Topic: How To Invest

Q: Hi, Pat. I know it’s not a defensive play, but what about The Trade Desk (TTD)? Thanks.

Article Excerpt

A: The Trade Desk, Inc. $301.26, symbol TTD on Nasdaq (Shares outstanding: 40.9 million; Market cap: $13.8 billion; www.thetradedesk.com), operates a self-service, cloud-based digital-advertising platform where clients make their purchases across various formats and devices. The Trade Desk is headquartered in Ventura, California, and has 1,200 employees in 23 offices across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific. The company is a demand-side platform, which means that buyers of digital advertising are able to manage multiple ad and data accounts through one interface rather than having to open accounts with each supplier of digital content. Google and Facebook, both supply-side vendors of digital advertising, control over 50% of the global digital ad market. The Trade Desk’s exclusive tools and algorithms provide real-time data that let clients track exactly who sees their ads. They can also follow how those consumers interact with the content in order to optimize their ad placements. The company generates revenue by charging advertising agencies and brands a fee based on its…