1 Excellent Growth Stock Down 54% to Buy Before 2026

Core Insights - The advertising industry is facing significant challenges due to tariffs, inflation, and macroeconomic uncertainty, impacting media budgets and spending strategies of advertisers [1][2][6] - The Trade Desk is experiencing a decline in investor sentiment due to weak fiscal guidance and a substantial drop in share price, despite a year-over-year revenue increase [4][5] Industry Overview - 91% of surveyed ad buyers are concerned about tariffs affecting their media budgets, with 62% to 69% expecting significant impacts on the auto, retail, and consumer electronics sectors [1] - The IAB has lowered the 2025 U.S. ad spend outlook from 7.3% to 5.7%, indicating pressure on ad budgets and intensified competition from major players like Alphabet, Meta Platforms, and Amazon [6] Company Performance - The Trade Desk's revenue rose 19% year-over-year to $694 million in Q2 2025, surpassing consensus estimates, but this did not boost investor confidence [5] - The company is guiding for Q3 revenues of $717 million, slightly below consensus estimates, and expects an adjusted EBITDA margin of 38.6%, down from 39% in Q2 [4] Future Prospects - The Trade Desk's Kokai platform, which utilizes AI, is gaining traction, with campaigns showing over 20-point improvements in key performance indicators compared to legacy systems [3][8] - Connected TV (CTV) is a rapidly growing segment for The Trade Desk, accounting for 40% of total revenues in Q2 2025, with expectations for CTV to capture over 40% of global ad spend by 2030 [9][10] Strategic Initiatives - The company is enhancing pricing transparency through initiatives like OpenPath and Deal Desk, which could provide a competitive edge in the programmatic advertising space [11][12] - The Trade Desk is well-positioned to leverage its AI capabilities and cash reserves of $1.7 billion to fund future growth initiatives [13]