Applied Digital (APLD) President Zhang Buys $5.7M of Stock

Applied Digital Corporation (NASDAQ: APLD) President Jason Gechen Zhang bought 300,000 shares of the company on October 16, 2026. According to a Form 4 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the transaction was executed at a price of $18.86 per share for a total value of $5,658,000.

APLD Applied Digital Corporation

$18.05 ▼ -35.79% year to date

1M 3M YTD

Daily close · Oct 16, 2026

Inside Jason Gechen Zhang's Applied Digital Trade

The purchase expanded Zhang's direct holdings by 11.81% to a total of 2,839,227 shares following the trade. The stock closed at $18.05 on the transaction date. This open-market buy was not executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Other Institutional Activity in Applied Digital

Other institutional investors have adjusted their positions in the technology firm over recent reporting periods. Hood River Capital Management LLC reduced its holdings by 556,107 shares, ending with 22,518,887 shares worth about $406.47 million. Situational Awareness LP grew its stake by 1,905,892 shares to 15,384,616 shares valued at roughly $277.69 million. Two Sigma Investments, LP boosted its holdings by 8,706,503 shares, finishing with 10,299,117 shares worth about $185.90 million. Equitec Proprietary Markets LLC added 4,186,982 shares for a total of 8,373,964 shares valued at approximately $151.15 million. Dba Trading, LLC kept its stake steady at 5,576,235 shares worth about $100.65 million.

Applied Digital Corporation Stock Down 11.2%

Applied Digital shares recently traded around $18.05 as of October 19, 2026, matching the $18.05 close recorded on the day of the executive's purchase. The stock sits well below its 50-day moving average of $26.58 and its 200-day moving average of $32.04. Shares trade near their 52-week low of $18.36, down considerably from the 52-week high of $50.73.

Recent Earnings

Applied Digital reported trailing twelve-month revenue of $872.25 million with an earnings per share loss of $1.62. The firm posted a net margin of -53.0% and a return on equity of -13.6%. Year-over-year revenue growth reached 322.4%, driven by expanding demand for high-performance computing infrastructure. The company carries a current ratio of 2.56 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 170.60. Investors look toward the next earnings report scheduled for January 6, 2027.

Insider Buying and Selling at Applied Digital Corporation

Earlier insider transactions at Applied Digital included Chief Financial Officer Mohmand Mohammad Saidal Lavanway selling 192,815 shares for $8.72 million on June 22, 2026, alongside an acquisition of 490,000 shares on the same day. Director Richard Nottenburg sold 75,000 shares for $2.34 million on August 4, 2026, and later sold 31,250 shares for $682,500 on October 13, 2026.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Wall Street firms updated their views on the stock leading up to the transaction. UBS initiated coverage with a buy rating and a $38.00 target on September 23, 2026. Wells Fargo maintained an overweight rating and raised its target to $55.00 on October 8, 2026. Freedom Capital Markets maintained a buy rating with a $48.00 target on October 8, 2026. Needham maintained a buy rating and set a $70.00 target on October 8, 2026. Morgan Stanley maintained an equal-weight rating and adjusted its target to $41.00 on October 12, 2026. The stock holds a consensus strong buy rating from 15 analysts with a mean price target of $64.27.

About Applied Digital

Applied Digital Corporation designs, builds, and runs digital infrastructure for artificial intelligence and high-performance computing workloads across North America. The company provides specialized data center hosting and cloud services tailored for machine learning developers and crypto mining clients. With headquarters in Dallas, Texas, the firm operates facilities that supply the heavy power and energized environment required by modern tech infrastructure.

Bottom Line

Executive buying draws attention from market participants tracking insider sentiment during periods of share price weakness. Investors will monitor upcoming financial results in January 2027 and future SEC filings to track how management positions holdings in the infrastructure provider.