<div id="readability-page-1"><div> <h2>Key Points</h2><ul><li>The Trade Desk saw several downgrades today from Wall Street analysts. </li><li>They follow yesterday's reporting that a major customer advised its clients to avoid using The Trade Desk's software. </li><li>Despite denials, the report is casting doubt over The Trade Desk's standing with ad agency customers. </li><li>10 stocks we like better than The Trade Desk ›</li></ul>Shares of programmatic advertising software company The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) were falling again today, down 6% as of 12:49 p.m. EDT.The Trade Desk stock has been on a wild ride as of late, mostly to the negative. Yesterday, the company received bad news after an industry publication reported that a major advertising agency told clients to avoid the Trade Desk platform. Today, two Wall Street analysts lowered their price targets on the stock as a result.Will AI create the world's first trillionaire? Our team just released a report on the one little-known company, called an &#34;Indispensable Monopoly&#34; providing the critical technology Nvidia and Intel both need. Continue »<h2>Publicis throws The Trade Desk under the bus</h2>Yesterday, advertising industry publication Ad Age reported that French advertising firm Publicis Group (OTC: PUBGY) had recently instructed clients to avoid using The Trade Desk's demand-side advertising software. According to the report, a Publicis-funded third-party audit found that the Trade Desk had violated its agreement by overcharging and enrolling clients in additional features without their consent.This bit of news sent The Trade Desk's shares down yesterday, even though neither Publicis nor The Trade Desk confirmed the report. Publicis did not answer a request for comment, and The Trade Desk issued a statement, saying, &#34;We're aware of questions related to a Publicis audit process. Any notion that TTD ⁠failed an audit is not true.&#34; Still, the denials didn't prevent sell-side analysts from downgrading shares and lowering target prices today. Analysts at Stifel lowered their rating on TTD shares from &#34;Buy&#34; to &#34;Hold,&#34; and lowered the firm's price target to $26 from $48. Stifel analysts noted that Publicis is The Trade Desk's largest client, accounting for over 10% of gross billings. Additionally, sell-side research firm Rosenblatt also downgraded shares to &#34;Hold&#34; and lowered its price target to $25. Rosenblatt noted that the Publicis accusation could be emblematic of ad agencies taking a more confrontational approach to the Trade Desk, as the agencies themselves come under financial pressure. <img src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MTIzOS9nZXR0eWltYWdlcy0xNDkyMTgwNTI3LTEuanBnJnc9NzAw?x-oss-process=image/auto-orient,1/interlace,1/resize,w_1440,h_1440/quality,q_95/format,jpg" width="700" height="373" original-src="https://imageproxy.pbkrs.com/https://g.foolcdn.com/image//query-dXJsPWh0dHBzOi8vZy5mb29sY2RuLmNvbS9lZGl0b3JpYWwvaW1hZ2VzLzg2MTIzOS9nZXR0eWltYWdlcy0xNDkyMTgwNTI3LTEuanBnJnc9NzAw"/>Image source: Getty Images. <h2>The Trade Desk remains in limbo</h2>The Trade Desk's stock is down sharply over the past year and its multiple has contracted to reasonable levels, potentially creating an opportunity for investors. In fact, earlier this month, the stock surged on reports that AI leader OpenAI might be testing advertising strategies with The Trade Desk.However, it appears AI adoption may be hurting The Trade Desk's traditional customers as much as it's helping it find new ones. Amid this industry flux, it's no wonder the adtech's stock has become volatile, and its once-sky-high multiple has contracted amid the uncertainty.<h2>Should you buy stock in The Trade Desk right now?</h2> Before you buy stock in The Trade Desk, consider this: The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and The Trade Desk wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years. Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $508,877!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,115,328!* Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 936% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 189% for the S&amp;P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors. See the 10 stocks » *Stock Advisor returns as of March 18, 2026. Billy Duberstein and/or his clients have positions in The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc. </div></div>

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The Trade Desk's stock fell 6% today following downgrades from Wall Street analysts after a report indicated that major client Publicis advised clients to avoid its software. Despite The Trade Desk's denial of any wrongdoing, the news has raised concerns about its relationship with ad agencies. Analysts from Stifel and Rosenblatt lowered their ratings and price targets for the stock, reflecting a more confrontational stance from ad agencies amid financial pressures. The stock has been volatile, with its valuation contracting amid uncertainty in the adtech industry.

Why The Trade Desk Fell Again Today