AES Corp vs Trade Desk Inc — how do they compare? AES Corp trades at $14.66 (market cap $10.51B), while Trade Desk Inc trades at $13.54 (market cap $6.29B). The key difference: AES Corp is the larger of the two by market cap, and AES Corp pays a 4.78% dividend while Trade Desk Inc pays none. Which is the better fit depends on your goals.
| AES | TTD | |
|---|---|---|
Market Cap | $10.51B | $6.29B |
Sector | Utilities | Technology |
52-Week High | $17.28 | $55.36 |
52-Week Low | $12.51 | $13.39 |
Enterprise Value | $40.77B | $5.24B |
Dividend Yield | 4.78% | — |
Signals from Pluang's Aura AI — not financial advice
AES trades at $14.73, up 0.2% on the day, with a bullish technical signal supported by moving averages. The company reported strong profitability with a net income margin of 14.34% and ROE of 45.05% for 2025, though Q2 2026 EPS missed expectations. A pending $33.4 billion acquisition by a consortium led by Global Infrastructure Partners and EQT, approved by stockholders, dominates recent developments, alongside a consistent dividend payout.
The acquisition offers a near-term catalyst with a capped upside at the buyout price of $15 per share, presenting a low-risk arbitrage opportunity. Risks include deal completion uncertainty amid shareholder complaints and regulatory scrutiny. Analyst consensus is mixed with 43% buy ratings, reflecting cautious optimism tied to the acquisition's successful closure and the company's strategic shift toward renewable energy investments.
The Trade Desk (TTD) is trading at $13.80, down 21.9% in 24 hours and near 7-year lows following disappointing Q2 earnings. Revenue grew just 3% to $715 million, missing guidance, while Q3 guidance projects a 12% decline. Technical indicators show bearish momentum with support at $13 and resistance at $15. Despite strong profitability metrics including 76.9% gross margins, recent execution gaps and advertiser pressure have triggered multiple analyst downgrades.
The outlook remains challenging with near-term revenue headwinds and competitive pressures. While valuation appears reasonable at 16.4x P/E, the stock faces significant execution risks and sentiment deterioration. Recovery depends on stabilizing advertiser relationships and reversing recent market share losses in the ad-tech sector.
Trailing returns across standard periods
Latest headlines on both assets
AES is a global power company operating across 14 countries and 4 continents. Its current generation portfolio as of year-end 2021 consists of over 31 gigawatts of generation, with the generation mix composed of renewables (43%), gas (32%), coal (23%), and oil (2%). The company has 3.5 gigawatts of generation under construction. AES has majority ownership and operates six electric utilities distributing power to 2.6 million customers.
Read more on AES →The Trade Desk Inc is engaged in providing a technology platform for ad buyers. Through its cloud-based platform ad buyers can create, manage, and optimize data-driven digital advertising campaigns across ad formats and channels, including display, video, audio, in-app, native and social, on a multitude of devices. Its products include Data Management Platform, Cross-Device Targeting, Video Advertising, Mobile Advertising, and others.
Read more on TTD →