Reviewing Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) and Optimum Communications (NYSE:OPTU)

Optimum Communications (NYSE:OPTU) and Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD) are both communication services companies, but which is the better investment? We will compare the two businesses based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, earnings, risk, dividends, profitability, institutional ownership and valuation.

Earnings & Valuation

This table compares Optimum Communications and Trade Desk”s gross revenue, earnings per share and valuation.

	Gross Revenue	Price/Sales Ratio	Net Income	Earnings Per Share	Price/Earnings Ratio
Optimum Communications	$8.38 billion	0.02	-$1.87 billion	($10.39)	-0.06
Trade Desk	$2.90 billion	2.12	$443.30 million	$0.84	15.55

Trade Desk has lower revenue, but higher earnings than Optimum Communications. Optimum Communications is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Trade Desk, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Volatility and Risk

Optimum Communications has a beta of 1.17, suggesting that its stock price is 17% more volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Trade Desk has a beta of 1, suggesting that its stock price has a similar volatility profile to the S&P 500.

Profitability

This table compares Optimum Communications and Trade Desk’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

	Net Margins	Return on Equity	Return on Assets
Optimum Communications	-58.15%	N/A	-0.70%
Trade Desk	13.61%	16.09%	6.90%

Analyst Ratings

This is a summary of recent ratings and target prices for Optimum Communications and Trade Desk, as reported by MarketBeat.

	Sell Ratings	Hold Ratings	Buy Ratings	Strong Buy Ratings	Rating Score
Optimum Communications	4	5	0	0	1.56
Trade Desk	9	26	4	0	1.87

Optimum Communications currently has a consensus target price of $0.92, indicating a potential upside of 36.80%. Trade Desk has a consensus target price of $18.16, indicating a potential upside of 39.09%. Given Trade Desk’s stronger consensus rating and higher possible upside, analysts clearly believe Trade Desk is more favorable than Optimum Communications.

Institutional & Insider Ownership

54.8% of Optimum Communications shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 67.8% of Trade Desk shares are held by institutional investors. 43.4% of Optimum Communications shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 11.7% of Trade Desk shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that endowments, large money managers and hedge funds believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Summary

Trade Desk beats Optimum Communications on 11 of the 14 factors compared between the two stocks.

About Optimum Communications

Altice USA, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, provides broadband communications and video services in the United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands. It offers broadband, video, telephony, and mobile services to approximately five million residential and business customers. The company’s video services include delivery of broadcast stations and cable networks; over the top services; video-on-demand, high-definition channels, digital video recorder, and pay-per-view services; and platforms for video programming through mobile applications. It also provides voice over Internet protocol telephone services; and mobile services, such as data, talk, and text. In addition, the company offers Ethernet, data transport, IP-based virtual private networks, Internet access, and telephony services; hosted telephony services, managed Wi-Fi, managed desktop and server backup, and collaboration services comprising audio and web conferencing; fiber-to-the-tower services to wireless carriers; data services consisting of wide area networking and dedicated data access, as well as wireless mesh networks; and enterprise class telephone services that include traditional multi-line phone service. Further, it provides business e-mail, hosted private branch exchange, web space storage, and network security monitoring; and international calling and toll free numbers. Additionally, the company offers audience-based and IP-authenticated cross-screen advertising solutions; and television and digital advertising services, as well as operates news channels under the News 12 Networks, Cheddar, and i24NEWS names. It also provides broadband communications and video services under the Optimum and Suddenlink brands. The company was incorporated in 2015 and is headquartered in Long Island City, New York. Altice USA, Inc. is a subsidiary of Next Alt. S.a.r.l.

About Trade Desk

The Trade Desk, Inc. operates as a technology company in the United States and internationally. The company offers a self-service cloud-based platform that allows buyers to plan, manage, optimize, and measure data-driven digital advertising campaigns across various ad formats and channels, including video, display, audio, digital-out-of-home, native, and social on various devices, such as computers, mobile devices, televisions, and streaming devices. It provides data and other value-added services. The company serves advertising agencies, brands, and other service providers for advertisers. The Trade Desk, Inc. was incorporated in 2009 and is headquartered in Ventura, California.