AppLovin’s (APP) “Buy” Rating Reiterated at Needham & Company LLC

Needham & Company LLC reissued their buy rating on shares of AppLovin (NASDAQ:APP) in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,Benzinga reports. The brokerage currently has a $700.00 price objective on the stock.

APP has been the subject of several other reports. Morgan Stanley set a $800.00 target price on AppLovin and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 4th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price objective on shares of AppLovin from $630.00 to $720.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Friday, November 7th. Citigroup reduced their target price on shares of AppLovin from $850.00 to $820.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, November 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on AppLovin from $700.00 to $750.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group increased their price target on shares of AppLovin from $800.00 to $860.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. Twenty equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $651.77.

AppLovin Stock Performance

Shares of AppLovin stock opened at $391.55 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.65, a current ratio of 3.32 and a quick ratio of 3.25. AppLovin has a one year low of $200.50 and a one year high of $745.61. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $596.51 and a 200 day simple moving average of $571.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $132.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 40.16, a PEG ratio of 1.28 and a beta of 2.49.

AppLovin (NASDAQ:APP) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 11th. The company reported $3.24 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.89 by $0.35. The business had revenue of $1.66 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.61 billion. AppLovin had a net margin of 57.42% and a return on equity of 245.64%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 66.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $1.73 earnings per share. On average, research analysts anticipate that AppLovin will post 6.87 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at AppLovin

In related news, CEO Arash Adam Foroughi sold 4,069 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $497.50, for a total value of $2,024,327.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 2,998,948 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,491,976,630. This trade represents a 0.14% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Dawson Alyssa Harvey sold 150 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 8th. The shares were sold at an average price of $693.32, for a total value of $103,998.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 2,829 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,961,402.28. This represents a 5.04% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 187,786 shares of company stock valued at $100,914,925. 13.66% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On AppLovin

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA purchased a new position in shares of AppLovin during the 2nd quarter valued at about $26,000. Board of the Pension Protection Fund acquired a new position in shares of AppLovin in the fourth quarter worth about $27,000. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. increased its stake in shares of AppLovin by 160.0% in the 4th quarter. Washington Trust Advisors Inc. now owns 39 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 24 shares in the last quarter. Chilton Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in AppLovin in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Activest Wealth Management raised its stake in shares of AppLovin by 760.0% during the 3rd quarter. Activest Wealth Management now owns 43 shares of the company’s stock worth $31,000 after buying an additional 38 shares during the period. 41.85% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about AppLovin

Here are the key news stories impacting AppLovin this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and raise — AppLovin reported stronger‑than‑expected Q4 revenue and EPS and issued 2026 guidance above Street estimates, giving investors a fundamentals‑driven reason to buy the stock. AppLovin (APP) Q4 Earnings and Revenues Surpass Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Outstanding margins and cash flow — management reported ~84% adjusted EBITDA margins and very high free‑cash‑flow conversion, highlighting durable profitability that supports a premium valuation. AppLovin Rides on Margin Power: Here’s What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support and buybacks — several firms reaffirmed or raised targets (and management disclosed large buybacks / cash generation commentary), which helps underwrite the rebound narrative. AppLovin price target raised by Wedbush
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst moves — although many shops kept Buy/Outperform ratings, several groups trimmed price targets after the volatility; this creates both support and room for further target revisions. Wells Fargo price target change and analyst notes
• Neutral Sentiment: Short‑interest data appears noisy/insignificant in recent reports (entries show zero/NaN), so shorting pressure doesn’t explain today’s move. (No meaningful short interest link available.)
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and AI fears — investors remain worried about potential competition (CloudX) and whether large platforms like Meta could encroach on AppLovin’s adtech niche; that fear helped trigger sharp earlier selloffs. AppLovin Plunges 18% Despite Blowout Earnings as AI Fears Rule
• Negative Sentiment: Broader software/AI rotation — the market‑wide re‑pricing of software names and headlines about a sector pullback have pressured APP despite the company’s strong quarter, prolonging volatility. Tech Stocks Down 50%: Buy the Dip or a Major Market Shift?
• Negative Sentiment: Market panic narrative — several commentators say recent selling was driven more by fear than fundamentals, meaning sentiment swings can still produce abrupt downside even after good results. AppLovin drops over competitor concerns, but analysts highlight positive growth drivers

AppLovin Company Profile

AppLovin Corporation is a Palo Alto–based mobile technology company that provides software and services to help app developers grow and monetize their businesses. The company operates a data-driven advertising and marketing platform that connects app publishers and advertisers, delivering tools for user acquisition, monetization, analytics and creative optimization. AppLovin’s technology is integrated into a broad set of mobile applications through software development kits (SDKs) and ad products designed to maximize revenue and engagement for developers.

Key components of AppLovin’s offering include an ad mediation and exchange platform that enables publishers to manage and monetize inventory across multiple demand sources, and a user-acquisition platform that helps advertisers target and scale campaigns.