AppLovin's Q2 Miss Spooks Market, But Wall Street Doubles Down

Core Viewpoint - AppLovin has experienced significant stock price volatility following its Q2 2025 earnings release, with a notable initial drop of 13% in after-hours trading, which later stabilized and even rebounded by over 10% the following day as investors reassessed the results and management's commentary [2][12]. Financial Performance - In Q2 2025, AppLovin reported revenues of approximately $1.26 billion, reflecting a 77% increase compared to Q2 2024, although this figure was below Wall Street's expectation of $1.37 billion [4]. - The diluted earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter was $2.26, exceeding the estimate of $2.05 and representing a substantial 163% increase year-over-year [5]. - The company achieved an EBITDA margin of 81%, a significant improvement from 67.7% in Q1 2025, following the sale of its Apps business [5][6]. - AppLovin's free cash flow margin was just under 61%, with a last-12-months free cash flow margin of 66%, the highest among large-cap U.S. software stocks [6]. E-Commerce Strategy - AppLovin is focusing on expanding into the e-commerce market, reporting an annual run rate of $1 billion with around 600 customers [7]. - The company has intentionally limited the onboarding of new advertisers in e-commerce to enhance product quality, with plans to resume onboarding on October 1, 2025, requiring referrals from existing customers [8][10]. - AppLovin is currently less than 1% penetrated in the e-commerce sector, indicating substantial growth potential [11]. Analyst Outlook - Analysts have raised their price targets for AppLovin, with Morgan Stanley and Piper Sandler setting targets at $480 and $500, respectively, suggesting significant upside potential [13]. - Despite the mixed Q2 results, analysts remain optimistic about AppLovin's future, particularly regarding its e-commerce initiatives [12].