Duolingo
DUOL on Nasdaq. Duolingo sells language lessons through a smartphone app to people worldwide. Market value $13.3bn.
Price checks use the past 12 months to June 2026. Quality checks use five annual reports, the latest for the year to December 2025.
Should I look at this?
Not a fit for our list right now
Why it could be worth it
See Retail & consumer stocks that passed both tests
This is not advice. Check the numbers below.
For every $100 of what the whole company costs, it produced $5.70 of spare cash in the past 12 months. A savings account pays about $4.
You pay 38.0 years of operating profit for the business. The average large US company costs around 18.
The filings do not give us enough to work this out.
Quality score: 70 of 100. Price score: 63 of 100. Our list needs 70 on quality and 60 on price.
$148.13 a share, 69% above its 1-year low
Over the past year the price has ranged from $87.89 to $353.00.
Pays no dividend
Prices from Tuesday’s close (6 October).
Five years of cash, in billions
| Revenue | |||||
| Revenue | $251m | $369m | $531m | $748m | $1.0bn |
| Operating margin | |||||
| Operating margin | -23.9% | -17.6% | -2.5% | 8.4% | 13.1% |
| Debt to equity | |||||
| Debt to equity | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
| Shares outstanding | |||||
| Shares outstanding | 0.02bn | 0.04bn | 0.05bn | 0.05bn | 0.05bn |
Health checks
- Free cash flow positive5 of 5 years
- Accounting looks honest (Beneish)Warning signs
- Financial strength (Piotroski)3 of 8 checks we could run
- Profit backed by cash (accruals)Yes
- Debt0.00× equity
- Revenue growth, five yearsStrong, 42.6% a year
- Buying back its own sharesNo, 106% more shares since 2021
The quarter to June 2026
How the business did, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Sales: $298 million last quarter, up 18% on a year ago.
- Profit: $33 million, down 26% on a year ago.
- It keeps 14 cents of each $1 of sales as operating profit, up from 10 cents a year earlier.
- Spare cash over the past 12 months: $408 million, up from $328 million.
- 2% more shares than a year ago. Each share owns a bit less of the company.
- It has $1.2 billion more cash than debt, up from $976 million a year ago.
- Sales grew on a year ago in each of the last 4 quarters.
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| September 2024 | $193m |
| December 2024 | $210m |
| March 2025 | $231m |
| June 2025 | $252m |
| September 2025 | $272m |
| December 2025 | $283m |
| March 2026 | $292m |
| June 2026 | $298m |
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| September 2024 | $23m |
| December 2024 | $14m |
| March 2025 | $35m |
| June 2025 | $45m |
| September 2025 | $292m |
| December 2025 | $42m |
| March 2026 | $43m |
| June 2026 | $33m |
From the company's quarterly reports to the SEC.
Dates
- Next results (estimated)
- n/a
- Last annual report (10-K)
- 27 February 2026
- Next quarterly (estimated, 10-Q)
- 5 November 2026
Who owns it
1 long-term investor we follow owns it, unchanged from 1 last quarter. 434 funds in all.
| Fund | Value | Share of that fund | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gotham Asset ManagementJoel Greenblatt | $17m | <0.1% | Added |
Largest holders overall
- Baillie Gifford$555m
- BlackRock$445mCut
- AQR Capital Management$268mAdded
- Vanguard Capital Management$201m
- TWO Sigma Investments, LP$187mAdded
- FIL$184m
- Vanguard Portfolio Management$184m
- Federated Hermes$158mAdded
- State of Michigan Retirement System$150mAdded
- State Street$141mAdded
From 13F filings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026.
Big holders and activists
6 investors own more than 5%.
- BAILLIE GIFFORD & COPassive investor12.4%+5.3 ptsSince 31 October 2025
- Von Ahn LuisPassive investor8.2%Since 30 June 2026
- Hacker SeverinPassive investor7.6%Since 31 March 2025
- AQR Capital Management, LLCPassive investorat least 5.8%(filed with 1 related holder)Since 30 June 2026
- Vanguard Capital ManagementPassive investor5.1%Since 30 June 2026
- FMR LLCPassive investorat least 2.7%−4.3 pts(filed with 1 related holder)Since 31 March 2026
- Durable Capital Partners LPPassive investorSold down below 5%Since 31 March 2025
- Capital World InvestorsPassive investorSold down below 5%Since 31 March 2026
- The Vanguard GroupPassive investorSold down below 5%Since 13 March 2026
| Holder | Stake | Since | |
|---|---|---|---|
BAILLIE GIFFORD & CO Passive investor | 12.4%+5.3 pts | 31 October 2025 | |
Von Ahn Luis Passive investor | 8.2% | 30 June 2026 | |
Hacker Severin Passive investor | 7.6% | 31 March 2025 | |
AQR Capital Management, LLC Passive investor | at least 5.8% (filed with 1 related holder) | 30 June 2026 | |
Vanguard Capital Management Passive investor | 5.1% | 30 June 2026 | |
FMR LLC Passive investor | at least 2.7%−4.3 pts (filed with 1 related holder) | 31 March 2026 | |
Durable Capital Partners LP Passive investor | Sold down below 5% | 31 March 2025 | |
Capital World Investors Passive investor | Sold down below 5% | 31 March 2026 | |
The Vanguard Group Passive investor | Sold down below 5% | 13 March 2026 |
From Schedule 13D and 13G filings: anyone owning more than 5% must file one.
What insiders did
In the last 12 months, 1 insider bought $498,800 of shares on the open market. 7 sold $34m, $33m of it under preset trading plans.
