Vertical Group upgrades Trade Desk on accelerating ad spending

Vertical Group upgraded Trade Desk to Positive from Neutral ahead of the company’s Q1 results on May 10. Despite "still depressed" spending and "persistent uncertainty," Vertical’s sources saw in-line advertising spending growth in Q1 with accelerating momentum beginning in March, the analyst tells investors in a research note. The firm believes the checks suggest "very strong" ad spending relative to the last few quarters, which will help Trade Desk’s Q2 and beyond.