Skip to navigationSkip to main contentSkip to right columnADVERTISEMENTJeffrey Neal Johnson, MarketBeatThu, June 25, 2026 at 5:45 PM GMT+2 6 min readKey PointsInterested in Getty Images Holdings, Inc.? Here are five stocks we like better.Getty Images' multi-year display partnership with OpenAI establishes a precedent for intellectual property monetization in the artificial intelligence sector.Combining operations with Shutterstock delivers substantial cost savings and positions the company as a highly competitive global leader in digital content.Transitioning from legacy transactional sales to recurring subscription models provides a reliable, scalable foundation for future revenue growth.How do you value an empire of visual history in the age of artificial intelligence (AI)? For years, stock photo agencies operated as transactional utilities, licensing single images to advertisers and publishers. Today, the fundamental ground is shifting.The multi-year display partnership between Getty Images (NYSE: GETY) and OpenAI, announced on June 21, 2026, marks a pivotal transition. Instead of operating as a legacy library, Getty Images is emerging as a high-margin intellectual property tollbooth for generative search. This commercial validation injects fundamental momentum into the pending $3.7 billion merger of equals with Shutterstock (NYSE: SSTK), offering a structural solution to escape post-SPAC debt constraints and resolve compliance issues under the New York Stock Exchange.→ The SpaceX Sell-Off May Be More Than a Market OverreactionHow Licensing and Consolidation Saved Getty ImagesTo understand the velocity of this transition, investors must examine how three distinct catalysts are converging to rewrite Getty Images' financial trajectory. First, the partnership establishes licensed libraries directly into ChatGPT, providing OpenAI's search and discovery experiences with a compliant visual layer.Second, the long-awaited $3.7 billion combination with Shutterstock is rapidly advancing, having recently secured a major regulatory green light from the UK's Competition and Markets Authority (CMA). Finally, this fundamental re-rating serves as a regulatory lifeline. By driving the stock price back above the crucial $1 threshold, the OpenAI agreement enables Getty Images to escape a looming NYSE continued listing non-compliance warning. Together, these pillars create a unified pathway to de-lever Getty's balance sheet and establish a scaled, highly profitable market leader.→ Why nVent Could Be a Long-Term AI Infrastructure WinnerAI Search Engines Are Paying the Access FeeIn early June 2026, standalone Getty Images appeared cornered. Getty's stock price hit an all-time low of 58 cents per share on June 18, 2026, weighed down by an aggressive debt burden and an active NYSE non-compliance notice issued on March 17, 2026. The exchange warned that the sub-dollar share price risked delisting.Terms and Privacy PolicyEU DSA contactPrivacy & Cookie SettingsMore Info