The Trade Desk (NasdaqGM:TTD) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 25, 2026 05:00 PM ET Company ParticipantsAlec Brondolo - Director Equity ResearchChris Toth - VP of Investor RelationsJason Helfstein - Managing Director - Head of Internet ResearchJeff Green - CEO, Co-Founder, and Board ChairmanMatthew Swanson - Director Equity ResearchTahnil Davis - Interim CFO and Chief Accounting OfficeYoussef Squali - Managing Director and Head of Internet and Digital Media Research GroupNone - Company RepresentativeConferenc ...

The Trade Desk (NasdaqGM:TTD) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 25, 2026 05:00 PM ET Company ParticipantsAlec Brondolo - Director Equity ResearchChris Toth - VP of Investor RelationsJason Helfstein - Managing Director - Head of Internet ResearchJeff Green - CEO, Co-Founder, and Board ChairmanMatthew Swanson - Director Equity ResearchTahnil Davis - Interim CFO and Chief Accounting OfficeYoussef Squali - Managing Director and Head of Internet and Digital Media Research GroupNone - Company RepresentativeConferenc ...

The Trade Desk (NasdaqGM:TTD) Q4 2025 Earnings call February 25, 2026 05:00 PM ET Speaker6Greetings. Welcome to The Trade Desk fourth quarter and full year 2025 earnings conference call. At this time, all participants are on a listen-only mode. A question and answer session will follow the formal presentation. If anyone should require operator assistance during the conference, please press star 0 on your telephone keypad. Please note, this conference is being recorded. I will now turn the conference over to ...

Core Viewpoint - Evercore ISI maintains an Outperform rating and a $70 price target for The Trade Desk, anticipating a modest earnings beat in Q4 and constructive guidance for the future [1]. Group 1: Earnings Expectations - The Trade Desk is expected to deliver a modest earnings beat in Q4, with guidance likely to be in line, indicating a favorable outlook for Q1 [1]. - The firm estimates that gross spend excluding political ads decelerated by 2 percentage points in Q4 2024, following 8-point decelerations in both Q3 and Q2 2024 [3]. Group 2: Market Position and Competitive Landscape - Shares of The Trade Desk have declined approximately 33% year to date, leading to muted market expectations, prompting Evercore to reiterate its Tactical Outperform positioning [2]. - Despite some softness in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) category and increased competition from Amazon DSP, The Trade Desk has enhanced its value propositions, such as Audience Unlimited, to drive higher platform engagement and spending [2]. Group 3: Profitability Outlook - Evercore expects Street EBITDA estimates to be achievable and aligned with management guidance, implying roughly 9% quarter-over-quarter expense growth, which is above recent seasonal norms [3].

Core Viewpoint - The Trade Desk has experienced a significant decline in 2025, losing 66.2% of its value, making it one of the worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 Index, raising questions about its future performance and potential recovery in 2026 [1][2]. Financial Performance - The Trade Desk's market capitalization is currently $18 billion, with a current stock price of $36.63, down from a 52-week high of $136.42 [3]. - The company missed revenue estimates for Q4 2024, marking its first miss in 33 quarters, despite a revenue growth of over 22% in that quarter [3][4]. - For 2025, revenue is projected to be $2.89 billion, reflecting an 18.2% growth rate, which is an 8-percentage-point deceleration from 2024 [4]. - Adjusted earnings per share are expected to grow by only 7.2% in 2025, indicating margin compression [4][5]. Challenges Faced - The Trade Desk's performance has been impacted by tough comparisons to the 2024 election year, which typically sees increased ad spending [8]. - The company has invested heavily in overhauling its digital ad data marketplace, introducing new services like Audience Unlimited, which may have contributed to the financial strain [9]. - High executive turnover, including the replacement of key positions such as CFO, COO, and CRO, has raised investor concerns [10]. - Increased competition from larger tech companies, particularly Amazon, poses a significant threat, as Amazon has been aggressively undercutting The Trade Desk's pricing [12][13]. Competitive Landscape - Amazon's demand-side platform (DSP) is seen as a major competitor, leveraging its e-commerce data to enhance ad offerings while offering lower fees compared to The Trade Desk [12][13]. - The Trade Desk's CEO has argued that Amazon's DSP primarily serves its own inventory, suggesting that Amazon may not effectively compete in the broader market [17][20]. Future Outlook - There is potential for a turnaround if The Trade Desk can demonstrate stronger revenue and earnings growth, as current valuations may already reflect existing fears [22]. - The stock trades at 22.1 times this year's adjusted EPS and 18.9 times next year's estimates, indicating a more favorable risk-reward ratio for potential buyers [22][23]. - The company's focus on maintaining neutrality and measuring ad effectiveness across the open internet could position it favorably against competitors in the long run [18][21].

