Key Points
The Trade Desk is still reeling from missing revenue estimates earlier this year and C-suite changes.
Tesla's costs are rising, and free cash flow is shrinking as it tries to transition to robots and self-driving cars.
Apple has yet to pick up the AI ball it fumbled two years ago.
It may seem as if technology stocks can't lose these days, but there are still corners of the market where investors are shunning some tech companies. Even more surprising is that some well-known tech stocks have gotten the cold shoulder from investors as they try to regain their footing in an ever-shifting tech landscape.
Here are three beaten-down tech stocks that may not be finished disappointing shareholders.
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1. The Trade Desk
The Trade Desk (NASDAQ: TTD) was once a tech darling among many investors, thanks to the company's impressive advertising platform that allows companies to buy ads across connected TVs, audio streaming, mobile apps, websites, and more.
But The Trade Desk fell out of favor when the company reported its Q4 results back in February and missed analysts' consensus revenue estimates -- for the first time in 33 quarters. Investor fears grew from there that the company was losing its edge in the ad industry, and, when The Trade Desk's CFO departed six months later, its stock fell again.
The result is that The Trade Desk's shares are down 56% year to date. Things could turn around for the company, but amid rising competition, tariffs, and an uncertain economy, there could be more uncertainty ahead before The Trade Desk shareholders see the light at the end of the tunnel.
2. Tesla
I'm including an EV company in this list because Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) relies heavily on technology for its vehicles, and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has stated many times that the future of the company lies in advanced technologies, including humanoid robots and autonomous vehicles (AVs).
Unfortunately, Tesla's future doesn't look as bright as it once did. Operating income plunged 42% in Q2 to $923 million, and its free cash flow fell 89% to just $146 million. Those declines come at a terrible time because Musk wants to pivot Tesla's future toward robots and AVs -- and doing so will take significant investments of cash.
While Tesla's shares aren't in negative territory right now, they've failed to keep pace with the broader market, gaining just 7.6% year-to-date, compared to the S&P 500's 14% rise. And there could be more pain ahead if the company fails to deliver on robots and AVs or if EV deliveries continue stalling.
3. Apple
Apple's (NASDAQ: AAPL) stock is essentially flat year to date, despite other technology peers soaring because of their big moves into AI. Unfortunately for Apple, and shareholders like me, the company has fumbled its AI rollout.
Apple was seemingly caught flatfooted after OpenAI released ChatGPT in late 2022 and hasn't made up much ground since. New AI features were supposed to debut on its ubiquitous iPhones two years ago, but some of them have yet to be rolled out, sparking a lawsuit about the company's claims.
Apple is trying. The company worked with OpenAI so that some queries to Siri could then be handed off to ChatGPT. The company is also reportedly working on an AI-based search engine and a new Siri, both of which aren't expected until 2027. But it appears that Apple stock could continue to disappoint until the company starts to think differently about its current AI strategy.
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Chris Neiger has positions in Apple. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple, Tesla, and The Trade Desk. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
