Insider Selling: Duolingo (NASDAQ:DUOL) General Counsel Sells $215,307.26 in Stock

Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) General Counsel Stephen Chen sold 1,901 shares of Duolingo stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, February 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $113.26, for a total value of $215,307.26. Following the completion of the transaction, the general counsel owned 30,545 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,459,526.70. This represents a 5.86% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink.

Duolingo Trading Up 1.6%

Shares of DUOL stock opened at $112.94 on Monday. The company has a market cap of $5.22 billion, a PE ratio of 14.31, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.60 and a beta of 0.86. Duolingo, Inc. has a 1 year low of $107.16 and a 1 year high of $544.93. The stock’s 50 day simple moving average is $152.08 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $231.60. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.07, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 2.82.

Analyst Ratings Changes

DUOL has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Evercore set a $330.00 price objective on shares of Duolingo and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. cut their price target on shares of Duolingo from $300.00 to $200.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a report on Tuesday, January 20th. Barclays reduced their price objective on shares of Duolingo from $390.00 to $230.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, November 6th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Duolingo from $185.00 to $160.00 and set an “underweight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Scotiabank reduced their price target on Duolingo from $600.00 to $300.00 and set a “sector outperform” rating on the stock in a report on Thursday, November 6th. Eleven equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, eleven have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $292.37.

Key Headlines Impacting Duolingo

Here are the key news stories impacting Duolingo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Value/turnaround narrative: Coverage arguing Duolingo looks attractive after a ~75% share-price decline may draw value investors looking for a rebound. Is Duolingo (DUOL) Attractive After A 75% Share Price Slide And Mixed Valuation Signals
• Positive Sentiment: Brand/PR support: Features highlighting Duolingo as “America’s favorite online learning platform” and pieces contemplating it as a top money-making pick can sustain user growth narratives and retail interest. Duolingo: America’s favorite online learning platform Is Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) the best money-making stock to buy right now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Short-interest reporting appears anomalous (entries show 0 shares / NaN increases). Current published short-interest ratios read as 0.0 days — likely a data/reporting glitch rather than a market signal. (No article link)
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling: Multiple insiders, including the CFO Matthew Skaruppa, General Counsel Stephen Chen and other officers (Natalie Glance, Robert Meese), sold blocks of shares on Feb 17–18. Sales reduced individual holdings (one file shows an ~11% drop for the CFO). Insider selling at these levels is typically seen as a negative signal for near-term sentiment. SEC Form 4 (example: CFO Matthew Skaruppa)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst/earnings caution: A Zacks preview warns Duolingo lacks the setup for an earnings beat in the upcoming report, tempering expectations and increasing the risk of downside if guidance or metrics disappoint. Duolingo (DUOL) Earnings Expected to Grow: What to Know Ahead of Next Week’s Release
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price weakness: Coverage noted a recent >1% intraday decline versus the prior day, reflecting short-term weakness that could persist if the above negative signals continue. Duolingo (DUOL) Suffers a Larger Drop Than the General Market

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duolingo

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Emerald Mutual Fund Advisers Trust bought a new stake in shares of Duolingo during the second quarter valued at approximately $40,000. Atlantic Union Bankshares Corp purchased a new position in Duolingo during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. Farther Finance Advisors LLC raised its position in Duolingo by 82.2% during the 3rd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 133 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,000 after purchasing an additional 60 shares in the last quarter. KERR FINANCIAL PLANNING Corp purchased a new stake in shares of Duolingo in the 3rd quarter worth $47,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of Duolingo by 46.0% during the 2nd quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 146 shares of the company’s stock worth $60,000 after buying an additional 46 shares in the last quarter. 91.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Duolingo Company Profile

Duolingo, Inc (NASDAQ:DUOL) is a technology-driven education company that operates a widely used language-learning platform. Founded in 2011 by Luis von Ahn and Severin Hacker, Duolingo offers a freemium service featuring bite-sized lessons, gamified exercises and adaptive learning algorithms. The company’s core product is its mobile and web application, which supports instruction in more than 40 languages, ranging from widely spoken tongues such as English and Spanish to lesser-taught options including Irish and Swahili.

In addition to its flagship language courses, Duolingo has expanded its product suite to include the Duolingo English Test, an on-demand, computer-based English proficiency exam designed for academic and professional admissions.