"The Trade Desk remains one of the highest-quality companies in ad tech, but a great business is not automatically a great investment. The Trade Desk enters 2026 as one of the most debated stocks in digital advertising. The company remains a high-quality operator with strong long-term positioning. Yet the competitive landscape, once favorable, now looks more crowded than ever. As a result, investors face an increasingly nuanced question: Is The Trade Desk still a buy going into 2026?"
"Despite a more turbulent year, The Trade Desk continues to deliver solid top-line growth and high customer retention. In 2025, revenue grew in the high teens, customer retention again exceeded 95%, and the company maintained healthy margins. These indicators suggest advertisers continue to rely on the platform and see meaningful value from its tools. The growth of connected TV (CTV) and retail media also sets up long-term tailwinds."
"Kokai -- the company's AI-powered platform -- emerged as one of the bright spots in 2025. Migration accelerated throughout the year, with a large majority of advertiser spend now routed through Kokai. More importantly, The Trade Desk shared measurable improvements: lower acquisition costs, better reach efficiency, and higher engagement. These performance gains matter because they strengthen the company's value proposition at a time when advertisers want more efficiency. If Kokai continues to de"
The Trade Desk remains a high-quality operator in ad tech with solid 2025 performance: high-teens revenue growth, customer retention above 95%, and healthy margins. Growth in connected TV and retail media provides long-term structural tailwinds as advertisers shift budgets toward measurable, data-driven channels. Kokai, the AI-powered platform, has seen accelerated migration and measurable performance improvements including lower acquisition costs, better reach efficiency, and higher engagement. These gains strengthen the value proposition by improving advertiser efficiency. However, the competitive landscape is becoming more crowded, introducing uncertainty about future market share and investment returns as 2026 approaches.
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