Stock Market Today, Jan. 9: Applied Digital Jumps as Investors Reprice AI Infrastructure Growth
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By Eric Trie – Updated Jan 9, 2026 at 5:44PM ESTNASDAQ: APLDApplied DigitalMarket Cap$8.9BToday's Changeangle-down(17.97%) $5.74Current Price$37.68Price as of January 9, 2026 at 4:00 PM ETOn Jan. 9, 2026, Applied Digital surged as investors focused on accelerating AI-driven revenue and clearer visibility around hyperscaler contracts.ExpandNASDAQ: APLDApplied DigitalToday's Change(17.97%) $5.74Current Price$37.68Key Data PointsMarket Cap$8.9BDay's Range$31.82 - $38.3252wk Range$3.31 - $40.20Volume86MAvg Vol31MGross Margin16.40%Applied Digital (APLD +17.97%), a next-generation AI data center operator, closed Friday’s session at $37.68, up 17.97%. Applied Digital IPO'd in 2022 and has grown 677% since going public. Trading volume reached 85.5 million shares, coming in about 165% above versus its three-month average of 32.2 million shares.Friday’s action reflected investors responding to Applied Digital’s fiscal Q2 AI-driven revenue surge, ongoing hyperscaler lease discussions, and fresh analyst upgrades. How the markets moved todayThe S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) added 0.64% to close at 6,966, while the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) rose 0.81% to finish at 23,671.
Within Internet Services and Infrastructure, industry peers Equinix (EQIX +2.36%) and Digital Realty Trust (DLR +3.67%) gained 2.36% and 3.67%, respectively, as investors weighed expanding AI infrastructure partnerships and record AI-related bookings.What this means for investorsApplied Digital shares surged nearly 18% as investors focused on accelerating AI-driven revenue and improving contract visibility. A roughly 250% year-over-year increase in Q2 revenue marks a clear transition from speculative buildout to active deployment of AI infrastructure.Management’s disclosure of advanced discussions around a potential $5 billion hyperscaler lease highlights what can materially alter the risk profile of a data center operator. The potential spin-out of the cloud compute segment adds another dimension, opening the door to valuing infrastructure assets separately from higher-volatility services.Applied Digital's volume surged well above recent norms as investors adjusted exposure, partly reinforced by analyst upgrades and parallel strength in established data center operators. Moving forward, securing large-scale leases and maintaining high utilization rates will determine whether Applied Digital can sustain the higher expectations now priced into the stock.Read NextJan 9, 2026 •By Selena MaranjianShould You Buy Applied Digital (APLD) Stock While It's Under $30?Jan 8, 2026 •By Joe TenebrusoWhy Applied Digital Stock Popped TodayJan 7, 2026 •By Scott LevineThe "AI Bubble" Debate Isn't Scaring Serious AI Investors. Here's the Stock They're Backing.Jan 5, 2026 •By Leo SunBetter Artificial Intelligence Stock: Applied Digital vs. NebiusJan 4, 2026 •By Harsh ChauhanShould You Buy Applied Digital Stock Before Jan. 7?Jan 3, 2026 •By Justin PopeIs Applied Digital Stock a Buy Now?About the AuthorEric Trie is a Motley Fool contributing stock analyst covering technology and semiconductors, healthcare, financial services, and consumer sectors. Previously, he worked in investment analysis and financial writing. He holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Rutgers University. Eric lives in New York City and is an avid sports fan.CMFIdeaMachineStocks MentionedApplied DigitalNASDAQ: APLD$37.68 (+0.18%) $+5.74EquinixNASDAQ: EQIX$800.35 (+0.02%) $+18.47Digital Realty TrustNYSE: DLR$158.55 (+0.04%) $+5.62*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.Advertisement