• Revenue: $585 million, up 26% year-over-year.

• Adjusted EBITDA: $242 million, approximately 41% of revenue.

• Net Income: Adjusted net income of $197 million or $0.39 per fully diluted share.

• Cash and Liquidity: Cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments at $1.5 billion; no debt.

• Free Cash Flow: $57 million for Q2.

• Operating Expenses: $363 million, up 19% year-over-year, excluding stock-based compensation.

• Geographical Revenue: North America 88%, International 12%.

• Q3 Revenue Outlook: Estimated at least $618 million, representing 25% growth year-over-year.

• Q3 Adjusted EBITDA Outlook: Approximately $248 million.

• Warning! GuruFocus has detected 4 Warning Sign with TTD.

Release Date: August 08, 2024

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

• The Trade Desk Inc (NASDAQ:TTD) reported a strong revenue growth of 26% year-over-year, reaching $585 million in Q2 2024.

• The company continues to gain market share, significantly outperforming the digital marketing industry.

• Connected TV (CTV) is a major growth driver, with accelerated growth and increased adoption of UID2 by major streaming platforms.

• The launch of Kokai, a new platform leveraging AI, has shown promising early results, improving cost per acquisition and performance metrics.

• The Trade Desk Inc (NASDAQ:TTD) maintains a strong cash position with $1.5 billion in cash and no debt, providing flexibility for future investments.

Negative Points

• The macroeconomic environment remains uncertain, with inflation and consumer weakness posing challenges for CMOs.

• The competitive landscape in CTV is intensifying, with players like Amazon Prime Video expanding their ad business.

• There is a need for more widespread adoption of UID2, especially in non-logged-in environments like browsers.

• The company faces challenges in scaling partnerships with new premium inventory sources like Netflix.

• The ongoing regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges faced by Google could create market uncertainties affecting The Trade Desk Inc (NASDAQ:TTD).

Q & A Highlights

Q: Jeff, could you provide your high-level thoughts on the current digital ad environment and what's allowing Trade Desk to outperform others? A: Jeff Green, CEO: Our team is performing exceptionally well, especially given the rapid changes in CTV. Unlike others, we are not a destination or sell-side company; we represent buyers. This positions us uniquely in a buyer's market. CMOs face pressure to deliver growth amidst economic challenges, and they turn to us for data-driven, rational volume. Our focus on the buy side allows us to gain market share in any environment.

Q: Can you discuss the competitive environment within CTV, especially with Amazon Prime Video's ad business? A: Jeff Green, CEO: We are not a destination; we partner with content owners to buy on behalf of major brands. Recent partnerships with Netflix, FOX, and others highlight our position in the open Internet. Unlike Amazon's walled garden approach, we offer a biddable marketplace with price discovery and data, which is more effective given TV's fragmented nature.

Q: How does your strategy and investment level change around UID2 following Google's cookie deprecation decision? A: Jeff Green, CEO: Our strategy remains unchanged. UID2 was never meant to replace cookies but to provide a better identity framework. It's gaining ubiquity, especially in CTV and audio. While cookies remain in browsers, UID2's effectiveness in logged-in environments drives its adoption.

Q: What is the midterm impact of premium inventory sources like Disney and Roku becoming more available on your platform? A: Jeff Green, CEO: The shift to premium content on the open Internet is significant. As more premium inventory becomes available, advertisers are more likely to allocate their first dollar to these channels. This trend, coupled with data-driven advertising, positions us to capture significant growth in the coming years.

Q: How do you see the appetite for biddable programmatic in CTV evolving, and any observations from the upfront markets? A: Jeff Green, CEO: There's a growing desire for biddable programmatic from both buyers and sellers. While traditional TV buying was bulk and broadcast, biddable allows for data-driven decisions and higher CPMs. The trend is moving towards biddable, with upfronts evolving into more flexible, forward contracts.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.