AppLovin: A Bounce & A Bit of a Gamble

Right. AppLovin (APP +1.82%). Let’s talk about it. Shares are doing this little dance upwards today, and honestly, it’s a relief. Last week’s sell-off felt…excessive. Like someone remembered they were investing in ad tech. It’s always a good time to remember that, isn’t it? A bracing dose of reality.

Yesterday, the stock had a nice little jump after CapitalWatch retracted accusations of…well, let’s just say “creative accounting”. Good for them. A bit of retraction goes a long way. Then, today, we get a bullish note from Wall Street. Because of course we do. It’s all a bit performative, isn’t it? Like everyone’s trying to look like they knew what was happening all along.

As of 11:01 a.m. ET, it’s up 2.7%. Small wins. I’ll take it. Honestly, at this point, I’m just hoping it doesn’t spontaneously combust.

AppLovin Sentiment: A Temporary Truce

UBS lowered its price target, naturally. From $840 to $686. A bit dramatic, if you ask me. But they maintained a ‘buy’ rating. Which is…comforting? Like a friend telling you your outfit looks good when you suspect it really doesn’t. They’re saying AppLovin is benefiting from strong return on ad spend with its AI engine, Axon 2.0. And e-commerce spend. And advertiser adoption. It’s a lot of ‘ands’, isn’t it? Feels a bit like they’re throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks.

Jefferies reiterated a buy rating yesterday, with a price target of $860. Saying the recent concerns were overblown. Of course they did. They’re incentivized to say that. It’s a beautiful system, really.

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What to Expect from AppLovin’s Earnings Report (Don’t Hold Your Breath)

Expectations are…improving. Which is a low bar, let’s be honest. Alphabet and Meta had strong results. Robust advertising demand. The usual. It’s all connected. Like a spiderweb of data and algorithms. And we’re all just flies caught in it.

Analysts expect $1.61 billion in revenue, up 48.1% year-over-year. Adjusted earnings per share increasing from $2.07 to $3.07. Numbers. They’re just numbers. They don’t tell you the feeling of being invested in a company that relies on people clicking on ads.

Apparently, there’s strong growth in Axon adoption. Which is…good? Look, I’m an equity researcher, not a miracle worker. The signs are there for a post-earnings pop. Maybe. Or maybe it’ll just be another day of trying to decipher the whims of the market. We’ll find out tomorrow afternoon. And honestly? I’m slightly terrified.

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2026-02-10 20:11