- von Ahn LuisPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 24 September 2026
- Shares
- 46,682
- Price
- $150.63
- Value
- $7m
- von Ahn LuisPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 22 September 2026
- Shares
- 3,614
- Price
- $151.91
- Value
- $548,996
- von Ahn LuisPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 21 September 2026
- Shares
- 37,366
- Price
- $150.53
- Value
- $6m
- von Ahn LuisPresident & CEO, Co-Founder, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 16 September 2026
- Shares
- 28,292
- Price
- $150.22
- Value
- $4m
- Chen Stephen C.General CounselSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 14 September 2026
- Shares
- 8,072
- Price
- $149.33
- Value
- $1m
- GORDON WILLIAM BDirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 8 September 2026
- Shares
- 10,000
- Price
- $145.67
- Value
- $1m
- Glance NatalieChief Engineering OfficerSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 18 August 2026
- Shares
- 1,539
- Price
- $137.80
- Value
- $212,079
- Glance NatalieChief Engineering OfficerSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 17 August 2026
- Shares
- 2,751
- Price
- $129.13
- Value
- $355,237
- Meese RobertChief Business OfficerSold
- Date
- 17 August 2026
- Shares
- 1,354
- Price
- $129.13
- Value
- $174,842
- Chen Stephen C.General CounselSold
- Date
- 17 August 2026
- Shares
- 1,024
- Price
- $129.13
- Value
- $132,229
| Date | Who | Did | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24 September 2026 | von Ahn Luis President & CEO, Co-Founder, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 46,682 | $150.63 | $7m |
| 22 September 2026 | von Ahn Luis President & CEO, Co-Founder, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 3,614 | $151.91 | $548,996 |
| 21 September 2026 | von Ahn Luis President & CEO, Co-Founder, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 37,366 | $150.53 | $6m |
| 16 September 2026 | von Ahn Luis President & CEO, Co-Founder, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 28,292 | $150.22 | $4m |
| 14 September 2026 | Chen Stephen C. General Counsel | Sold under a preset trading plan | 8,072 | $149.33 | $1m |
| 8 September 2026 | GORDON WILLIAM B Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 10,000 | $145.67 | $1m |
| 18 August 2026 | Glance Natalie Chief Engineering Officer | Sold under a preset trading plan | 1,539 | $137.80 | $212,079 |
| 17 August 2026 | Glance Natalie Chief Engineering Officer | Sold under a preset trading plan | 2,751 | $129.13 | $355,237 |
| 17 August 2026 | Meese Robert Chief Business Officer | Sold | 1,354 | $129.13 | $174,842 |
| 17 August 2026 | Chen Stephen C. General Counsel | Sold | 1,024 | $129.13 | $132,229 |
From Form 4 filings: insiders must report trades in their own company's shares within two days.
Warning signs in its filings
Problems the company itself reported to the SEC, in its own words.
None of the warning signs we check for were found.
We look for five warning signs: doubt it can keep going, weak checks on its own accounts, a notice that its past accounts can't be relied on, a change of auditor, and one customer bringing in a big share of sales. We don't check lawsuits, investigations or debt yet.
We checked the auditor's report, internal controls, restatement notices, auditor changes and big customers in the 10-K filed 27 Feb 2026, plus the 10-Q filed 6 Aug 2026 and 5 later 8-Ks.
A 10-K is the yearly report every US company files with the SEC. An 8-K is a short notice of a big event.
What could go wrong
- Its accounts show patterns that sometimes come before companies have to correct past results (Beneish score).
- It isn't cheap on profits: 38.0× operating profit.
Whether the price already reflects the risks is what the deep dive is for.
What changed in the risks this year
Companies must list what could hurt them each year. These are the parts that changed since last year’s report.
Regulatory and legislative developments on the use of AI and machine learning could adversely affect our use of such technologies in our products and services as well as our operating results.
Could happenAt the state-level, numerous states have enacted laws regulating AI. For example, California has enacted various AI-related laws and regulations, including related to safety protocols, reporting, and transparency. In addition, Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence Act will require developers and deployers of “high-risk” AI systems to implement certain safeguards against algorithmic discrimination (among other requirements), and the Texas Responsible Artificial Intelligence Governance Act prohibits the development and deployment of AI systems for certain purposes while establishing a regulatory sandbox. Moreover, state AI laws like Colorado’s Artificial Intelligence Act and various state privacy laws, including the CCPA, regulate the use of automated decision making technology that results in legal or similarly significant effects on individuals and provide rights to individuals in respect of automated decision making. Such regulations, and the manner in which such new laws are interpreted, may impact our ability to develop, use, procure and commercialize AI and machine learning technologies in the future. Additionally, it is possible that existing laws and regulations may be interpreted in ways that would affect the operation of our learning platforms, online testing business and data analytics and the way in which we use AI and machine learning technologies. Further, the cost to comply with such laws or regulations could be significant and would increase our operating expenses, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Read more
The deep dive
Everything above is arithmetic on public filings. The deep dive reads the last ten years of annual reports, the proxy statements, and the earnings calls, then argues the case the way Buffett, Klarman, and Hohn would, and checks every claim against the source.
- What the business is worth, as a range, and the margin of safety at today’s price
- Prices to start buying, buy, and buy hard
- The three things that would make this a mistake
- Every number footnoted to the filing it came from
Your first deep dive is free.
Not advice. Numbers on this page come from SEC filings and are updated each night; prices are updated again after the US market closes. The five-year figures are rounded.