6. The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 45
Upside Potential: 31.10%
The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) draws significant attention from Wall Street and hedge fund institutions, helping it secure a spot on our list of the best low-priced AI stocks to buy right now. The latest analyst move points to improving sentiment, even as other recent commentary shows plenty of skepticism still lingering around the stock.
On July 8, 2026, Marketscreener reported that HSBC upgraded The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) to “Hold” from “Reduce.” Analysts polled by FactSet carry an average rating of “Overweight” on the stock, with a mean price target of $25.41. The stock trades at $19.75 as of July 9, 2026.
That upgrade comes against a backdrop of more cautious commentary from other firms.
On July 2, 2026, The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) received a cautious assessment from BofA Securities, which said the second quarter is likely to represent a transitional period. The firm noted that expectations heading into the results remain subdued, with investors focused on whether revenue growth has reached its low point. BofA noted the Publicis dispute has since been resolved, which should help the third quarter compare more favorably, though it remains unclear whether advertisers will carry any lingering hesitation.
Political advertising is expected to build through the third quarter and become more meaningful by the fourth. BofA said it is still uncertain whether Publicis normalization, improving macro conditions, political advertising spend, the Spotify and Netflix ramp, and initiatives including Audience Unlimited and OpenPath will be enough to drive sequential improvement and rebuild confidence following several quarters of inconsistent execution.
That caution echoed a note from Arete on June 30, 2026, which pointed to growing signs that advertising agencies are looking to pull back spending on The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD), while other demand-side platforms appear to be gaining market share at its expense.
The Trade Desk, Inc. (NASDAQ:TTD) provides a demand-side platform (DSP) for digital advertising, offering data-driven ad buying, targeting, and analytics services. The company deals with advertisers, agencies, and brands that want to run and optimize digital ad campaigns across channels like video, mobile, and TV.
While we acknowledge the potential of TTD to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than TTD and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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