Duolingo (NASDAQ:DUOL) Insider Robert Meese Sells 1,354 Shares

Duolingo, Inc. (NASDAQ:DUOL) insider Robert Meese sold 1,354 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $129.13, for a total transaction of $174,842.02. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 169,391 shares in the company, valued at $21,873,459.83. This represents a 0.79% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards.

Duolingo Stock Performance

Duolingo stock opened at $146.03 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.06, a quick ratio of 2.72 and a current ratio of 2.72. The company has a market capitalization of $6.83 billion, a PE ratio of 17.30, a P/E/G ratio of 1.12 and a beta of 0.87. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $129.54 and a 200-day moving average price of $114.26. Duolingo, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $87.89 and a fifty-two week high of $355.00.

Duolingo (NASDAQ:DUOL) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported $0.66 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.60 by $0.06. Duolingo had a return on equity of 12.10% and a net margin of 35.88%.The business had revenue of $298.45 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $295.58 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.91 EPS. Duolingo’s revenue was up 18.3% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Duolingo, Inc. will post 2.67 earnings per share for the current year.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Duolingo

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of DUOL. Public Employees Retirement System of Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Duolingo during the second quarter worth $1,262,000. Generali Investments Management Co LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Duolingo in the 2nd quarter worth $565,000. Everhart Financial Group Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Duolingo in the 2nd quarter worth $313,000. FNY Investment Advisers LLC purchased a new position in Duolingo during the 2nd quarter worth $34,000. Finally, GAMMA Investing LLC grew its stake in Duolingo by 103.1% during the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 1,324 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,000 after buying an additional 672 shares during the last quarter. 91.59% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have commented on DUOL shares. Craig Hallum downgraded shares of Duolingo to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Morgan Stanley boosted their price objective on shares of Duolingo from $95.00 to $125.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, July 16th. Susquehanna began coverage on Duolingo in a research report on Tuesday. They set a “positive” rating on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded Duolingo from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, April 28th. Finally, Truist Financial raised their price objective on Duolingo from $100.00 to $120.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have issued a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $130.50.

Trending Headlines about Duolingo

Here are the key news stories impacting Duolingo this week:

• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson upgraded Duolingo to “Buy” from “Neutral” and raised its price target to $160 from $130. The firm cited a potential “turning point” for the language-learning platform, including continued product improvements and strategic initiatives. The higher target suggests additional upside from recent trading levels. Duolingo Raised to Buy at DA Davidson
• Positive Sentiment: The upgrade triggered a gap higher and helped Duolingo outperform a weaker broader market. Investors are focusing on strong user growth, improving monetization prospects and lower artificial-intelligence costs, which could support margins and cash flow. Why Is Duolingo Stock Surging
• Neutral Sentiment: Several insiders sold shares, including General Counsel Stephen C. Chen, Robert Meese and Natalie Glance. The transactions were primarily made to cover tax withholding obligations on vested equity awards, and some were executed under pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plans. Because the sellers retained substantial holdings, the activity is less concerning than discretionary insider selling, but it may still temper sentiment. Duolingo Insider Filing
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst commentary also highlights risks: bookings growth has slowed, costs may rise as Duolingo invests in expansion, and the stock’s premium valuation leaves less room for execution missteps. Investors will likely need evidence that user growth can translate into sustained monetization and earnings growth. Should You Buy Duolingo as Growth Slows and Valuation Stays High

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.