The Trade Desk Stock: Can a New Partnership Reverse Its Fortunes?

The advertising technology sector has witnessed a dramatic downturn for The Trade Desk, with its equity value plummeting by more than 70% since the start of the year. This precipitous decline, however, is now set against the backdrop of a significant new strategic alliance with financial software leader Intuit. Market participants are intently watching to determine whether this collaboration represents a crucial turning point for the beleaguered company or merely a pause in its downward trajectory.

Despite the recent partnership announcement, the company's shares continue to struggle, trading perilously close to their 52-week low of €33.27. The persistent bearish sentiment stems from recent quarterly performance. While The Trade Desk exceeded earnings expectations with third-quarter EPS of $0.45, its revenue growth of 18% to $739 million indicates a noticeable deceleration compared to previous years.

Investors have demonstrated heightened sensitivity to this moderating growth momentum in recent months. The current valuation reflects widespread apprehension that digital advertising expenditures could face continued pressure within a cooling economic environment.

Strategic Alliance with Intuit

The company has unveiled an extensive partnership with Intuit that provides direct access to data from its "SMB MediaLabs" platform. This arrangement enables The Trade Desk to leverage aggregated information from millions of small and medium-sized businesses that utilize Intuit services including QuickBooks and Mailchimp.

Should investors sell immediately? Or is it worth buying The Trade Desk?

For advertisers, this collaboration addresses a critical gap in B2B marketing strategies. The enhanced capability to target decision-makers with greater precision potentially grants The Trade Desk a substantial competitive advantage against the closed ecosystems, or "walled gardens," maintained by rivals such as Google and Meta. Chief Executive Officer Jeff Green emphasizes that this development significantly advances objective, data-driven media buying—a crucial signal in the current challenging market landscape.

Technical Position and Future Outlook

From a technical perspective, the stock currently stands at a critical juncture. A breach below existing support levels could trigger additional declines, while favorable reception of the new strategic direction might establish a foundation for recovery. For the present, markets remain in a watchful waiting pattern.

Attention now shifts to fourth-quarter execution. Management has provided revenue guidance of at least $840 million, representing approximately 18.5% growth. Financial analysts generally view the Intuit arrangement not as a short-term catalyst for the current quarter, but rather as a potential key driver for revenue acceleration by 2026.