Core Insights - The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) is strategically positioned for growth through 2026, driven by innovations in its Kokai platform and strong digital advertising demand, reporting Q3 revenues of $739 million, an 18% year-over-year increase [1][9] Group 1: Innovations and Product Developments - TTD introduced three major innovations in Q4, including a platform upgrade and two new products aimed at enhancing long-term growth [2] - The revamped data marketplace is designed to be more competitive and AI-driven, offering richer data and better rewards for contributors [2] - The launch of Audience Unlimited allows users to access and layer third-party data more freely, enhancing campaign performance [3] - Trading Modes, which provide flexibility in ad buying, will enable users to choose their level of control, supported by agentic AI for performance optimization [3][4] Group 2: Market Position and Competitive Landscape - TTD is well-positioned to capture market share in 2026, supported by the expansion of Kokai adoption, growth in CTV and retail media, and strong client retention [5] - Competitors like Magnite and Taboola are also innovating; Magnite reported an 18% growth in CTV, while Taboola's new platform, Realize, leverages AI to enhance performance advertising [6][7] Group 3: Financial Performance and Valuation - TTD's shares have declined 72.3% over the past year, contrasting with the S&P 500's rise of 15.4% [10] - The forward price/earnings ratio for TTD is 31.16X, higher than the Internet Services industry's 29.43X [11] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TTD's earnings for 2025 has increased over the past 60 days, indicating positive sentiment [13]

Core Insights - AppLovin (APP) and The Trade Desk (TTD) both reported Q3 2025 earnings that exceeded estimates, but their market reactions diverged significantly, with APP's stock surging 71% over the past year while TTD's stock fell 68% from its highs [1] AppLovin (APP) - AppLovin's revenue increased by 68% year-over-year to $1.41 billion, surpassing the estimate of $1.34 billion [2][4] - The company reported a net income of $836 million, reflecting a 92% increase from the previous year, and achieved an operating margin of 76.8% [2][4] - Operating cash flow reached $1.05 billion, up 91% year-over-year, indicating strong cash generation capabilities [4][7] - AppLovin's business model leverages its AXON 2.0 AI engine, providing end-to-end AI solutions for mobile app developers, which contributes to its high operating margin [5] The Trade Desk (TTD) - The Trade Desk's revenue grew by 18% to $739 million, slightly exceeding the estimate of $719 million [3][4] - Operating income rose by 49% to $161 million, but net income growth of 23% lagged behind revenue growth, indicating potential margin pressures [3][4] - Operating cash flow declined by 18% year-over-year to $225 million, and the company's cash position decreased by 47% to $653 million [3][4][7] - TTD's strategy focuses on a self-service programmatic advertising platform for the open internet, which results in a different cost structure reflected in its 21.8% operating margin [6]

