AppLovin stock price rises as it fights back against a short-seller report

AppLovin Corp shares ended Tuesday 1.5% higher at $543.56, marking a second straight day of gains for the ad-tech firm.

AppLovin Corp shares climbed 2.2% to $535.44 in after-hours Monday, building on momentum from a broker upgrade linked to its e-commerce ad strategy. The stock fluctuated between $520 and $558 throughout the session.

Shares of AppLovin Corp jumped 5.1% to $551.15 in late morning trading Monday following an upgrade from Needham. The firm raised its rating to buy and slapped on a $700 price target. Analyst Bernie McTernan cited increased confidence in the company’s 2026 growth, driven by expanded work on e-commerce ads. He also highlighted a bullish scenario where AppLovin could follow a “similar trajectory as TikTok.”

AppLovin shares dropped another 2% Thursday, closing at $521.94. After-hours trading showed little movement. During the day, the stock fluctuated between $514.67 and $539.86.

Shares of AppLovin Corp slipped roughly 2.6% to $518.98 by 10:57 a.m. EST Thursday, deepening their retreat after a short-seller report claimed the mobile ad company was involved in money laundering.

AppLovin Corp shares dropped Tuesday following a report from research firm CapitalWatch accusing the advertising software company of connections to illicit money flows. The stock slipped 1.2% to $562.21, after tumbling as much as 12% to $501.01 earlier in the day.