highs, reflecting strong corporate earnings and optimism around artificial intelligence, although rising oil prices and bond yields limited gains.
- Middle East Impact: The failure of the US and Iran to reach a peace agreement has led to rising global bond yields, with the 10-year T-note yield increasing by 3 basis points to 4.39%, raising concerns that elevated energy prices could force central banks to tighten monetary policy.
- Chinese Trade Data: China's April exports rose by 14.1% year-on-year and imports increased by 25.3%, both exceeding market expectations, indicating positive signals for global economic recovery that could benefit global markets.
- Earnings Reports: So far, 83% of the 446 S&P 500 companies that reported earnings have beaten estimates, with Q1 earnings projected to climb by 12% year-on-year, although excluding the technology sector, the growth is only 3%, marking the weakest performance in two years.
See More
Trade Desk Downgrade Leads to Stock Plunge
- Trade Desk Downgrade: The stock of Trade Desk fell nearly 7% after HSBC downgraded its rating from hold to reduce and slashed the price target from $31 to $20, indicating about a 13% downside, marking the company's fourth consecutive negative trading day.
- Corning Stock Surge: Corning's shares jumped 10% after Nvidia announced a $3.2 billion investment and a partnership to open three new manufacturing plants, leading to its inclusion in Bank of America's U.S. 1 List, reflecting strong market confidence in its growth prospects.
- Wendy's Rating Cut: JPMorgan downgraded Wendy's from neutral to underweight with a new price target of $6, implying an 18% downside, primarily due to a continued decline in U.S. same-store sales trends and uncertainty about the company's future, resulting in a 6% drop in stock price.
- Circle Internet Group Mixed Results: Circle's stock rose 15% after reporting earnings per share of 21 cents, beating expectations, although its revenue of $694 million fell short of the $722 million forecast, while successfully raising $222 million from various institutions, indicating market confidence in its stablecoin.
See More
