Here in 2025, shares of Target (TGT 2.40%) have hit five-year lows. Sales are slumping. And on top of that, global trade uncertainties can potentially squeeze the company's profit margins. For these reasons and more, investors are eager to head for the exit.But where will Target be in 2028? That's a question worth exploring. Whereas many top stock analysts focus only on the present quarter or year, everyday investors can make money by extending their view farther out. And looking three years out is a good p ...

Core Insights - The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) is focusing on the retail media space to enhance its performance, with Connected TV (CTV) being central to its growth strategy, where video ads account for a high-40s percentage of spending [1][9] - Retail media encompasses digital advertising space, retail data assets, and in-store opportunities provided by retailers, allowing advertisers to connect ad spend with real-world sales [2] - TTD's strategic partnerships with Walmart DSP, Roundel, and Albertsons Media Collective are expected to drive growth, with brands finding significant value in these collaborations [3][9] Retail Media Expansion - TTD's retail data marketplace provides access to purchase data, enabling advertisers to reach high-intent consumers across various platforms [2] - The Kokai platform enhances advertisers' ability to leverage third-party data, achieving 24% lower cost per conversion and 20% lower cost per acquisition, positioning retail media as a potential high-growth engine for TTD [4][9] Competitive Landscape - Criteo S.A. (CRTO) is a significant player in retail media, with a robust AI-driven Performance Media business and a full-stack Commerce Media Platform, transitioning from legacy retargeting to high-growth areas [5] - Criteo's media spend reached $4.3 billion over the last 12 months, with Retail Media revenues growing 17% year-over-year in Q1 2025, and partnerships with 70% of the top 30 U.S. retailers [6] - PubMatic (PUBM) is also expanding in retail media, with a projected CAGR of 8.4% for the global retail media platform market from 2024 to 2030, indicating strong growth potential in the sector [7] CTV Performance - TTD's CTV revenues surged over 50% year-over-year, with omni-channel video revenues growing 20%, representing 40% of total revenues [8]

Core Insights - The collaboration between Criteo and Mirakl Ads aims to tap into the mid-to-long-tail advertising segment within the retail media industry, which is projected to reach $204 billion by 2027 [1][5] - This strategic alliance focuses on third-party sellers and mid-to-long-tail advertisers who are currently underserved in retail media, providing them with tools for efficient campaign execution [2][3] Group 1: Collaboration Details - The integration combines Mirakl's ecosystem of brands and third-party sellers with Criteo's ad-serving technology, enabling retailers to create new revenue streams through automated campaign management [2][3] - The partnership is designed to help smaller brands and marketplace vendors, who collectively represent a significant portion of advertising investment, to scale their retail media efforts effectively [3] Group 2: Market Opportunity - Mid-to-long-tail advertisers spend 127% more than first-party brands on platforms like Amazon, indicating a substantial opportunity for retailers to engage this segment [3] - The collaboration is expected to enhance the shopping experience for consumers while allowing retailers to monetize their marketplaces more efficiently [4] Group 3: Company Background - Criteo is a global platform that connects the commerce ecosystem, leveraging AI to access over $1 trillion in annual commerce sales [5] - Mirakl is recognized as a leading provider of eCommerce software solutions, empowering enterprises to drive growth and efficiency in their online businesses [6][7]

Partnership Brings Digital Media to the Aisles of One of California's Fastest-Growing GrocersSUSSEX, Wis., July 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Quad/Graphics Inc. (NYSE: Quad), a marketing experience company that solves complex marketing challenges for its clients, is expanding its In-Store Connect retail media network into Vallarta Supermarkets, one of California's top Latino-owned grocery chains.The partnership brings strategically located digital signage into an initial 15 Vallarta stores starting this summer, ...

