Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) Posts Quarterly Earnings Results, Hits Expectations

Posted by Chris Copeland on Feb 25th, 2026

Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD – Get Free Report) released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday. The technology company reported $0.59 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.59, FiscalAI reports. Trade Desk had a net margin of 15.72% and a return on equity of 16.00%. The company had revenue of $846.79 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $840.56 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $0.59 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.3% compared to the same quarter last year.

Here are the key takeaways from Trade Desk’s conference call:

Financial results strong and profitable: FY2025 revenue was $2.9 billion (+18% YoY) with Q4 revenue $847M (+14% YoY; +19% excl. political), ~47% adjusted EBITDA margin in Q4, ~$1.3B cash on hand, and an active share buyback program (additional $500M authorization).
CPG and auto softness is a near-term headwind: These two verticals (≈25% of revenue) showed sustained weakness into Q1 2026, and management factored that prudence into a conservative Q1 revenue guide of at least $678M (10% YoY).
AI and product innovation are core growth drivers: Management says almost all clients run on Kokai, highlighted new offerings like Audience Unlimited (data marketplace pricing/usage) and Deal Desk, and expects AI to enhance decisioning and measurement across channels.
Go-to-market and operating upgrades aim to scale growth: Reorganized, brand-first coverage and Joint Business Plans now represent over half the business (pipeline doubled), with disciplined reinvestment (headcount growing below revenue) intended to sustain margins while enabling future acceleration.

Trade Desk Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ TTD traded up $0.22 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $25.16. 28,178,538 shares of the company’s stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 14,581,010. The company’s 50-day moving average is $32.81 and its 200-day moving average is $42.22. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.67, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.10. Trade Desk has a 52-week low of $23.78 and a 52-week high of $91.45.

Trade Desk announced that its board has approved a share buyback plan on Thursday, November 6th that allows the company to repurchase $500.00 million in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the technology company to buy up to 2.1% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its shares are undervalued.

Trade Desk News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Trade Desk this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue topped Street estimates — $846.8M vs. consensus ~$840.6M, and non‑GAAP EPS matched estimates at $0.59; the beat on top line and solid margins support the growth narrative. The Trade Desk Reports Fourth Quarter and Fiscal Year 2025 Financial Results
Positive Sentiment: Launch of the Ventura Ecosystem to tie TV OSes and streaming platforms to The Trade Desk’s monetization/transparency tools could lift CTV CPMs and strengthen long‑term competitive moats in programmatic streaming. Trade Desk Unveils Ventura Ecosystem to Elevate CTV Advertising
Positive Sentiment: Unusual options activity: large call buying (83,354 calls, ~41% above average) indicates some traders are positioning for upside or volatility in the near term. (Trading flow item; no article link)
Neutral Sentiment: Industry/analyst notes emphasize that Ventura’s collaboration model could improve transparency but will take time to impact revenue meaningfully; analysts and writeups are evaluating execution risks. Does Ventura Ecosystem’s CTV Push Transform The Trade Desk’s Transparency Edge For Investors (TTD)?
Neutral Sentiment: Q4 snapshot and coverage summarize results and market reaction; useful context but adds no new financial surprises beyond the release. The Trade Desk: Q4 Earnings Snapshot
Negative Sentiment: Management’s Q1 revenue guidance of $678M missed consensus (~$687.4M), prompting a sharp market reaction and driving most of the downside pressure in after‑hours trading. The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) Posts Better-Than-Expected Sales In Q4 CY2025 But Stock Drops 15.6%
Negative Sentiment: Analyst concern over rising competition and ad spend consolidation into closed ecosystems has led firms (e.g., Wedbush) to trim price targets, raising execution risk for sustained revenue reacceleration. The Trade Desk faces rising competition ahead of Q4 earnings report
Negative Sentiment: Large institutional trimming noted in recent filings (several big managers cut positions), which can pressure sentiment and reduce buy‑side support near-term. The Trade Desk Stock (TTD) Opinions on Upcoming Q4 Earnings

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Trade Desk

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Quarry LP acquired a new stake in Trade Desk in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $37,000. Binnacle Investments Inc purchased a new stake in shares of Trade Desk in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $37,000. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Trade Desk in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $59,000. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. raised its holdings in shares of Trade Desk by 35.6% in the 3rd quarter. Brown Brothers Harriman & Co. now owns 1,591 shares of the technology company’s stock valued at $78,000 after purchasing an additional 418 shares in the last quarter. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. lifted its position in shares of Trade Desk by 71.9% during the 4th quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 2,295 shares of the technology company’s stock worth $87,000 after purchasing an additional 960 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 67.77% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of brokerages recently issued reports on TTD. Citigroup lowered their price target on shares of Trade Desk from $50.00 to $38.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Citizens Jmp downgraded shares of Trade Desk from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, January 23rd. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Trade Desk from a “hold (c-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Stifel Nicolaus set a $74.00 price target on Trade Desk and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Friday, January 23rd. Finally, Wall Street Zen raised Trade Desk from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Saturday, November 1st. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Trade Desk has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $57.58.

Read Our Latest Research Report on TTD

Trade Desk Company Profile

(Get Free Report)

The Trade Desk, Inc (NASDAQ: TTD) is a technology company that provides a demand-side platform (DSP) for programmatic digital advertising. Its platform enables advertisers, agencies and other buyers to plan, purchase and measure ad inventory across digital channels, including display, video, mobile, audio, native and connected TV. By centralizing real‑time bidding, audience targeting and inventory access, the company aims to help clients optimize media spend and reach audiences at scale across publishers and ad exchanges.

Founded in 2009 by Jeff Green and Dave Pickles, The Trade Desk grew from a focus on programmatic display into a global ad‑tech provider.