TTD vs. AMZN: Which Ad-Tech Stock is the Smarter Buy Now?

Core Insights - The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) and Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) are significant players in the digital advertising ecosystem, with TTD focusing on ad-tech and AMZN leveraging its e-commerce and cloud capabilities to drive advertising revenue [1][2] Group 1: The Trade Desk (TTD) - TTD is positioned to capture growth opportunities in connected TV (CTV) and retail media, with a strong focus on international expansion and innovative platforms like Kokai [3][4] - In Q2 2025, TTD's growth was largely driven by CTV and retail media, with video accounting for a high-40s percentage of its overall business [4] - The Kokai platform has seen over 70% client adoption, enhancing campaign precision and efficiency through integrated AI tools [5][6] - TTD's audience targeting efficiency improved significantly for clients, with Samsung reporting a 43% increase and Cashrewards a 73% improvement in cost per acquisition [6] - TTD faces macroeconomic challenges that could impact advertising budgets, particularly from large global brands, and is experiencing competition from AMZN's expanding DSP business [7] Group 2: Amazon (AMZN) - AMZN's ad services revenue reached $56.2 billion in 2024, with a 22% increase to $15.7 billion in Q2 2025, driven by growth across its advertising portfolio [8][9] - AMZN's advertising capabilities allow access to over 300 million ad-supported audiences across various platforms, contributing significantly to profitability [9] - The company is investing heavily in its DSP and CTV businesses, enhancing its competitive position against TTD [11] - Recent partnerships with Roku and Disney have expanded AMZN's DSP reach, leveraging its diverse business model to reduce reliance on any single segment [12][13] Group 3: Share Performance and Valuation - Over the past month, TTD shares declined by 40.8%, while AMZN shares fell by 2.1%, with both companies trading at high forward P/E valuations [10][14] - TTD's forward 12-month price/earnings ratio is 26.02X, compared to AMZN's 31.39X, indicating differing market perceptions [17] - Analysts have made slight upward revisions for TTD's earnings, while AMZN has seen a more significant upward revision of 6.69% for the current fiscal year [18][20] Group 4: Investment Outlook - AMZN is viewed as a stronger investment pick due to its diversified business model, which includes retail, cloud, AI, and advertising, providing stability and multiple growth avenues compared to TTD's ad-tech focus [22]