E-commerce & Retail Trends - Amazon's Prime Day, initially a one-day event, has expanded to a four-day event, indicating a shift in consumer shopping behavior [2] - Other major retailers like Walmart, Target, Kohl's, and Wayfair are also running big summer sales, mirroring Amazon's strategy [3] - Retail media, leveraging retailer data for targeted advertising, is growing faster than TV advertising [11] - Amazon's key strengths are selection, price, and convenience, creating a competitive advantage [4][5] - Amazon's logistics capabilities, enabling same-day or next-day delivery, are a significant barrier for other e-commerce companies to overcome [5][6] Advertising & Marketing - Companies are adopting a more holistic and independent approach to advertising, moving away from traditional ad agency models [7] - Retail data is increasingly used to target television advertising, exemplified by Amazon's partnership with Roku [12] - Digital marketing services and technology companies track billions of data points to understand consumer behavior across various channels [8][9] - Brands are focusing on the customer journey across search, social, and retail, with retail and media converging [9] - Return on investment (ROI) is being seen on new ad platforms, with retail media becoming a fast-growing segment [10][11]

Core Insights - The Trade Desk (TTD) and PubMatic (PUBM) are key players in the programmatic advertising ecosystem, with TTD as a demand-side platform (DSP) and PUBM as a sell-side platform (SSP) [1][2] The Case for TTD - TTD is optimistic about its market growth due to strong execution in connected TV (CTV), retail media, international expansion, and the integration of Sincera's data insights [3][4] - The Kokai platform has achieved 66% client adoption ahead of schedule, delivering significant cost efficiencies with a 24% lower cost per conversion and 20% lower cost per acquisition [4] - TTD reported first-quarter revenues of $616 million, a 25% year-over-year increase, with adjusted EBITDA of $208 million (34% margin) [5] - CTV accounted for 40% of digital spend, while customer retention exceeded 95% [5] - However, TTD faces challenges from macroeconomic uncertainties and competition from major players like Alphabet and Amazon, which could impact revenue growth [6][7] The Case for PUBM - PUBM's underlying business grew 21% year-over-year in Q1 2025, driven by growth in CTV and Supply Path Optimization (SPO) [8][10] - CTV revenues surged 50% year-over-year, although total sales fell 4% due to a shift from a large DSP client [8][11] - PUBM is investing in technologies like Activate for SPO and Convert for commerce media, and is expanding its international presence, particularly in India, Europe, Australia, and Japan [12] - Despite strong growth in CTV, PUBM's revenues declined 4% year-over-year, raising concerns about its competitive position [13] Share Performance and Valuation - Year-to-date, PUBM and TTD have lost 24.7% and 41.6% respectively, amid macroeconomic uncertainties [14] - TTD is considered overvalued with a forward P/E ratio of 10.87X, while PUBM has a lower ratio of 1.74X, indicating a more favorable valuation [16][17] Analyst Estimates - Analysts have made significant downward revisions for PUBM's earnings estimates, while TTD has seen relatively lower revisions [18][19] - Both companies currently hold a Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [20] Conclusion - TTD is positioned as a stronger investment case due to its leading DSP role and innovation, while PUBM's potential is tempered by revenue declines and estimate revisions [21][23]

Core Insights - The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) utilized $386 million in cash for share buybacks in Q1 2025, supported by a strong balance sheet and consistent cash flow [1][10] - TTD's balance sheet showed approximately $1.7 billion in cash and equivalents with no debt, and a total repurchase authorization of $1 billion [2][10] - The company is optimistic about future growth opportunities in connected TV, retail media, and international expansion, emphasizing a balanced cost structure [3] Financial Performance - Operating cash flow for Q1 2025 was $291 million, while free cash flow was $230 million, indicating that buybacks exceeded cash generation for the quarter [1][10] - TTD anticipates Q2 2025 revenues of at least $682 million, reflecting a 17% year-over-year growth, assuming stable macroeconomic conditions [5][10] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q2 is expected to be around $259 million [5] Strategic Initiatives - TTD continues to innovate in advertising with new partnerships and product launches, including an expanded partnership with HOY and the introduction of Deal Desk within its Kokai platform [4] - The company plans to continue opportunistic buybacks to offset dilution from employee stock grants [6] Market Position - TTD's shares have decreased by 29.5% over the past year, contrasting with the Zacks Internet -Services industry's growth of 0.6% [9] - The company trades at a forward price-to-sales ratio of 10.88X, which is higher than the industry average of 5.18X [11]

