3 Reasons QNST Has Explosive Upside Potential

Let’s dig into the relative performance of Magnite and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q3 advertising & marketing services earnings season.

The sector is on the precipice of both disruption and growth as AI, programmatic advertising, and data-driven marketing reshape how things are done. For example, the advent of the Internet broadly and programmatic advertising specifically means that brand building is not a relationship business anymore but instead one based on data and technology, which could hurt traditional ad agencies. On the other hand, the companies in the sector that beef up their tech chops by automating the buying of ad inventory or facilitating omnichannel marketing, for example, stand to benefit. With or without advances in digitization and AI, the sector is still highly levered to the macro, and economic uncertainty may lead to fluctuating ad spend, particularly in cyclical industries.

The 7 advertising & marketing services stocks we track reported a strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.9% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Magnite

Born from the 2020 merger of Rubicon Project and Telaria, Magnite operates the world's largest independent sell-side advertising platform that automates the buying and selling of digital advertising inventory across all channels and formats.

Magnite reported revenues of $179.5 million, up 10.8% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

“Magnite once again exceeded total top-line expectations, delivering an exceptional CTV result, with growth of 18%, or 25% excluding political. Our CTV success is being driven by our largest publisher partners and strong agency and DSP momentum. ClearLine, buyer marketplaces, and live sports remain bright spots in CTV. We are also seeing early benefits from our streamer.ai acquisition. The additional AI tools have supported new business wins, particularly among SMB advertisers, further enhancing our competitive positioning. DV+ continues to perform well, growing in line with expectations, driven by exclusive partner expansion. We were encouraged by the Google remedies hearings and look forward to the positive impact on our DV+ business once remedies are implemented.” said Michael G. Barrett, CEO of Magnite.

The stock is down 19.3% since reporting and currently trades at $14.40.

Best Q3: Taboola

Often appearing as those "You May Also Like" or "Recommended For You" boxes at the bottom of news articles, Taboola operates a digital platform that recommends personalized content to users across publisher websites, helping both publishers monetize their sites and advertisers reach target audiences.

Taboola reported revenues of $496.8 million, up 14.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 25.2% since reporting. It currently trades at $4.17.

Slowest Q3: Clear Channel Outdoor

With thousands of digital and traditional displays lighting up America's highways, city streets, and airports, Clear Channel Outdoor operates billboards, street furniture, and airport displays, connecting advertisers with millions of consumers across the US.

Clear Channel Outdoor reported revenues of $405.6 million, up 8.1% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 19.6% since the results and currently trades at $2.14.

Read our full analysis of Clear Channel Outdoor’s results here.

MediaAlpha

Powering nearly 10 million consumer referrals each month in the insurance marketplace, MediaAlpha operates a technology platform that connects insurance carriers with high-intent consumers shopping for property, casualty, health, and life insurance products.

MediaAlpha reported revenues of $306.5 million, up 18.3% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 7.6%. It was a strong quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates and a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

MediaAlpha pulled off the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is up 2.7% since reporting and currently trades at $11.42.

Read our full, actionable report on MediaAlpha here, it’s free.

QuinStreet

Founded during the dot-com era in 1999 and specializing in high-intent consumer traffic, QuinStreet operates digital performance marketplaces that connect clients in financial and home services with consumers actively searching for their products.

QuinStreet reported revenues of $285.9 million, up 2.4% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 5.3% since reporting and currently trades at $14.60.

Read our full, actionable report on QuinStreet here, it’s free.

Let’s dig into the relative performance of MediaAlpha and its peers as we unravel the now-completed Q3 advertising & marketing services earnings season.

The sector is on the precipice of both disruption and growth as AI, programmatic advertising, and data-driven marketing reshape how things are done. For example, the advent of the Internet broadly and programmatic advertising specifically means that brand building is not a relationship business anymore but instead one based on data and technology, which could hurt traditional ad agencies. On the other hand, the companies in the sector that beef up their tech chops by automating the buying of ad inventory or facilitating omnichannel marketing, for example, stand to benefit. With or without advances in digitization and AI, the sector is still highly levered to the macro, and economic uncertainty may lead to fluctuating ad spend, particularly in cyclical industries.

The 7 advertising & marketing services stocks we track reported a strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.8% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 0.9% below.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 3.8% on average since the latest earnings results.

