The Trade Desk to Partner With OpenAI? Here's What That Could Mean for the Stock
Key Points
OpenAI is reportedly in talks with The Trade Desk about selling ads on ChatGPT.
The Trade Desk's growth rate has been slowing down in recent quarters, and it could use a boost.
A partnership with OpenAI might not last long if the chatbot maker develops its own adtech.
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One company that drastically needs a growth catalyst these days is adtech giant The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD). Its growth rate has been slowing down, and investors are concerned about its long-term prospects, as competition ramps up and artificial intelligence (AI) potentially disrupts its operations.
This year, shares of The Trade Desk are down 37%, and that's after an already troubling year in 2025 when the tech stock crashed a mammoth 68%. Things have been going from bad to worse for shareholders.
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Recently, however, there have been rumors that the company is in talks with tech giant OpenAI, in what could result in a key partnership for The Trade Desk. It may even lead to opportunities with other artificial intelligence (AI) companies. Could this be what's needed to light a fire under The Trade Desk's stock and turn its fortunes around?
Image source: Getty Images.
What a partnership with OpenAI might mean for The Trade Desk
The pressure is on for OpenAI these days. The company's chatbot, ChatGPT, is immensely popular, but OpenAI also needs to prove that its business can turn a profit as it is planning to go public -- potentially as early as this year. Selling ads could be key to showing that it has a path to profitability. If there isn't one, there may be limited interest in the IPO.
For The Trade Desk, this arrangement could result in a massive growth opportunity because working with OpenAI may then lead to similar opportunities with other AI companies.
The problem, however, is that this may be just a temporary partnership, with OpenAI reportedly also working on developing its own adtech capabilities. With the help of its own advanced AI capabilities, it may not need The Trade Desk for long. And in the worst-case scenario, it could even end up being a future competitor.
The Trade Desk's stock remains incredibly risky
Partnering with OpenAI could help The Trade Desk generate some additional revenue, but it may not necessarily be enough to make the stock a strong buy. And as of now, there's no guarantee it will even happen.
Meanwhile, in recent quarters, the company's growth rate has been going in the wrong direction. Whether it reaches a deal with OpenAI or not, The Trade Desk will likely need a lot more than that to prove to investors that it's still a top growth stock to own.
TTD Revenue (Quarterly YoY Growth) data by YCharts
Given concerns about the long-term demand for The Trade Desk's adtech platform, it's hard to make the case for buying the stock amid its current free fall. Its growth rate may continue to diminish amid rising competition. And without a convincing catalyst to suggest otherwise, I'd steer clear of the stock.
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David Jagielski, CPA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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