As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q1. Today, we are looking at advertising & marketing services stocks, starting with Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI).

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 strong Q1. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 2.3% while next quarter’s revenue guidance was 1.2% above.

Luckily, advertising & marketing services stocks have performed well with share prices up 26.1% on average since the latest earnings results.

Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI)

Born from the 2020 merger of Rubicon Project and Telaria, Magnite (NASDAQ: MGNI) 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 $164.4 million, up 5.5% year on year. This print fell short of analysts’ expectations by 5.5%, but it was still a satisfactory quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

“Magnite once again exceeded total top and bottom line expectations, with growth paced by CTV at 30%. Our CTV success is broad based and supported by publisher, agency and DSP momentum. Buyer marketplaces coupled with ClearLine, live sports, and strong SMB trends continue to support the growth acceleration in CTV. AI is also becoming foundational in almost every area of our business, from agentic buying, to creative development, to inventory curation, to workflow. It is powering greater productivity throughout our ecosystem and company. We are starting to see some improvements in key areas of DV+, namely mobile app and commerce media partners. We also remain ready in our DV+ business, as it relates to pending remedies related to the Google trial.” said Michael G. Barrett, CEO of Magnite.

Magnite delivered the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. Interestingly, the stock is up 52.4% since reporting and currently trades at $20.41.

Is now the time to buy Magnite? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: Taboola (NASDAQ: TBLA)

Often appearing as those "You May Also Like" or "Recommended For You" boxes at the bottom of news articles, Taboola (NASDAQ: TBLA) 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 $466.4 million, up 9.1% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 2.9%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and revenue guidance for next quarter exceeding analysts’ expectations.

Taboola delivered the highest guidance raise in the group. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 44.9% since reporting. It currently trades at $5.52.

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

Weakest Q1: Ibotta (NYSE: IBTA)

Originally launched as a way to make grocery shopping more rewarding for budget-conscious consumers, Ibotta (NYSE: IBTA) 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 $82.48 million, down 2.5% year on year, exceeding analysts’ expectations by 1.9%. Still, it was a slower quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Ibotta delivered the slowest revenue growth of the whole group. As expected, the stock is down 16.3% since the results and currently trades at $30.97.

Read our full analysis of Ibotta’s results here.

QuinStreet (NASDAQ: QNST)

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

QuinStreet reported revenues of $346.1 million, up 28.3% year on year. This result topped analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. More broadly, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced revenue guidance for next quarter meeting analysts’ expectations and EPS in line with analysts’ estimates.

QuinStreet had the weakest guidance update in the group. The stock is up 33.3% since reporting and currently trades at $17.81.

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

MediaAlpha (NYSE: MAX)

Powering nearly 10 million consumer referrals each month in the insurance marketplace, MediaAlpha (NYSE: MAX) 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 $310 million, up 17.3% year on year. This number beat analysts’ expectations by 3.5%. Zooming out, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged revenue guidance for next quarter beating analysts’ expectations but a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 35.3% since reporting and currently trades at $13.53.

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

Market Update

Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership.

Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products.

By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our 9 Best Market-Beating Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.