MediaAlpha

Powering nearly 10 million consumer referrals each month in the insurance marketplace, MediaAlpha operates a technology platform that connects insurance carriers with high-intent consumers shopping for property, casualty, health, and life insurance products.

MediaAlpha reported revenues of $306.5 million, up 18.3% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 7.6%. Overall, it was a strong quarter for the company with an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue and EPS estimates.

MediaAlpha scored the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 6.6% since reporting and currently trades at $11.86.

Read why we think that MediaAlpha is one of the best advertising & marketing services stocks, our full report is free.

Best Q3: Taboola

Often appearing as those "You May Also Like" or "Recommended For You" boxes at the bottom of news articles, Taboola operates a digital platform that recommends personalized content to users across publisher websites, helping both publishers monetize their sites and advertisers reach target audiences.

Taboola reported revenues of $496.8 million, up 14.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 31.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $4.39.

Slowest Q3: Clear Channel Outdoor

With thousands of digital and traditional displays lighting up America's highways, city streets, and airports, Clear Channel Outdoor operates billboards, street furniture, and airport displays, connecting advertisers with millions of consumers across the US.

Clear Channel Outdoor reported revenues of $405.6 million, up 8.1% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Still, it was a mixed quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 18.4% since the results and currently trades at $2.12.

Read our full analysis of Clear Channel Outdoor’s results here.

QuinStreet

Founded during the dot-com era in 1999 and specializing in high-intent consumer traffic, QuinStreet operates digital performance marketplaces that connect clients in financial and home services with consumers actively searching for their products.

QuinStreet reported revenues of $285.9 million, up 2.4% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 5% since reporting and currently trades at $14.57.

Read our full, actionable report on QuinStreet here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Magnite

Born from the 2020 merger of Rubicon Project and Telaria, Magnite operates the world's largest independent sell-side advertising platform that automates the buying and selling of digital advertising inventory across all channels and formats.

Magnite reported revenues of $179.5 million, up 10.8% year on year. This print beat analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 6% since reporting and currently trades at $16.79.

Read our full, actionable report on Magnite here, it’s free for active Edge members.

As the Q3 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the advertising & marketing services industry, including Omnicom Group and its peers.

The sector is on the precipice of both disruption and growth as AI, programmatic advertising, and data-driven marketing reshape how things are done. For example, the advent of the Internet broadly and programmatic advertising specifically means that brand building is not a relationship business anymore but instead one based on data and technology, which could hurt traditional ad agencies. On the other hand, the companies in the sector that beef up their tech chops by automating the buying of ad inventory or facilitating omnichannel marketing, for example, stand to benefit. With or without advances in digitization and AI, the sector is still highly levered to the macro, and economic uncertainty may lead to fluctuating ad spend, particularly in cyclical industries.

The 5 advertising & marketing services stocks we track reported a strong Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.2% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady. On average, they are relatively unchanged since the latest earnings results.

Omnicom Group

With a vast network of creative agencies that helped craft some of the most memorable ad campaigns in history, Omnicom Group is a strategic holding company that provides advertising, marketing, and communications services to many of the world's largest companies.

Omnicom Group reported revenues of $4.04 billion, up 4% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but organic revenue in line with analysts’ estimates.

"We expect to close the Interpublic acquisition next month, creating the world's leading marketing and sales company. Together, we will emerge with the industry's most talented team and a powerful platform designed to accelerate growth through strategic advantages in data, media, creativity, production, and technology," said John Wren, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Omnicom.

Omnicom Group delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates of the whole group. Interestingly, the stock is up 1.3% since reporting and currently trades at $79.70.

Best Q3: Taboola

Often appearing as those "You May Also Like" or "Recommended For You" boxes at the bottom of news articles, Taboola operates a digital platform that recommends personalized content to users across publisher websites, helping both publishers monetize their sites and advertisers reach target audiences.

Taboola reported revenues of $496.8 million, up 14.7% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Taboola achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 31.6% since reporting. It currently trades at $4.38.

Ibotta

Originally launched as a way to make grocery shopping more rewarding for budget-conscious consumers, Ibotta is a mobile shopping app that allows consumers to earn cash back on everyday purchases by completing tasks and submitting receipts.

