Why The Trade Desk Stock Skyrocketed Today
Key Points
The return of the company's co-founder and chief technology officer has given investors hope for the future.
The Trade Desk has floundered over the past year as slowing growth and intensifying competition have given investors pause.
With its valuation near an all-time low, it wouldn't take much to propel the stock higher.
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Shares of The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) charged sharply higher on Monday, surging as much as 16.6%. As of 11:38 a.m. ET, the stock was still up 15.2%.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
The catalyst that sent the digital advertising stock higher was anticipation regarding the company's upcoming financial report and the return of one of its founders.
Image source: Getty Images.
In a Pickle
The Trade Desk announced last week that former chief technology officer (CTO) and co-founder Dave Pickles was returning after stepping down in 2023. Pickles will establish and lead the company's newly formed CTO council to "help shape the next generation of The Trade Desk platform." Pickles will focus "on aligning technology strategy, architectural direction, operational excellence, and key engineering investments--including agentic capabilities and advanced AI-powered advertising workflows."
Pickles is returning at a critical time for The Trade Desk. The company has floundered over the past year as slowing growth and increasing competition have weighed on its results. In the second quarter, The Trade Desk delivered revenue that grew just 3% year over year to $715 million, while its adjusted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.34 slumped 17%.
Perhaps even more concerning was the company's outlook, which called for revenue to decline 12% year over year to $650 million, while adjusted EBITDA of $160 million is expected to plunge 50%.
The return of Pickles has given investors hope that The Trade Desk can return to its former glory, but they may be getting ahead of themselves.
That said, the stock is trading for just 18 times earnings, near an all-time low set just last month. Given the pessimism built into the stock price, it wouldn't take much to send The Trade Desk higher -- as evidenced by its movement today.
We'll know more soon, as The Trade Desk is scheduled to report its Q3 results after the market close today.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again
In 2009, a "Double Down" signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. If you’d invested $5,000 then, you’d be sitting on $2,426,128 today.*
Now, for the first time in years, that same "Total Conviction" signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. It’s a key player in the $1.8 trillion space race, and with the stock recently sitting 20% off its highs, the window to get in early is closing fast.
Continue »
*Stock Advisor returns as of November 9, 2026.
Danny Vena, CPA has positions in The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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