Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (DRCT) Launches AI Council to Empower SMBs in Digital Advertising
The evolving space of AI has been a major focus these days, as experts and executives are weighing in on how it is reshaping the tech sector. From the rise of open-source models to the shift towards AI agents that perform tasks autonomously, AI is quickly transforming industries. Advancements in large language models are continuing to progress and companies are rethinking their strategies, with some seeing AI as a commodity and others exploring new ways to harness its potential. At the same time, regulatory shifts and market reactions to these technological developments, like the introduction of DeepSeek's R1 model, are creating both opportunities and challenges for the future of AI in tech.
Financial Markets analyst, Fiona Cincotta recently discussed AI's impact on tech earnings and the regulatory environment under the new Trump administration on Bloomberg Technology. She highlighted that AI continues to be the main focus for investors, who are eager to see returns from the significant investments made in the sector. The optimism surrounding AI has helped maintain high stock valuations, as investors expect the potential for cost reductions in the future. However, Cincotta noted a divergence between software and hardware companies, with software firms benefiting from fewer restrictions, while chipmakers could face challenges due to tariffs and export limitations.
When talking about regulation, Cincotta mentioned that a potential reduction in regulation under the new administration could benefit the tech industry, especially in AI, where regulation is still an open question. She suggested that decreased regulation would likely boost stock prices in the tech sector.
She also discussed investor expectations, especially the pressure to see results from AI investments. While AI spending is still seen as crucial, the recent unveiling of DeepSeek raised questions about the sustainability of such investments. Investors are optimistic for now, but as we approach mid-2025, they will expect stronger revenue streams and profit margins. She pointed out that some Big Tech stocks are under scrutiny, with investors looking for solid financial returns as a measure of success. Nevertheless, the Mag7 tech stocks remain a focal point for investor interest.
For this article, we selected AI stocks by reviewing news articles, stock analysis, and press releases. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment taken from Insider Monkey's database of 900 hedge funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter's strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A professional executive looking over a blurred city skyline, highlighting the power of programmatic advertising.
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: N/A
Direct Digital Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:DRCT) offers an advertising platform that optimizes campaigns and provides solutions for underserved markets, focusing on small and mid-sized businesses.
On February 6, Direct Digital Holdings (NASDAQ:DRCT) launched an AI Council to support small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs) in using AI for digital advertising. The council aims to bridge the AI gap between large corporations and smaller enterprises by providing education, strategy development, technology implementation, and performance monitoring. It will offer workshops, practical guides, and free eBooks to make AI more accessible to SMBs. The initiative will also collaborate with experts to ensure the latest AI innovations are available to improve the competitiveness of smaller businesses in the digital advertising space.
Overall DRCT ranks 9th on our list of the AI stocks that are making waves on Wall Street. While we acknowledge the potential of DRCT as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than DRCT but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
READ NEXT: 20 Best AI Stocks To Buy Now and Complete List of 59 AI Companies Under $2 Billion in Market Cap
Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
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