Ibotta reported revenues of $83.26 million, down 15.6% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. It was a satisfactory quarter as it also posted a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

Ibotta delivered the slowest revenue growth in the group. As expected, the stock is down 31.5% since the results and currently trades at $22.43.

Read our full analysis of Ibotta’s results here.

Magnite

Born from the 2020 merger of Rubicon Project and Telaria, Magnite operates the world's largest independent sell-side advertising platform that automates the buying and selling of digital advertising inventory across all channels and formats.

Magnite reported revenues of $179.5 million, up 10.8% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 0.9%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced a narrow beat of analysts’ revenue estimates.

The stock is down 8.9% since reporting and currently trades at $16.27.

Read our full, actionable report on Magnite here, it’s free for active Edge members.

QuinStreet

Founded during the dot-com era in 1999 and specializing in high-intent consumer traffic, QuinStreet operates digital performance marketplaces that connect clients in financial and home services with consumers actively searching for their products.

QuinStreet reported revenues of $285.9 million, up 2.4% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also produced an impressive beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

The stock is up 5.6% since reporting and currently trades at $14.65.

Read our full, actionable report on QuinStreet here, it’s free for active Edge members.

What Happened?

Shares of performance marketing company QuinStreet jumped 7.7% in the morning session after the company agreed to acquire HomeBuddy, a digital marketplace for home services, for $190 million. The deal involved $115 million in cash at closing, with an additional $75 million in payments spread over four years. HomeBuddy, which connects homeowners with service professionals, generated about $141 million in revenue for the twelve months that ended September 30, 2025. QuinStreet expected the acquisition to immediately boost its financial results, projecting an addition of at least $30 million to its adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) in the first year after the transaction closed. This move placed QuinStreet more firmly in the large and growing home improvement sector.

Is now the time to buy QuinStreet? Access our full analysis report here.

What Is The Market Telling Us

QuinStreet’s shares are quite volatile and have had 15 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The previous big move we wrote about was 12 days ago when the stock gained 4.6% on the news that comments from a key Federal Reserve official hinted at a potential interest rate cut in December. John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, signaled he was open to lowering the fed funds rate—the key interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans—to support the job market. Speaking at an event, Williams stated that he sees “room for a further adjustment” for interest rates, which immediately shifted market expectations. Following his remarks, the perceived likelihood of an interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve's December meeting flipped from unlikely to more likely than not. The prospect of lower borrowing costs sent a wave of optimism through the markets, leading to a rally in major indices like the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq Composite.

QuinStreet is down 35.8% since the beginning of the year, and at $15.01 per share, it is trading 40.4% below its 52-week high of $25.17 from February 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of QuinStreet’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $807.59.

What Happened?

Shares of performance marketing company QuinStreet jumped 4.6% in the afternoon session after comments from a key Federal Reserve official hinted at a potential interest rate cut in December. 

John Williams, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, signaled he was open to lowering the fed funds rate—the key interest rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans—to support the job market. Speaking at an event, Williams stated that he sees “room for a further adjustment” for interest rates, which immediately shifted market expectations. Following his remarks, the perceived likelihood of an interest rate cut at the Federal Reserve's December meeting flipped from unlikely to more likely than not. The prospect of lower borrowing costs sent a wave of optimism through the markets, leading to a rally in major indices like the S&P 500, Dow Jones Industrial Average, and the Nasdaq Composite.

The shares closed the day at $13.63, up 4.4% from previous close.

Is now the time to buy QuinStreet? Access our full analysis report here.

What Is The Market Telling Us

QuinStreet’s shares are quite volatile and have had 15 moves greater than 5% over the last year. In that context, today’s move indicates the market considers this news meaningful but not something that would fundamentally change its perception of the business.

The biggest move we wrote about over the last year was about 1 month ago when the stock dropped 5.4% on the news that worries over worsening trade relations with China were triggered by critical comments from President Donald Trump. 

Trump targeted China's tightening controls on rare earth metals, which are vital components in many technology products from electric vehicles to defense systems. The president's tone and the suggestion of canceling a meeting with President Xi caused a rapid sell-off in the market. 

