Zeta Global Stock Soars on OpenAI Collaboration Announcement
Shares jumped nearly 9% after the marketing tech firm revealed it will integrate OpenAI's models into its Athena platform at CES 2026.
Shares of Zeta Global (NYSE: ZETA) surged 8.8% in after-hours trading Tuesday after the company announced a strategic collaboration with artificial intelligence leader OpenAI. The deal, unveiled at the CES 2026 technology conference in Las Vegas, will embed OpenAI's generative AI models into Zeta's AI-powered marketing co-pilot, Athena.
The news sent Zeta's stock climbing to $21.67, an increase of $1.76 per share, pushing its market capitalization towards $4.9 billion. The rally reflects investor optimism that the partnership will significantly enhance Zeta's competitive edge in the crowded marketing technology landscape and validate its long-standing focus on artificial intelligence.
The collaboration provides Zeta with early and prioritized access to new models and features from OpenAI, the research lab behind ChatGPT. The integration is designed to accelerate the development of Athena, which Zeta describes as an "answer-driven" tool that helps enterprise marketers create, deploy, and analyze marketing campaigns more effectively. The goal is to make the platform more intuitive and powerful, leveraging OpenAI's advanced capabilities.
Wall Street has responded favorably to the strategic tie-up, with several analysts reiterating their confidence in the company's trajectory. Following the announcement, analysts at BofA Securities raised their price target on Zeta to $30 per share. Similarly, D.A. Davidson increased its target to $29, while Needham reiterated its 'Buy' rating with a $25 price target, with analysts seeing the move as a key validation of Zeta's AI strategy, according to reports from Investing.com.
Zeta Global, a software company specializing in data-driven marketing, has positioned AI at the core of its Zeta Marketing Platform. The platform helps clients like airlines, financial institutions, and automotive brands to acquire, grow, and retain customers. The OpenAI partnership solidifies this AI-centric approach, potentially setting it apart from competitors in the MarTech sector, where companies are racing to incorporate generative AI.
The stock's jump builds on a strong period of performance for the company, which has seen its share price rise from a 52-week low of $10.69. The company has demonstrated robust top-line growth, with quarterly revenue expanding by over 25% year-over-year in its most recent report. While the company is not yet profitable, with a trailing twelve-month EPS of -$0.08, investors are focused on its growth potential and strategic initiatives like the OpenAI collaboration to drive future profitability.
In a statement released on Business Wire, the company detailed that the partnership will create a "superintelligent agent" for marketing. For investors, the focus will now shift to execution. The key will be how effectively Zeta can translate the power of OpenAI's models into tangible product improvements that attract new enterprise customers and drive revenue growth in the coming quarters.