Applied Digital (NASDAQ:APLD) Stock Price Up 3.2% - Should You Buy?

Key Points

• Applied Digital shares rose about 3.2% to roughly $24.49, a move driven by investor positioning ahead of the upcoming April earnings print and a positive operational update — amended North Dakota data-center leases with CoreWeave that reduce execution uncertainty at those sites.
• Key downside risks include earnings previews flagging a possible negative print and the company's large capital and power build (reported near $2.15–2.4B) plus a recent debt package, making the April report a potential “make-or-break” catalyst.
• Wall Street sentiment is skewed positive with an average rating of Buy and an average price target of $37, while insiders have recently sold shares and institutional ownership is high (~65.7%); the stock also shows a negative P/E and very high beta, indicating elevated volatility.

Applied Digital Corporation (NASDAQ:APLD - Get Free Report) shares were up 3.2% on Wednesday . The stock traded as high as $25.95 and last traded at $24.49. Approximately 25,128,355 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 8% from the average daily volume of 27,192,770 shares. The stock had previously closed at $23.74.

More Applied Digital News

Here are the key news stories impacting Applied Digital this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Applied Digital amended North Dakota data-center leases with CoreWeave, which supports continued demand from a major GPU-cloud customer and reduces execution uncertainty at those sites. Applied Digital amends N.D. data center leases with CoreWeave
• Positive Sentiment: Investors loaded up ahead of the Q3 FY2026 report, driving a sharp rally as traders position for the April earnings print. That momentum is a likely driver of today’s gains. Applied Digital (APLD) Soars 15.55% Ahead of Wednesday Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: General market and thematic pieces note a pullback in AI hype and a broader “buying opportunity” narrative for beaten-down AI/infra names — a backdrop that can amplify swings in APLD but is not company-specific. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) Hype Is Fading, and That's Creating the Best Buying Opportunity of 2026
• Neutral Sentiment: Calendar/earnings reminders: Multiple outlets list APLD as scheduled to report in early April, which keeps the name in focus for event-driven traders. Applied Digital (APLD) Projected to Post Earnings on Wednesday
• Negative Sentiment: Earnings previews from Zacks/Yahoo argue APLD lacks the setup for an earnings beat and may report negative results next week — a catalyst that could reverse recent gains if the print disappoints. Will Applied Digital Corporation (APLD) Report Negative Earnings Next Week? What You Should Know
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and commentary highlight large capital and power builds (reported at ~$2.15–2.4B) and a recent debt package as key execution and balance-sheet risks; the April earnings print is framed as a potential “make-or-break” moment. Dear Applied Digital Investors: April 8 Could Be the Make or Break Moment

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have issued reports on the company. Wall Street Zen raised Applied Digital from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Saturday, January 10th. Arete Research initiated coverage on Applied Digital in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. They issued a "buy" rating on the stock. Needham & Company LLC reiterated a "buy" rating and set a $41.00 target price on shares of Applied Digital in a report on Thursday, January 8th. Texas Capital raised shares of Applied Digital to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 20th. Finally, Freedom Capital upgraded shares of Applied Digital to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Tuesday, January 6th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Buy" and an average price target of $37.00.

Applied Digital Trading Up 3.2%

The stock has a market capitalization of $6.85 billion, a PE ratio of -45.35 and a beta of 7.20. The company has a current ratio of 4.82, a quick ratio of 4.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.79. The business's 50-day moving average is $30.76 and its two-hundred day moving average is $29.31.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Applied Digital news, Director Richard N. Nottenburg sold 12,000 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $35.45, for a total transaction of $425,400.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 233,378 shares in the company, valued at $8,273,250.10. The trade was a 4.89% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, Director Chuck Hastings sold 45,987 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $38.57, for a total value of $1,773,718.59. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 388,372 shares of the company's stock, valued at $14,979,508.04. The trade was a 10.59% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders sold 244,593 shares of company stock valued at $9,003,278. 9.50% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Applied Digital

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of APLD. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Applied Digital by 36.4% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 24,168,082 shares of the company's stock valued at $592,601,000 after purchasing an additional 6,445,908 shares during the period. Value Aligned Research Advisors LLC purchased a new position in shares of Applied Digital in the fourth quarter valued at $138,380,000. Situational Awareness LP grew its stake in shares of Applied Digital by 87.0% during the fourth quarter. Situational Awareness LP now owns 11,339,060 shares of the company's stock valued at $278,034,000 after acquiring an additional 5,274,905 shares in the last quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets grew its stake in Applied Digital by 24,356.8% during the 2nd quarter. BNP Paribas Financial Markets now owns 5,219,565 shares of the company's stock valued at $52,561,000 after purchasing an additional 5,198,223 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Marex Group plc increased its stake in shares of Applied Digital by 38,484.6% in the fourth quarter. Marex Group plc now owns 3,904,759 shares of the company's stock worth $95,745,000 after buying an additional 3,894,639 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.67% of the company's stock.

Applied Digital Company Profile

Applied Digital NASDAQ: APLD is a technology company specializing in the development and operation of large-scale digital infrastructure and sustainable Bitcoin mining solutions. Through its integrated platform, the company designs, builds and manages turnkey data center facilities while also providing comprehensive hosting services for cloud, colocation and enterprise computing needs. Applied Digital's modular approach to facility design enables rapid deployment of capacity and streamlined integration of power, cooling and network connectivity.

In addition to its data center business, Applied Digital operates a network of Bitcoin mining sites that leverage vertically integrated capabilities, including hardware procurement, mining farm engineering, energy management and real-time performance monitoring.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.