Why AppLovin stock plunged to start 2026 — and what APP investors are watching next
NEW YORK, January 3, 2026, 04:31 ET — Market closed AppLovin Corp (APP.O) shares slid 8.2% to end Friday at $618.32, after swinging between $688.36 and $611.06 in the first U.S. session of 2026. The selloff matters now because AppLovin has become a momentum trade — a stock investors piled into because it kept rising — and those positions tend to unwind quickly when the calendar turns and money managers rebalance. A sharp break can also draw in rules-based selling tied to price trends, magnifying day-to-day moves. The decline extended APP’s losing streak to seven sessions from an all-time closing