Applied Digital stock jumps nearly 15% as AI risk appetite returns; APLD earnings loom

Applied Digital stock jumps nearly 15% as AI risk appetite returns; APLD earnings loom

NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 15:41 ET — Market closed

  • Applied Digital shares climbed 14.6% on Friday, closing at $28.11.
  • Investors are looking ahead to the company’s fiscal Q2 update on Jan. 7.
  • A planned cloud-unit spin-out into ChronoScale remains a key talking point.

Shares of Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) jumped 14.6% on Friday to close at $28.11.

The rally tracked a broader rebound in risk appetite on Wall Street, where chipmakers led gains and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index rose 4% on the first trading day of 2026. Reuters

The move puts extra weight on Applied Digital’s next quarterly update, with the company scheduled to host its fiscal second-quarter earnings call on Jan. 7 at 5 p.m. ET. Applied Digital Corporation

Last week, the Dallas-based company said it would spin out — separate into a new company — its cloud computing business, Applied Digital Cloud, and combine it with Ekso Bionics Holdings to form ChronoScale. Applied Digital said it expects to own about 97% of the combined company and aims to build a GPU (graphics processing unit) platform for artificial intelligence workloads in a tight-capacity market. “ChronoScale is intended to bring together a proven operating platform and a clear mandate: deliver accelerated compute at scale,” chairman and CEO Wes Cummins said. Applied Digital Corporation

A Form 8-K filing dated Dec. 29 said Applied Digital issued the announcement under Regulation FD, a disclosure rule designed to prevent companies from selectively sharing market-moving information. SEC

Investors are weighing how the separation could reshape the company’s financial profile, with the remaining business centered on data center ownership and development while the cloud compute unit sits in a separate vehicle.

Analysts expect another sharp revenue jump when Applied Digital reports results for the quarter ended in November, with FactSet data cited by Investor’s Business Daily putting projected revenue at about $86.7 million, up 143% year on year. Investors

Friday’s gain for Applied Digital outpaced a modest rise in the broader market, with the S&P 500 up 0.2% and the Nasdaq composite roughly flat, the Associated Press reported. AP News

Other high-beta computing names also advanced. Core Scientific rose about 9.8% and Hut 8 gained 11.6%, while data-center landlords Digital Realty and Equinix were little changed.

Traders will watch next week for updates on customer demand, capacity buildouts and funding plans, along with any detail on how the ChronoScale structure may affect reported revenue and capital needs.

Before markets reopen on Monday, attention will turn to macro events that can move rate expectations, including the December jobs report due Jan. 9 and the consumer price index on Jan. 13. Reuters

For Applied Digital, positioning into the earnings date may hinge on whether the stock holds Friday’s level after a session driven in part by the broader AI and chipmaker rebound.

The stock finished Friday near the top of its $24.65-to-$28.44 range; the prior close around $24.52 is a nearby support level, while its 52-week high stands at $40.20, StockAnalysis.com data show. Stockanalysis

Stock Market Today

  • Broadcom valued above intrinsic worth after 5x three-year rise, DCF signals
    January 6, 2026, 9:46 PM EST. Broadcom (AVGO) closed at $343.58, down 1.8% on the week and 12% over the month, even as a 1-year return of about 51.6% and a 3-year gain near 5x catch headlines. The stock benefits from exposure to key semiconductor markets and large-scale tech infrastructure, but valuation signals remain mixed. Simply Wall St's checks rate it 1/6 and flag concerns. A Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model yields an intrinsic value of $286.36 per share, implying the price is about 20% above fair value. The P/E sits at 70.44x, well above the industry average of 38.66x and peers at 56.19x. TTM free cash flow is about $26.9b, with a two-stage model projecting $107.1b in 2030. Growth supports the price; fundamentals argue against it.
PepsiCo stock today: PEP slips to start 2026 as investors eye Feb. 3 earnings and key U.S. data
Previous Story

PepsiCo stock today: PEP slips to start 2026 as investors eye Feb. 3 earnings and key U.S. data

Amphenol stock jumps 3.4% as 2026 kicks off — what investors watch next for APH
Next Story

Amphenol stock jumps 3.4% as 2026 kicks off — what investors watch next for APH

Go toTop