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Should You Buy, Sell or Hold APPS Stock After a 222% Surge in a Year

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Key Takeaways

  • Digital Turbine's ODS business is surging on strong advertiser demand and global user growth.
  • APPS' AGP segment posted higher ad impressions, stronger APAC performance and expanding SDK reach.
  • Digital Turbine guides fiscal 2026 revenues of $540M-$550M with rising EBITDA and earnings expectations.

Digital Turbine (APPS - Free Report) shares have appreciated 221.9% in the past year, outperforming the Zacks Internet – Software industry’s growth of 0.9%. APPS stock has also outperformed its peers, including Unity Software (U - Free Report) and AppLovin (APP - Free Report) .

Unity Software and Applovin have returned 76.4% and 70.1%, respectively, in the past year. The rapid surge in the share price of Digital Turbine raises the question: Should investors buy, hold or sell the stock at present? Let’s discuss the fundamentals that will bring clarity about its prospects.

APPS 12-Month Performance Chart

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Strong Advertiser Demand Propels APPS’ ODS Business

Digital Turbine’s On Device Solutions (ODS) offerings have been at the core of simplifying how users discover and receive mobile apps and content through carrier and OEM partnerships. ODS includes Application Media for app delivery, Content Media for news and entertainment monetized through advertisements and sponsored content, which serve all the stakeholders, including users, carriers, device manufacturers and app publishers.

APPS’ user-acquisition tools like SingleTap and DT DSP enable fast, high-conversion app installs, helping users to find apps that satisfy their demand on the go while also enabling app publishers to deliver to their organic user base. APPS’ international ODS business is gaining strength as it grew 80% year over year in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, and now accounts for more than 25% of the ODS revenues.

Behind the explosive growth of the ODS products is APPS’ efforts to integrate legacy tech stacks into the common platform, which is why it is experiencing higher advertiser demand. Strong advertiser demand has led to more than 30% year-over-year growth in revenue per device across the U.S. and international markets for the ODS business. APPS’ ODS business has also benefited from improved pricing, fill rates and premium placements.

Secondly, APPS’ ODS business also benefited from larger shipments of smartphones with Digital Turbine’s technology installed compared to the previous year. To deliver ODS offerings, APPS has to work with partners. In that case, over-reliance on a single partner can destabilise this strong growth. The bright spot is that for the fiscal years ended March 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, none of APPS’ partners contributed to more than 10% of its net revenues, making APPS well diversified.

APPS’ AGP Business Gains From Rising Ad Impressions

Digital Turbine’s AGP business runs a programmatic marketplace where demand-side platforms (DSPs) bid in real time for publisher ad inventory. APPS bills these DSPs and shares revenues with publishers as its business model. Digital Turbine’s AGP business is experiencing strong growth. In the second quarter of fiscal 2026, APPS’ AGP supply volumes experienced a surge in impressions by 30% year over year.

This explosive growth in AGP came from growth in its distribution of SDK footprint, non-gaming inventory and robust performance in the APAC region. APPS’ AGP segment grew 20% year over year, delivering $44.7 million in revenues. To future-proof its prospects, Digital Turbine is integrating data, machine learning and AI in AGP offerings.

Traditionally, APPS’ AGP offerings execute brand and performance campaigns directly for advertisers on cost per mile or cost per install models based on control of ad slots. Digital Turbine is now improving its AGP platform by implementing AI and machine learning, which will help it improve ad targeting and return on ad spend through data-driven decisions.

Beyond these factors, Digital Turbine also gains from strong partnerships with global giants like Xiaomi, Samsung, HMD, Nokia and Motorola. In 2025, this list increased with the addition of TIM (TIMB - Free Report) . TIMB partnered with Digital Turbine to enhance the smartphone experience by integrating personalized app recommendations.

Digital Turbine, in this collaboration with TIMB, will ensure seamless access to apps on Android devices, leveraging Dynamic Installs and Push Notifications. These factors put Digital Turbine at par with its competitors, including AppLovin and Unity Software, that operate in the mobile ad-network and app monetization space.

APPS Provides Strong Financial Outlook

For fiscal 2026, APPS expects revenues between $540 million and $550 million. Adjusted EBITDA is expected to be between $100 million and $105 million. APPS’ near-term earnings prospect looks strong. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for APPS’ third-quarter fiscal 2026 earnings is pegged at 16 cents per share, indicating growth of 23% year over year.

Zacks Investment Research
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Conclusion: Buy APPS Stock Now

Digital Turbine is benefiting from ODS and AGP growth, soaring advertiser demand, strong international expansion, AI-driven monetization improvement and diversified global partnerships. With revenue momentum strengthening and shares outperforming peers, this Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stock offers an attractive investment choice at present. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

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