Earlier in the week, China announced new export controls on the critical minerals.Beijing's Commerce Ministry stated that foreign suppliers now need government approval to export products containing certain rare-earth materials. These materials are essential for producing high-tech goods, including computer chips, electric vehicles, and defense technology. Analysts viewed the move as a strategic assertion of China's dominance in the global rare earth supply chain, particularly amid ongoing trade tensions and ahead of an anticipated meeting between the US and Chinese presidents. 

Consequently, technology stocks with significant exposure to Chinese supply chains, such as Nvidia and AMD, experienced sharp declines. This downturn was exacerbated by the bearish sentiment surrounding a prolonged U.S. government shutdown, adding to overall market uncertainty.

QuinStreet is down 41.7% since the beginning of the year, and at $13.63 per share, it is trading 45.8% below its 52-week high of $25.17 from February 2025. Investors who bought $1,000 worth of QuinStreet’s shares 5 years ago would now be looking at an investment worth $770.93.

Quarterly earnings results are a good time to check in on a company’s progress, especially compared to its peers in the same sector. Today we are looking at Taboola and the best and worst performers in the advertising & marketing services industry.

The sector is on the precipice of both disruption and growth as AI, programmatic advertising, and data-driven marketing reshape how things are done. For example, the advent of the Internet broadly and programmatic advertising specifically means that brand building is not a relationship business anymore but instead one based on data and technology, which could hurt traditional ad agencies. On the other hand, the companies in the sector that beef up their tech chops by automating the buying of ad inventory or facilitating omnichannel marketing, for example, stand to benefit. With or without advances in digitization and AI, the sector is still highly levered to the macro, and economic uncertainty may lead to fluctuating ad spend, particularly in cyclical industries.

The 6 advertising & marketing services stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q3. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.4% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was in line.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 7.5% since the latest earnings results.

Best Q3: Taboola

Often appearing as those "You May Also Like" or "Recommended For You" boxes at the bottom of news articles, Taboola operates a digital platform that recommends personalized content to users across publisher websites, helping both publishers monetize their sites and advertisers reach target audiences.

Taboola reported revenues of $496.8 million, up 14.7% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 6.3%. Overall, it was a stunning quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS and revenue estimates.

Taboola achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat and fastest revenue growth of the whole group. Unsurprisingly, the stock is up 18.5% since reporting and currently trades at $3.95.

Is now the time to buy Taboola? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

QuinStreet

Founded during the dot-com era in 1999 and specializing in high-intent consumer traffic, QuinStreet operates digital performance marketplaces that connect clients in financial and home services with consumers actively searching for their products.

QuinStreet reported revenues of $285.9 million, up 2.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. The business had a satisfactory quarter with a solid beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations.

Although it had a fine quarter compared its peers, the market seems unhappy with the results as the stock is down 4.8% since reporting. It currently trades at $13.20.

Is now the time to buy QuinStreet? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Weakest Q3: Interpublic Group

With a history dating back to 1902 and roots in the McCann-Erickson agency, Interpublic Group is a marketing and communications holding company that owns agencies specializing in advertising, media buying, public relations, and digital marketing services.

Interpublic Group reported revenues of $2.14 billion, down 4.8% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. It was a softer quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates.

Interpublic Group delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates in the group. As expected, the stock is down 1.1% since the results and currently trades at $24.70.

Read our full analysis of Interpublic Group’s results here.

Omnicom Group

With a vast network of creative agencies that helped craft some of the most memorable ad campaigns in history, Omnicom Group is a strategic holding company that provides advertising, marketing, and communications services to many of the world's largest companies.

Omnicom Group reported revenues of $4.04 billion, up 4% year on year. This number met analysts’ expectations. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but organic revenue in line with analysts’ estimates.

The stock is down 8.8% since reporting and currently trades at $71.75.

Read our full, actionable report on Omnicom Group here, it’s free for active Edge members.

Ibotta

Originally launched as a way to make grocery shopping more rewarding for budget-conscious consumers, Ibotta is a mobile shopping app that allows consumers to earn cash back on everyday purchases by completing tasks and submitting receipts.

Ibotta reported revenues of $83.26 million, down 15.6% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 1.6%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but revenue guidance for next quarter missing analysts’ expectations.

Ibotta had the slowest revenue growth among its peers. The stock is down 24.5% since reporting and currently trades at $24.73.

Read our full, actionable report on Ibotta here, it’s free for active Edge members.