The concept was simple: Digital ads are everywhere — and Uber gained a big lead by turning its app, cars and even riders into revenue-generating assets.
Not to be outdone, Lyft (LYFT) is now doubling down.
The company just struck a major deal with StackAdapt, a top-tier programmatic ad firm.
The pact gives brands the ability to serve hyper-local, real-time ads to millions of Lyft riders while they’re in transit.
It’s a powerful validation of a much larger trend: Ride-sharing apps are evolving into ad platforms, and the tech infrastructure behind them is where the real money is flowing.
With global digital ad spending forecast to hit $836 billion by 2026, investors should be watching the companies enabling this shift — not just the ones running the apps.
Today, I will reveal a broad play on this tech with a company set to double its earnings in just a little over two years …
A Master Class in How to ‘Lyft’ Revenues
Lyft didn’t just stumble into this.
It’s been building its ad platform for more than a year by expanding Lyft Media into a serious business unit. The partnership with StackAdapt shows just how serious.
This move allows marketers to place ads directly inside Lyft’s app with the help of advanced targeting tools and real-time delivery.
We’re talking about ads that show up while riders are in motion — location-aware, context-sensitive and timed perfectly.
The logic is clear. Riders are idle, browsing their phones and often thinking about what they’ll do when they get to their destination.
That makes this one of the highest-engagement moments in a person’s day.
And this is just one example of how companies are reinventing how and where ads appear.
This Game-Changer Is Everywhere
From gas stations to grocery stores, hotel lobbies to connected TVs, digital ads have turned everyday moments into marketing goldmines.
Retailers like Walmart (WMT) and Best Buy (BBY) use their showroom TVs to pitch third-party brands. Hotel TVs greet guests with tailored suggestions. Gas pumps flash news updates framed by local offers.
What makes this so powerful is how seamless it feels. The ad doesn’t interrupt — it fits right in.
And increasingly, it’s personalized using real-time data and behavioral signals.
That’s why ride-hailing apps like Uber and Lyft are the next logical frontier.
With more than 40 million annual U.S. riders on Lyft alone, these platforms are becoming media channels in their own right.
And that creates a massive opportunity — not just for the companies showing the ads, but for the ones making all this possible behind the scenes.
You’ve seen how Uber helped kick off this trend. You’ve seen how Lyft just validated it with a bold move of its own.
But the real winner here isn’t a ride-share company. It’s the tech that ties all this together.
That clarity builds confidence. And confidence drives long-term spending.
The company also offers smart budgeting tools and cross-channel reach, allowing marketers to launch and manage complex campaigns with ease. With over 10 million queries per second handled through its system, it’s built for scale — and it’s already proven.
And did I mention how everything can be done automatically?
Trade Desk offers extensive systems that enable marketers to set their parameters and let the platform handle a given budget on its own.
Our timing is good. With Trade Desk trading off its highs from earlier this year, along with the rest of the market, we can scoop up shares at a big discount to its long-term average.
Even better, the firm is becoming a bona fide earnings powerhouse.
The company recently increased its quarterly earnings by 44%, more than double its three-year average of 18%. At the midpoint, we’re talking earnings growth of 31%. At that rate, they double in a tad more than two years.
In a world teeming with ads, Trade Desk doesn’t just sell attention — it owns the operating system behind it.
And with digital ads showing no signs of slowing down any time soon, that makes this a great play for our favorite investing timeline — the long haul.
Best,
Michael A. Robinson
P.S. The Trade Desk scores high on Weiss’ proprietary Growth Index and also our Solvency Index.
These proprietary indices can give you deeper insights into any stock we rate. That includes whether a stock is one to buy … or one you wouldn’t want to touch with a 10-foot pole.
Which is Trade Desk or, for that matter, any of the 53,000 assets we rate?
