
Why AppLovin Stock Lost 30% in January
The adtech company faced another short-seller attack. Investors panicked over a new AI game-creation platform from Google.
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The adtech company faced another short-seller attack. Investors panicked over a new AI game-creation platform from Google.

In the closing of the recent trading day, AppLovin (APP) stood at $483, denoting a +2.09% move from the preceding trading day.

AppLovin experienced a sharp 17% selloff due to overblown fears about Google's Project Genie, an AI prototype not positioned to threaten APP's core business. The AI marketing platform remains highly profitable, boasting 59% net income and 82% adjusted EBITDA margins, with robust free cash flow supporting an active $3.3B buyback program. The consensus analyst estimates don't correctly forecast APP's growth after unloading the Apps division.

APP is Workday's counterpart in the Application Software sector, which has:

AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ: APP - Get Free Report) shares dropped 16.9% during mid-day trading on Friday. The stock traded as low as $463.08 and last traded at $473.11. Approximately 12,127,518 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 116% from the average daily volume of 5,615,026 shares. The stock had previously closed at $569.24.
Google DeepMind's Genie 3 marks a shift in artificial intelligence (AI) toward always-on systems that generate and sustain interactive environments without pausing. This world model creates photorealistic worlds from text prompts, running continuously at 24 frames per second for minutes, predicting actions and maintaining consistency. It points to persistent simulations that evolve independently, aiding agent... Is Genie 3 a Game Engine Killer? Why Unity's 24% Plunge Could Be a Massive Opportunity.

Recent concerns over Alphabet's Project Genie are overblown; Genie's virtual world prototype status and feature limits contain any near-term threat to AppLovin's ad business. Short interest and volatility persist, but I maintain a bullish stance ahead of Q4 CY25 earnings, monitoring Genie's evolution as a potential longer-term risk. The ad tech company's shares remain a compelling opportunity, with 68-70% top-line growth projected for CY25 and EBITDA margins near 83-84%.

Google released Project Genie, an AI that allows VR game development, sending stocks like AppLovin, Unity, Take-Two, and Roblox tumbling. AppLovin no longer has direct exposure to mobile games after selling that part of its business last year.

AppLovin Corporation is a pure-play advertising platform after selling its Apps business, and AXON 2.0 plus Ads Manager adoption can reaccelerate growth in 2026. The recent 16% YTD correction appears sentiment-driven by a short report, but APP management rejected allegations and continued compliance, leaving a setup for reversal. Q4 guidance implies 12–14% sequential revenue growth and 82–83% EBITDA margins, and muted estimate revisions make another meaningful beat more likely.

From early May 2025 until late January 2026, AppLovin (APP)'s stock jumped by 85%, driven by rising revenue, better margins, and a slight lift in the P/E ratio. Behind these figures, a combination of robust earnings, strategic divestitures, analyst upgrades, buybacks, and market volatility ignited this impressive rally.

AppLovin (APP) has been one of the stocks most watched by Zacks.com users lately. So, it is worth exploring what lies ahead for the stock.

After AppLovin Corp.'s (NASDAQ: APP) share price tumbled more than 35% early last year due to a pending class action lawsuit and to short seller reports, the software company's better-than-expected quarterly reports helped the stock recover.

NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of AppLovin Corporation ("AppLovin" or the "Company") (NASDAQ: APP). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext.

Federated Hermes Inc. cut its holdings in AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ: APP) by 80.4% in the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 97,662 shares of the company's stock after selling 401,340 shares during the quarter. Federated Hermes Inc.'s holdings in AppLovin were

For advertising technology stock AppLovin NASDAQ: APP, short reports have become a noteworthy theme. Critical reports from Fuzzy Panda Research and Culper Research were released early in 2025, leading AppLovin shares to fall over 12% on Feb. 26, 2025.

I reiterate a Strong Buy on AppLovin, driven by Axon Ads' accelerating network effects and AI-powered self-serve platform expansion. Axon's rapid onboarding of e-commerce advertisers, with 50% weekly spend growth, signals a powerful new growth engine beyond gaming. Prospecting campaigns and AI-generated creatives address key advertiser needs, boosting incremental sales and lowering barriers for smaller clients.

Bank of New York Mellon Corp lifted its stake in AppLovin Corporation (NASDAQ: APP) by 51.0% in the undefined quarter, according to its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 1,493,494 shares of the company's stock after purchasing an additional 504,341 shares during the quarter. Bank of New

AppLovin (APP) concluded the recent trading session at $543.56, signifying a +1.52% move from its prior day's close.

AppLovin demanded that short-seller CapitalWatch retract its report that accused the company of being a "digital laundromat" for criminal syndicates. CaptialWatch published a 35-page report about the ad-tech company last week, alleging a close relationship between AppLovin shareholder Hao Tang and Chen Zhi, chairman of Prince Group.

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of AppLovin Corporation (“AppLovin” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: APP). Such investors are advised to contact Danielle Peyton at newaction@pomlaw.com or 646-581-9980, ext. 7980.