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Trade Desk, Inc.: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 6 August 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 2 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue growth slowed to 3%: Revenue was $715 million, up 3% from $694 million a year earlier. First-quarter revenue growth was 12% per the prior release. Six-month revenue rose 7%. Source
  • GAAP earnings declined: GAAP net income was $64 million against $90 million. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.14 against $0.18 in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin fell: Adjusted EBITDA was $241 million against $271 million, a margin of 34% against 39%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.34 against $0.41. Source
  • Buybacks of $78 million in quarter: Share repurchases used about $78 million in the quarter, against $164 million in the first quarter. $269 million remained authorized at June 30, 2026. Source
  • Third-quarter revenue at least $650 million: Third-quarter revenue is expected to be at least $650 million, against reported second-quarter revenue of $715 million. Source
  • Third-quarter adjusted EBITDA about $160 million: Third-quarter adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $160 million, against reported second-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $241 million. Source

“This quarter did not meet the standard we set for ourselves, but it has reinforced our belief that we are focused on the right opportunities for the future”

Jeff Green, Co-Founder and CEO of The Trade Desk

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcethird quarter 2026at least $650 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcethird quarter 2026approximately $160 millionNew

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: Third-quarter guidance for revenue and adjusted EBITDA was issued with this release. Source
  • New: Nate Olmstead was appointed Chief Financial Officer, and Sarah Gavin was appointed Chief Marketing Officer and EVP. Source
  • New: Penry Price and David Haddad were appointed to the Board of Directors, adding advertising, AI and global scaling expertise. Source
  • New: Netflix joined the Sellers and Publishers 500+ marketplace, giving advertisers access to its streaming environment through the company's inventory marketplace. Source

Second quarter results

  • Revenue growth slowed to 3%: Revenue was $715 million, up 3% from $694 million a year earlier. First-quarter revenue growth was 12% per the prior release. Six-month revenue rose 7%. Source
  • GAAP earnings declined: GAAP net income was $64 million against $90 million. GAAP diluted EPS was $0.14 against $0.18 in the year-earlier quarter. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin fell: Adjusted EBITDA was $241 million against $271 million, a margin of 34% against 39%. Non-GAAP diluted EPS was $0.34 against $0.41. Source
  • Six-month profit also lower: Net income for the six months was $104 million against $141 million, and six-month adjusted EBITDA was $447 million against $479 million. Source

Products, partners and customers

  • Samsung Ads opened home screen inventory: Samsung Ads opened its premium home screen inventory to programmatic buyers, and the company was named among the first platforms granted access. Source
  • Travel and commerce integrations added: The commerce media ecosystem was expanded through integrations with travel, hospitality and mobility partners, enabling activation of commerce and travel signals. Source
  • Databricks and Adobe data links: Databricks named the company a launch partner for CustomerLake, and Adobe built an integration linking paid media exposure data to Adobe Real-Time CDP profiles. Source
  • Adobe integration links first-party profiles: The new integration connects paid media exposure data directly to first-party profiles in Adobe Real-Time CDP. Source

“While there is work ahead, I am confident our actions will help marketers drive better business outcomes and support the shift of media budgets toward the open internet.”

Jeff Green, Co-Founder and CEO of The Trade Desk

Costs and operating income

  • Platform operations costs rose most: Platform operations expense was $184 million against $151 million. Sales and marketing was $174 million against $161 million, and technology and development was $141 million against $134 million. Source
  • General and administrative costs fell: General and administrative expense was $114 million against $131 million. No CEO performance grant expense was recorded this quarter, against $19 million a year earlier. Source
  • Operating income declined: Income from operations was $102 million against $117 million. Total operating expenses were $613 million against $577 million. Source

Demand and market environment

  • Marketers navigating a complex environment: Management said marketers are navigating a complex environment and that complexity raises the value of decisioning, measurement and AI. Source
  • First quarter cited macro headwinds: In the first-quarter release, management cited headwinds in the macro environment and said it remained confident in its ability to lead within programmatic.
  • Customer retention held above 95%: Customer retention remained over 95% during the second quarter, which management said has been the case for over a decade. Source

Cash, balance sheet and buybacks

  • Cash balance rose substantially: Cash and cash equivalents were $1,123 million at June 30, 2026, against $658 million at December 31, 2025. Short-term investments fell to $362 million from $645 million. Source
  • Receivables and payables declined: Accounts receivable, net, was $3,201 million against $3,770 million at year-end. Accounts payable was $2,563 million against $3,008 million. Source
  • Six-month operating cash flow rose: Net cash provided by operating activities was $545 million for the six months, against $456 million a year earlier. Source
  • Buybacks of $78 million in quarter: Share repurchases used about $78 million in the quarter, against $164 million in the first quarter. $269 million remained authorized at June 30, 2026. Source

Third quarter guidance

  • Third-quarter revenue at least $650 million: Third-quarter revenue is expected to be at least $650 million, against reported second-quarter revenue of $715 million. Source
  • Third-quarter adjusted EBITDA about $160 million: Third-quarter adjusted EBITDA is expected to be approximately $160 million, against reported second-quarter adjusted EBITDA of $241 million. Source
  • May guidance for second quarter: In May, second-quarter guidance was revenue of at least $750 million and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $260 million.

Coming up, as management said on 6 August 2026

  • Execution and platform actions underway: Management said it is taking actions to strengthen execution, upgrade the platform and focus on the areas where it can create the greatest value. No dates were given. Source

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Management named a complex marketer environment as a factor in the quarter. Source
  • Financial: Management said stock-based compensation, which moves with share price, could make U.S. GAAP results vary significantly and unpredictably. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Missed: Management said the second quarter did not meet the standard it had set for itself. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.