Core Insights - The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) is positioned as a strong player in the open Internet advertising space, leveraging AI and data transparency to enhance advertiser decision-making [1][8] - The demand for premium content is expected to drive growth in the open Internet, allowing TTD to capture a larger share of advertising budgets [2][8] - AI advancements are making the open Internet more effective, enabling advertisers to control their data and improve long-term success [3][4] Industry Dynamics - The open Internet is characterized by competition and transparency, contrasting with walled gardens like Google and Amazon that rely on closed inventory [1] - Digital ad supply consistently exceeds demand, creating a buyer's market that benefits TTD and the open Internet [2] - For the open Internet to outpace closed platforms, it must leverage competition and efficient supply chains [2] Company Strategy and Performance - TTD's flagship products, such as Kokai and Deal Desk, are enhancing operational efficiency and market share as the company aims for expansion into 2026 and beyond [4][8] - The company is focused on data-driven, targeted advertising on premium content to maintain competitiveness [4] - TTD's shares have seen a significant decline of 65.3% over the past year, contrasting with the growth of the Zacks Internet -Services industry and S&P 500 [7] Competitive Landscape - Competitors like Magnite and Taboola are also making strides in the open Internet space, with Magnite reporting a 25% growth in CTV and Taboola expanding its performance advertising platform [5][6] - Magnite estimates that a 1% market share gain from increased competition could add approximately $50 million annually [5] Financial Metrics - TTD's forward price/earnings ratio stands at 36.6X, higher than the Internet Services industry's ratio of 26.88 [9] - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for TTD's earnings for 2025 has seen a slight increase over the past 60 days, indicating positive sentiment [11]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Revenue for Q3 2025 was $739 million, representing an 18% year-over-year growth, and a 22% growth when excluding political spend from the previous year [39] - Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was approximately $317 million, or about 43% of revenue [39] - Adjusted net income for Q3 was $221 million, or $0.45 per diluted share [41] - Free cash flow for Q3 was $155 million, with a strong cash and liquidity position of about $1.4 billion in cash and short-term investments at the end of the quarter [42] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - CTV (Connected TV) continues to be the largest and fastest-growing channel, representing around 50% of the business in Q3 [39] - Mobile accounted for a low 30% share, display for a low double-digit share, and audio for around 5% [39] - The company is seeing strong growth in retail media and significant adoption across various verticals [5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America represented 87% of the business, while international markets accounted for about 13% [40] - Growth in international markets, particularly EMEA and APAC, is outpacing growth in North America [40] - Strong growth was noted in verticals such as medical health, automotive, and technology [40] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on leading the open internet and enhancing operational efficiency through new leadership and structural changes [31][63] - Investments are being made in AI and product innovations to drive growth and improve client performance [38][39] - The company aims to capture a larger share of the $1 trillion advertising TAM as more dollars shift to programmatic [36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - The management describes the current macro environment as a "tale of two cities," with some brands facing pressure from tariffs and inflation, while others are experiencing strong momentum [72] - The company is optimistic about the potential of the open internet and believes that independent DSPs will capture the majority of open internet spend [28] - The focus remains on building a more accountable and metrics-driven culture to support long-term growth [66] Other Important Information - The company has repurchased nearly $2 billion through its share repurchase program since the first authorization in 2023 [42] - New product features and upgrades are expected to significantly contribute to growth in the coming years [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on Amazon as a competitor and the evolving competitive environment - Management acknowledges Amazon and Google as significant players but emphasizes that their focus is primarily on owned and operated inventory, while The Trade Desk focuses on decisioned, data-driven buying across the open internet [49][51] Question: Areas for impact in the next couple of years - The CFO highlights the importance of disciplined resource allocation and a metrics-driven approach to drive growth and ROI [54][55] Question: Broader advertising and macro environment trends for 2026 - Management notes strong momentum across the business but acknowledges pressures in certain sectors due to external factors like tariffs and inflation [72]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The Trade Desk reported Q3 2025 revenue of $739 million, representing an 18% year-over-year growth. Excluding political spend from last year's Q3, revenue increased by approximately 22% [38][42] - Adjusted EBITDA for Q3 was approximately $317 million, or about 43% of revenue [38] - Adjusted net income for the quarter was $221 million, or $0.45 per diluted share [41] - Free cash flow was $155 million in Q3, with a strong cash and liquidity position of about $1.4 billion at the end of the quarter [42] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Connected TV (CTV) remains the largest and fastest-growing channel, with video (including CTV) representing around 50% of the business in Q3 [38] - Mobile accounted for a low 30% share, while display represented a low double-digit share, and audio was around 5% [38] - The Trade Desk's focus on retail media is seeing strong adoption across verticals, contributing to overall growth [5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - North America represented 87% of the business in Q3, while international markets accounted for about 13% [39] - Growth in international markets, particularly EMEA and APAC, is outpacing growth in North America [39] - Strong growth was noted in verticals such as medical health, automotive, and technology [40] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on leading the open internet and enhancing operational efficiency through new leadership and structural changes [31][36] - The Trade Desk is investing in AI and automation to improve platform capabilities and drive productivity [18][63] - The company aims to capture a larger share of the $1 trillion advertising total addressable market (TAM) as more dollars shift to programmatic [36] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the potential of the open internet and the advantages of an objective platform [28] - The company anticipates continued growth driven by innovations in AI and programmatic buying, particularly in CTV and retail media [43] - The Trade Desk is well-positioned to capitalize on the evolving advertising landscape, with a focus on operational rigor and long-term growth [43] Other Important Information - The company has repurchased nearly $2 billion through its share repurchase program since the first authorization in 2023 [42] - The board of directors approved a new authorization of $500 million for share repurchases [42] Q&A Session Summary Question: Clarification on Amazon as a competitor and the evolving competitive environment - Jeff Green acknowledged Amazon and Google as significant players but emphasized that their advertising efforts primarily focus on owned and operated inventory, with little competition in the open internet space [47][51] Question: Areas for impact in the organization - Jeff Green highlighted the importance of new leadership and structural changes aimed at strengthening the company's foundation and improving operational efficiency [59][61] Question: Trends in the advertising and macro environment for 2026 - Management noted the growing importance of the open internet and the potential for increased value in an objective platform, with a focus on disciplined resource allocation and international growth [69]