# The Trade Desk Q3 2026 Earnings Results

> The Trade Desk reports $736M revenue with 36% adjusted EBITDA margin, 15% workforce cut, and AI-driven platform upgrades.
- Title: The Trade Desk Q3 2026 Earnings Results · The Motley Fool
- Summary: The Trade Desk reports $736M revenue with 36% adjusted EBITDA margin, 15% workforce cut, and AI-driven platform upgrades.
- Keywords: the trade desk, q3 2026, earnings call, revenue, adjusted ebitda, workforce reduction, ai optimization, joint business plans, audience unlimited, open measurement, The Motley Fool
- Source: The Motley Fool — https://fool.com/earnings/call-transcripts/2026/11/10/the-trade-desk-ttd-q3-2026-earnings-call-transcript
- Author: Motley Fool Transcribing
- Published: 2026-11-10T06:26:50+00:00
- Read time: 2 min
- Topics: the trade desk, q3 2026, earnings call, revenue, adjusted ebitda, workforce reduction, ai optimization, joint business plans, audience unlimited, open measurement, finance, money
## Q3 Revenue Results
The Trade Desk reported Q3 2026 revenue of $736 million, a 0.5% year-over-year decline.
## Adjusted EBITDA Performance
Adjusted EBITDA reached $266 million, a 36% margin exceeding August's outlook.
## Fourth Quarter Guidance
Management expects Q4 revenue of at least $755 million and Adjusted EBITDA of at least $280 million.
## Channel Mix Breakdown
Video channels held low 50s% share, audio 7% with strongest year-over-year growth, mobile 20s% and display low double-digit%.
## APAC and EMEA Growth
APAC grew 30% year-over-year in first nine months, led by 45% growth in China during Q3. EMEA grew over 20% year-over-year.
## Workforce Reduction Plan
15% global headcount reduction expected to generate over $100 million in gross savings by 2027.
## Restructuring Charges
$44 million restructuring charges related to severance and employee benefits from organizational changes.
## Joint Business Plans Growth
Joint Business Plans (JBPs) increased 30% year-over-year with participating customers growing faster than traditional agreements.
## Growth Team Expansion
Client count increased by over 200% year-over-year through first three quarters of 2026, adding 23 new clients in Q3.
## Zuma Platform Upgrade
Zuma system upgrade reduced median active time to complete core workflows by 9% to 15% with AI-driven improvements.
## AI Optimization
Koa optimizations enabled on 22% more strategies due to agentic workflow improvements.
## Audience Unlimited Traction
Over 100 advertisers tested Audience Unlimited, yielding median cost-per-acquisition improvements of more than 30%.
## Share Repurchase Authorization
Total share repurchase authorization increased to $1 billion following an additional $731 million board approval.
## Cash Position
The company held $1.6 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and short-term investments as of Sept. 30, 2026.
## Political Advertising
Political advertising represented mid-single-digit percentage of total revenue in Q3, growing cycle on cycle.
## Non-Recurring Revenue Benefit
Approximately 3 percentage points of Q3 revenue growth derived from a strategic partner business not expected to recur.
## Key takeaway

The Trade Desk reported Q3 2026 revenue of $736 million, a 0.5% year-over-year decline, with 36% adjusted EBITDA margin and plans for 15% global workforce reduction.