The Trade Desk combines a wide economic moat, exceptional free cash flow conversion of 132%, and an attractive forward P/E of 9x with a Piotroski score of 8/9, but is currently in a confirmed death cross downtrend with 21% short interest and negative asymmetry at current prices.
Thesis pillars
- Wide Moat Cash Conversion↓Deteriorating
- Death Cross Downtrend↑Improving
- Short Squeeze Potential↑Improving
- +1 more pillar — see the Why tab for full reasoning
The Trade Desk, Inc. (TTD) Stock Analysis
Falling Knife setup
Communication Services · Advertising Agencies
Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $14.14 — A.R:R is negative (-0.8) — price has exceeded the analyst target. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Consecutive earnings misses (2).
The Trade Desk operates a self-service programmatic advertising platform through which advertising agencies and brand advertisers plan, execute, and measure digital campaigns across display, video, audio, and connected television. The company earns platform fees as a percentage... Read more
Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $14.14 — A.R:R is negative (-0.8) — price has exceeded the analyst target. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Consecutive earnings misses (2). Chart setup: Death cross, below all MAs, RSI 33, MACD bearish. Score 4.7/10, moderate confidence.
Passes 5/9 gates (clean insider activity, news events none recent, earnings proximity 82d clear, semi cycle peak clear, materials cycle peak clear). Fails on weak momentum and favorable risk/reward ratio and death cross (50MA < 200MA). Suitability: speculative.
Recent developments
updated 2026-08-16Recent Developments — The Trade Desk, Inc.
Latest news
- NEWS Did The Trade Desk, Inc. Insiders Breach their Fiduciary Duties to Shareholders? - TradingView — TradingView negative
- NEWS Did The Trade Desk, Inc. Insiders Breach their Fiduciary Duties to Shareholders? - tradingview.com — tradingview.com negative
- NEWS The Trade Desk stock extends gains as session closes near highs after recent strength - Traders Union — Traders Union positive
- NEWS The Trade Desk stock plummeted 17% today — what disappointed investors? - MSN — MSN negative
- NEWS The Trade Desk Stock Is Rising: Is This $3 Billion Ad Trend The Next Growth Catalyst? - Benzinga — Benzinga positive
Generated 2026-08-16T17:12:04Z.
Upcoming dated catalysts
Thesis
Key Metrics
Quality Signals
Options Flow
Concentration Risks(10-K Item 1A)
- LOWCustomertwo holding companies10-K Item 1: 'two holding companies would have each represented more than 10% of our gross billings for 2025'
Material Events(8-K, last 90d)
- 2026-06-01Item 5.02MEDIUMNate Olmstead, age 54, appointed CFO effective July 9, 2026, joining from Penguin Solutions. Replaces Tahnil Davis, acting interim CFO; Davis continues as Chief Accounting Officer.SEC filing →
- 2026-05-29Item 5.02LOWBoard approved Samantha Jacobson's participation in non-employee director compensation program: $50,000 annual retainer plus prorated equity grant of $290,000 from May 18, 2026, to next annual meeting.SEC filing →
- 2026-05-08Item 5.02MEDIUMChief Strategy Officer Samantha Jacobson resigned as CSO and employee effective May 18, 2026. No successor named. She continues to serve as a member of the Board of Directors.SEC filing →
- 2026-04-06Item 5.02LOWDirector Lise J. Buyer resigned from the Board effective April 3, 2026. No disagreement with Company operations, policies, or practices cited. She served as director since March 2019.SEC filing →
- 2026-03-25Item 3.01MEDIUMNasdaq issued noncompliance notice March 25, 2026, after Kathryn Falberg's resignation left audit and compensation committees below minimums per Nasdaq Listing Rule 5605. Cure period extends to September 21, 2026.SEC filing →
- 2026-03-25Item 5.02LOWDirector Alexander Kayyal resigned from the Board effective March 19, 2026. No disagreement with Company operations, policies, or practices cited.SEC filing →
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
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Rating Breakdown
2 floor-breakers
Growth below the gate floor. Component breakdown shows what dragged the score down.static
Price action weak — below key moving averages, no momentum carry. Needs a base before trend-continuation setups apply.static
Price Targets
Position Sizing
Risk Alerts
Earnings
Verdict History
Frequently Asked Questions
Sell if holding. Analyst target reached at $14.14 — A.R:R is negative (-0.8) — price has exceeded the analyst target. Reward from here is too thin for a buy — the engine flags exit. Additional concerns: Consecutive earnings misses (2). Chart setup: Death cross, below all MAs, RSI 33, MACD bearish. Prior stop was $13.15. Score 4.7/10, moderate confidence.
Take-profit target: $19.16 (-11.4% upside). Prior stop was $13.15. Stop-loss: $13.15.
Analyst target reached - limited upside remaining; Consecutive earnings misses (2); Weak overall score: 4.7/10.
The Trade Desk, Inc. trades at a P/E of 16.8 (forward 14.2). TrendMatrix value score: 6.7/10. Verdict: Sell.
42 analysts cover TTD with a consensus score of 3.5/5. Average price target: $14.
What does The Trade Desk, Inc. do?The Trade Desk operates a self-service programmatic advertising platform through which advertising agencies and brand...
The Trade Desk operates a self-service programmatic advertising platform through which advertising agencies and brand advertisers plan, execute, and measure digital campaigns across display, video, audio, and connected television. The company earns platform fees as a percentage of clients' total spend; a customer retention rate exceeding 95% for over a decade reflects high platform switching costs. At the holding-company level, two agency groups would each have represented more than 10% of gross billings in 2025.