Pinned straw:
Well, that wasn't an encouraging reversal ahead of the earnings later in the week. It could just be a shakeout and reset before the next leg up, but with a big risk event on the horizon (and the recent past hasn't been kind in this regard to shareholders either), it would be a brave bet to go against the tide of selling today.
Share price and volume took off on July 30
The day Appen released their Appendix 4C. Share price increased 55% on that day alone
That in itself could be an argument for the re-rating of the company, particularly if there was something financially exciting within the report.
However
At the start of the year, the share price of Appen went from 25c to $1.20 in about a month and I do know that a few day-traders were loving it. They took their profits and went to their next play-thing in mid-March. Share price then dropped back to 40c before this rally. Short-term traders love volatility. They have loved Appen and probably love it right now.
I would be wary of Appen because of that alone, BUT, maybe there was some susbtance to their quarterly to justify the re-rating.