The Trade Desk Stock Climbs Higher on S&P 500 Debut as ANSYS Drops Out

Core Insights - The Trade Desk Inc. (TTD) will join the S&P 500 on July 18, 2025, replacing ANSYS Inc. (ANSS), which is being acquired by Synopsys Inc. (SNPS) [1] - Following the announcement, TTD shares rose by 6.6% to $80.40, indicating strong investor sentiment [1] - TTD operates a leading demand-side platform (DSP) focused on data-driven advertising, aiming for revenue growth and profitability through its Connected TV (CTV) offerings and flagship products [2] Company Overview - TTD is positioned to benefit from the projected growth in the global digital ad spending market, expected to reach $1,483 billion by 2034, with a CAGR of 9.47% from 2025 to 2034 [3] - The company is focusing on expanding its global footprint and partnerships while maintaining its innovation edge [2][3] Financial Performance - For Q2, TTD anticipates revenue of at least $682 million, reflecting a 17% year-over-year growth, despite macroeconomic challenges [4][10] - Adjusted EBITDA is projected to be around $259 million [4] - TTD's shares have increased by 59.9% over the past three months, outperforming the Zacks Internet-Services industry and S&P 500 composites, which rose by 20.6% and 18.2%, respectively [11] Competitive Landscape - TTD competes with major players like Amazon (AMZN) and Alphabet (GOOGL) in the ad tech space, focusing on independent, cross-channel programmatic buying [5][7] - While Amazon leverages its first-party data for targeted ads, TTD offers a neutral ad platform targeting the open internet, which is particularly relevant in ad-supported streaming [7] Valuation Metrics - TTD currently trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 12.57X, significantly higher than the industry average of 5.44X [12] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TTD's earnings has remained stable over the past 60 days, with no revisions [13][14]