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This Week’s Bonus Story

AppLovin Condemns Latest Short Report Alleging Illegal Activity

Submitted by Leo Miller. First Published: 1/27/2026. 

For advertising technology stock AppLovin (NASDAQ: APP), short reports have become a recurring theme. Critical reports from Fuzzy Panda Research and Culper Research were released early in 2025, sending AppLovin shares down more than 12% on Feb. 26. On Mar. 27, research firm Muddy Waters issued another report, pushing AppLovin shares down over 20%.

Despite those hits, markets and Wall Street analysts have largely dismissed the concerns. AppLovin rose about 108% in 2025 after delivering several strong earnings reports that helped drive the rally. Analyst price targets now reach as high as $860, well above the roughly $450 targets from early 2025.

AppLovin now faces another short-report–driven sell-off. A recent report from CapitalWatchprompted an almost 6% drop in AppLovin shares on Jan. 21. Below we break down what short sellers are alleging now and provide an updated outlook on AppLovin. All data is as of the Jan. 27 close unless otherwise indicated.

CapitalWatch Claims APP Involvement in Money Laundering Scheme

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Key Points

• AppLovin just got its first short report of 2026 after various outlets hammered the stock in 2025.
• The company denied claims made by CapitalWatch suggesting that criminals laundered money through its business.
• Amid a big decline in shares, analysts see strong upside potential in APP.

CapitalWatch has made serious accusations against AppLovin. Its central claim is that two of AppLovin’s largest shareholders, Hao Tang and Ling Tang, are using the company’s business to launder money.

AppLovin acts as an auctioneer for companies buying and selling advertising space, taking a fee after facilitating the deal. For example, if an advertiser pays $1,000 and AppLovin takes a 25% fee, the publisher offering the ad space receives $750. CapitalWatch argues that the Tangs controlled a network of companies on both sides of such transactions, with AppLovin in the middle, and that routing funds through AppLovin allowed those funds to appear legitimate on the other end.

AppLovin Categorically Denies CapitalWatch Claims

AppLovin responded to CapitalWatch’s report in emailed statements to media outlets, calling the report “rife with false, misleading, and nonsensical allegations” and saying claims that it facilitated money laundering are “patently false.” The company also sent CapitalWatch a cease-and-desist letter, describing the report’s claims as “conspiratorial.”

CapitalWatch’s report attempts to link AppLovin’s business to a broader alleged crime network in Asia, but its biggest shortcoming is a lack of primary evidence. The report does not provide documents—such as contracts, invoices, or bank records—that clearly show money moving between the allegedly illicit companies and AppLovin.

It is important to note that firms that publish short reports can have a financial incentive for the targeted shares to fall. By shorting the stock and then releasing a damaging report, those firms can profit if the market sells off. AppLovin experienced sharp declines after earlier short reports in 2025, demonstrating that the strategy can produce significant market moves.

Bloomberg reported in October that the SEC is investigating AppLovin. Notably, the SEC has not publicly confirmed an investigation or accused AppLovin of wrongdoing. That reported inquiry reportedly concerns AppLovin’s data collection practices and whether the company violated agreements with app-store operators like Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), and is not focused on CapitalWatch’s money-laundering allegations. There have been no public updates on this matter since Bloomberg’s initial report.

Analysts Eye Big Gains Despite Accusations Against APP

AppLovin faces real regulatory, reputational, and legal risks. Still, claims made by short sellers have generally gained limited traction with investors and regulators to date. Ongoing developments in regulatory inquiries and any class-action litigation involving AppLovin will be key risk factors to monitor.

AppLovin shares hit a 52-week closing high near $734 on Dec. 22. As of the Jan. 27 close, shares were around $544, a decline of roughly 26% from that high.

Wall Street analysts see considerable upside despite the recent drop. Needham & Company issued a $700 price target on Jan. 26, shortly after the CapitalWatch report. The MarketBeat consensus price target for AppLovin sits at about $706, implying roughly 30% upside from the Jan. 27 close.

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