Core Insights - Criteo has launched its Auction-Based Display technology, enhancing programmatic flexibility in retail media environments and driving industry advancement [1][5] - The new technology is designed to meet the unique dynamics of retail environments, providing retailers with biddable trading options and flexible pricing [2][3] - This innovation allows advertisers to execute standardized campaigns across various ad formats, optimizing multi-retailer campaigns more efficiently [4] Company Overview - Criteo is a global platform that connects the commerce ecosystem, leveraging AI to access over $1 trillion in annual commerce sales [6] - The company provides technology, tools, and insights necessary for brands, agencies, retailers, and media owners to drive performance and growth [6] Industry Context - The retail media landscape is evolving, with increasing demand for highly relevant and timely ads, which Criteo's technology addresses through real-time bidding and advanced ad relevancy controls [3][5] - By complementing existing reservation-based deals with auction-based buying, retailers can unlock new monetization opportunities and access national media budgets [2]

Core Insights - Instacart and Pinterest are collaborating to enhance advertising campaigns by utilizing first-party data to connect brands with high-intent audiences [1][2] - The partnership will allow Pinterest ads to become directly shoppable via Instacart, enabling users to purchase products quickly [3][4] Group 1: Partnership Details - The initial phase of the partnership will enable select brands to target Instacart's first-party audience segments based on real-world retail purchase behavior [2] - A future phase will introduce closed-loop measurement to link Pinterest ads to actual product sales across Instacart's marketplace of over 1,800 retailers [2] Group 2: Advertising Capabilities - Brands will be able to leverage Instacart's retail media data to reach Pinterest users at the moment of intent, transforming ads into shoppable experiences [4][5] - This collaboration aims to bridge the gap between inspiration and action for millions of Pinterest users, allowing for quick purchases [4][5] Group 3: Instacart's Ecosystem - Instacart operates with over 7,000 active brands and 1,800 retail partners, simplifying advertising strategies across fragmented retail networks [6] - The Instacart advertising ecosystem includes various platforms where consumers make shopping decisions, enhancing the overall shopping experience [5][6] Group 4: Company Backgrounds - Instacart partners with nearly 100,000 stores across North America, facilitating online shopping, delivery, and pickup services [7] - Pinterest is a visual search and discovery platform with over half a billion monthly active users, focusing on inspiration and shopping [9]

Core Insights - Retail media is transitioning from rapid growth to a focus on measurable effectiveness, indicating a pivotal moment in the industry [1] - The global advertising expenditure for retail media is projected to reach $169 billion by 2025, growing over 15% year-on-year, despite rising skepticism regarding ad pricing and effectiveness [2] - Cannes Lions has recognized retail media's significance by introducing dedicated awards, highlighting its role in enhancing brand relevance and driving business outcomes [3] Group 1: Industry Growth and Challenges - Retail media has been a bright spot in the advertising sector, with Cannes Lions acknowledging its rising status and predicting that retail media ad spending will surpass traditional television by 2026 [3] - Advertisers are increasingly demanding quick responses and concrete return data from retail media platforms, reflecting a shift in expectations [2] - The industry is facing challenges such as high ad prices, fragmented evaluation systems, and the need for better tracking of conversions amid global economic uncertainties [2] Group 2: Evolution and Technological Integration - Retail media is moving from conceptual acceptance to practical validation, with advertisers focusing on specific outcomes like conversion rates and efficient processes [4] - The concept of "data clean rooms" is gaining traction as a critical tool for enhancing collaboration between brands and retailers [4] - Leading retailers are already implementing advanced solutions, such as Walgreens' partnership with LiveRamp to launch a Clean Room solution [4] Group 3: Strategic Approaches and Market Dynamics - Some retailers are rushing into external advertising without solidifying their internal capabilities, which could undermine their effectiveness [6] - European retailers are adopting a more cautious approach, prioritizing the development of their channels before expanding external collaborations [6] - As retail media budgets grow, advertisers are reclaiming control, demanding simpler purchasing processes and clearer return metrics [7][8] Group 4: Future Outlook - The competitive landscape of retail media is shifting from rapid platform development to a focus on actual business results and data utilization [8] - By the second half of 2025, the industry will need to assess whether continued investment in retail media is justified based on its effectiveness [8] - Success will depend on achieving a true loop between flexibility, transparency, and business outcomes [8]