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AppLovin Corp.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 11 February 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 new. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Revenue rose 66% in the quarter: Quarterly revenue was $1,658 million, up 66% from $999 million a year earlier. Full-year revenue was $5,481 million, up 70% from $3,224 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose sharply: Quarterly diluted net income per share was $3.24, against $1.73 a year earlier. Full-year diluted net income per share was $9.75, against $4.53. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA margin reached 84%: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 84% in the fourth quarter, up from 77%. Full-year margin was 82%, up from 75%. Source
  • Operating cash flow was $1.31 billion: Net cash from operating activities was $1.31 billion in the quarter, against $701 million a year earlier. For the full year it was $3.97 billion, against $2,099 million. Source
  • Repurchases totaled $2.58 billion for year: In the quarter the company repurchased and withheld 0.8 million Class A shares for $481.7 million. For the full year it repurchased and withheld 6.4 million shares for $2.58 billion. Source
  • First quarter revenue guided: Revenue guidance for the first quarter of 2026 is $1,745 million to $1,775 million. Source
  • First quarter Adjusted EBITDA guided: Adjusted EBITDA guidance for the first quarter of 2026 is $1,465 million to $1,495 million, at an 84% margin. Source

“AppLovin makes technologies that help businesses of every size connect to their ideal customers.”

AppLovin Corp., press release

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Revenue Sourcefirst quarter 2026$1,745 million to $1,775 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA Sourcefirst quarter 2026$1,465 million to $1,495 millionNew
Adjusted EBITDA margin Sourcefirst quarter 202684% (low) and 84% (high)New

What changed from last quarter

  • New guidance: First-quarter 2026 guidance for revenue, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin was given in this release. No earlier first-quarter 2026 guidance appears in the documents. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Revenue rose 66% in the quarter: Quarterly revenue was $1,658 million, up 66% from $999 million a year earlier. Full-year revenue was $5,481 million, up 70% from $3,224 million. Source
  • Diluted EPS rose sharply: Quarterly diluted net income per share was $3.24, against $1.73 a year earlier. Full-year diluted net income per share was $9.75, against $4.53. Source
  • Adjusted EBITDA grew 82% in quarter: Adjusted EBITDA was $1,399 million in the quarter, up 82% from $770 million. Full-year Adjusted EBITDA was $4,512 million, up 87% from $2,412 million. Source
  • Results compared with prior guidance: Fourth-quarter revenue of $1,658 million compares with the $1,570 million to $1,600 million range given in the third quarter release. Adjusted EBITDA guidance in that release was $1,290 million to $1,320 million.

Margins and costs

  • Adjusted EBITDA margin reached 84%: Adjusted EBITDA margin was 84% in the fourth quarter, up from 77%. Full-year margin was 82%, up from 75%. Source
  • Cost of revenue and sales costs: Quarterly cost of revenue was $184 million, against $153 million. Sales and marketing was $49 million, against $62 million a year earlier. Source
  • Research spending fell, admin costs rose: Quarterly research and development was $82 million, against $106 million. General and administrative expense was $68 million, against $50 million. Full-year research and development was $227 million, against $375 million. Source
  • Stock-based compensation declined: Stock-based compensation in the Adjusted EBITDA reconciliation was $81 million in the quarter, against $98 million. For the full year it was $208 million, against $357 million. Source

“Net cash from operating activities was $1.31 billion and $3.97 billion, and Free Cash Flow was $1.31 billion and $3.95 billion for the fourth quarter and full year 2025, respectively.”

AppLovin Corp., press release

Cash flow

  • Operating cash flow was $1.31 billion: Net cash from operating activities was $1.31 billion in the quarter, against $701 million a year earlier. For the full year it was $3.97 billion, against $2,099 million. Source
  • Free Cash Flow rose to $1.31 billion: Free Cash Flow was $1,309 million in the quarter, against $695 million a year earlier. For the full year it was $3,952 million, against $2,073 million. Source
  • Year-end cash balance increased: Cash and cash equivalents were $2,487 million at December 31, 2025, up from $697 million a year earlier. Long-term debt was $3,513 million. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Repurchases totaled $2.58 billion for year: In the quarter the company repurchased and withheld 0.8 million Class A shares for $481.7 million. For the full year it repurchased and withheld 6.4 million shares for $2.58 billion. Source
  • Shares outstanding at 338 million: At December 31, 2025 the company had 338 million shares of Class A and Class B common stock outstanding. Source
  • Repurchase authorization at $3.3 billion: The third quarter release said the board increased the share repurchase authorization by $3.2 billion, bringing the total remaining to $3.3 billion as of end October.

Divestiture and discontinued operations

  • Divestiture proceeds of $407 million: Proceeds from divestiture, net of cash divested, were $407 million in the full-year cash flow statement. A gain on divestiture of $106 million, net of transaction costs, is also reported. Source
  • Goodwill impairment of $189 million: The full-year cash flow statement shows a goodwill impairment of $189 million and an impairment of investments of $50 million. Source
  • Discontinued operations loss for year: Full-year income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes, was a loss of $99.4 million, against a loss of $9.7 million a year earlier. The quarter shows no discontinued operations amount. Source

First quarter 2026 guidance

  • First quarter revenue guided: Revenue guidance for the first quarter of 2026 is $1,745 million to $1,775 million. Source
  • First quarter Adjusted EBITDA guided: Adjusted EBITDA guidance for the first quarter of 2026 is $1,465 million to $1,495 million, at an 84% margin. Source
  • No GAAP equivalents for guidance: The company has not provided GAAP equivalents for its Adjusted EBITDA or Adjusted EBITDA margin guidance, citing uncertainty in reconciling items such as stock-based compensation. Source

Coming up, as management said on 11 February 2026

  • Annual report on Form 10-K: The company says further information on the fiscal year ended December 31, 2025 will be set forth in its Annual Report on Form 10-K. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.