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The concept of programmatic advertising might be foreign to some investors as the concept has only evolved over the last few years. The concept involves computer programs facilitating ad purchases, making decisions in real time, and buying ads across a variety of channels from the available supply.
The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) has been enormously successful in the space and evidence of that was in full force when the company reported revenue and earnings for the first quarter that beat its own guidance and smashed analysts' consensus estimates. It also raised its forecast for the full year.
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The raw numbers
| Metric | Q1 2018 | Q1 2017 | Year-Over-Year Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | $85.7 million | $53.4 million | 61% |
| GAAP net income | $9.1 million | $4.9 million | 85% |
| GAAP earnings per share | $0.20 | $0.11 | 82% |
Data source: The Trade Desk First-Quarter 2018 Financial Release. Chart by author.
For the just-completed first quarter, The Trade Desk reported revenue of $86 million, obliterating its forecast for $73 million, and analysts' expectation for $73.2 million.
Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) of $18.9 million more than doubled the $7.5 million the company forecast just last quarter. Adjusted income came in at $15.3 million, producing adjusted earnings per share of $0.34, more than tripling the $0.10 expected by analysts.
What drove The Trade Desk's massive performance?
The company said that much of its growth came from key channels, like mobile, video, connected TV, and audio, noting that data spend in March "spiked to an all-time record." Growth in international markets also shined. Spending on mobile ads grew 95% year over year and increased to 42% of gross spend for the quarter. Growth in mobile video was even more impressive, up 160% compared to the prior-year quarter, while mobile in-app revenue grew 110% year over year. Two of The Trade Desk's newest and most promising markets -- connected TV and audio -- surged, with audio ads up 650% over the prior-year quarter, and connected TV ads skyrocketed an astonishing 2,000% year over year. Customer retention rates were stellar, above 95% for the 18th consecutive quarter.
The company said it will continue to invest in technology infrastructure, product development, and international expansion, as it believes these key areas are critical to its ability to make additional market share gains.
"The programmatic revolution continues to gain momentum," said founder and CEO Jeff Green. "In the first-quarter we surpassed even our own expectations. A steady stream of new brands and agencies joined our platform; we won additional spend from existing customers; and we developed closer relationships with the biggest brands in the world."