We recently compiled a list of the 8 Best AdTech Stocks to Buy Now. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) stands against the other AdTech stocks.

It goes without saying that the advertisement technology industry happens to be an exciting and ever-evolving sector, as digital advertising continues to dominate the market trends and remains at the forefront when it comes to strategic marketing. According to industry data by Allied Market Research, the global AdTech market was pegged at $748.2 billion in 2021 and is expected to reach $2.9 trillion by 2031. This demonstrates a CAGR of ~14.7% from 2022 to 2031.

This growth comes off the back of growing digital and internet penetration, increased usage of advanced technology like AI and machine learning, improved prospects for the gaming industry, and growth in social media apps including Facebook, WhatsApp, and others. Some of the top trends dominating the AdTech industry include higher usage of connected TV (CTV) advertising, in-app advertising, and interactive ads.

Growth prospects of the AdTech industry

The AdTech market has been bifurcated into solution, advertising type, size of an enterprise, platform, etc. The AdTech industry includes a wide range of companies and products, such as demand-side platforms (DSPs), supply-side platforms (SSPs), ad exchanges, data management platforms (DMPs), and more. Experts are of the view that the global supply-side platform (SSP) market size should touch ~$117.32 billion by 2033. This means that the industry should compound at ~13.3% from 2023 to 2033. This growth is expected to stem from technological advancements, higher consumer demand, and supportive government policies.

In the same vein, the demand side platform software market size should touch US$120.1 billion by 2033 on the heels of an improved trend of programmatic advertising and, the need for better targeting along with measurement capabilities for online ads. While the AdTech industry seems promising, inclusion of artificial intelligence (AI) makes it even more appealing.

AI’s Role in AdTech – Opportunities and Challenges

Global AdTech industry continues to prepare for the complete deprecation of third-party cookies by Google, which makes up ~65% of the web browser market share. This transition seems to be a critical step for enabling user privacy and data security. Artificial Intelligence, because of its capability to process vast amounts of data, should play a crucial role.

Research suggests that ~54% of businesses believe that AI offers advertising cost savings and efficiencies and ~30% of marketing professionals decided to earmark more than 40% of their marketing budget to campaigns that are AI-executed. The advent of smart speakers, voice search, and podcasting can help advertisers in creating fresh avenues to connect with target audiences with the help of audio and voice technology.

While advertisers can exploit the opportunities available in the AdTech industry, they need to be wary about challenges such as Ad fraud. These frauds are caused mainly because of bot traffic, domain spoofing, or ad stacking. Some other challenges include inventory quality, ad creativity, and brand safety.

AI and ML are revolutionizing digital advertising by enabling advertisers to assess vast amounts of data in real time. As a result, the advertisers can make data-driven decisions for optimizing ad campaigns. Advertisers now use algorithmic advertising, personalization, and performance metrics to maximize ROI.

AI algorithms help in automating media buying, making sure that ads reach the target audience. Personalized ads can be delivered using AI-powered recommendation engines and these engines enable real-time tracking, which can help make quick adjustments to fuel success.

The global AdTech industry is expected to compound in the mid-teens range over the next decade. Given that it’s still early in its growth story, now is the time to look at some of the best AdTech stocks.

Our Methodology

For this article, we selected the holdings of SmartETFs Advertising & Marketing Technology ETF and ranked them in ascending order of the number of hedge funds holding stakes in them. For the purposes, we sifted through Insider Monkey’s hedge fund data for 1Q 2024.

Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 108

Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE), together with its subsidiaries, carries out its operations as a diversified software company worldwide. The company works through three segments: Digital Media, Digital Experience, and Publishing and Advertising.

Over the past 5 years, Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE)’s stock return crushed the returns delivered by Dow Jones Industrial Average. While the broader index saw an increase of ~50.0%, shares of Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) went up by ~79%.

This growth in the company’s shares was led by its creative products, Photoshop and Illustrator. Strong execution coupled with market-leading products have supported the company’s 2Q 2024 results. During the quarter, the company saw its revenues and EPS increase by ~11% and ~24% YoY, respectively. Growth in earnings surpassed revenue growth by a wide margin, which demonstrates operational efficiencies.

Analysts at Sanford C. Bernstein upped their price objective on shares of Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) from $653.00 to $660.00, giving the stock an “Outperform” rating on 17^th June. Wall Street analysts are quite optimistic about its GenAl offering, Firefly. They tagged Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) as a beneficiary with a real opportunity to monetize GenAl over the near term.

The company raised its annual targets, considering its market-leading products and financial discipline. For FY24, Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) expects total revenue in the range of $21.40 billion – $21.50 billion and earnings per share of $11.80 to $12.00 on a GAAP basis. According to the Insider Monkey database, 108 hedge fund portfolios held Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE) at the end of the first quarter of 2024, up from 105 in the previous quarter.

Polen Capital, an investment management company, published a second-quarter 2024 investor letter. Here is what the fund said about Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE):

“With Adobe Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBE), in some ways, we see it as a microcosm of the market’s “shoot first, ask questions later” approach to categorizing AI winners and losers. In the early part of last year, Adobe came under pressure with a perception that generative AI (GenAI) would represent a material headwind to their suite of creative offerings. In short order, the company introduced its GenAI offering, Firefly, which shifted the narrative to Adobe as a beneficiary with a real opportunity to monetize GenAI in the near term. Earlier this year, that narrative was again challenged as the company reported a slight slowdown in revenue growth. Results in the most recent quarter were robust as the company raised its full-year forecast across a number of key metrics and showcased better-than-expected results.”

Overall ADBE ranks 5th on our list of the best AdTech stocks to buy. You can visit 8 Best AdTech Stocks to Buy Now to see the other AdTech stocks that are on hedge funds’ radar. While we acknowledge the potential of ADBE as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering strong returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than ADBE but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.

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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.