Calculating Risk Foolishly, Vol. 4: ETSY vs. DUOL

Core Insights - The podcast discusses a 25-point risk rating system developed by David Gardner to assess investment risks in stocks, moving beyond vague terms like "medium risk" to a more quantifiable approach [1][4][5]. Group 1: Risk Assessment Framework - The risk rating system consists of 25 yes or no questions, where each "no" adds a point, indicating higher risk with a higher score [5]. - The framework aims to provide clarity in risk assessment for both individual stocks and entire portfolios [5]. - The system challenges the notion that high risk equates to high reward, suggesting that lower risk stocks can sometimes yield greater returns [5]. Group 2: Company Analysis - Etsy - Etsy reported a net income of $182 million over the past 12 months and $75 million in the last quarter, indicating profitability [11]. - The company generated free cash flow of approximately $205 million in the last quarter and $635 million over the past 12 months [15]. - Etsy has over 93 million buyers and 8.5 million sellers, ensuring no single customer accounts for more than 20% of revenue [21][22]. - The company has seen a decline in active buyers and gross merchandise sales, with a net promoter score of -7, indicating questionable customer sentiment [25][26]. - Etsy's market cap is approximately $6 billion, which is below the $10 billion threshold considered less risky [56]. Group 3: Company Analysis - Duolingo - Duolingo achieved a net income of approximately $386 million over the past 12 months and has been profitable since 2023 [12]. - The company reported free cash flow of about $350 million, growing by 20% year over year [16]. - Duolingo has over 50% brand awareness in the U.S. language learning market and benefits from strong word-of-mouth marketing [20]. - The company has a market cap of around $7 billion, also below the $10 billion threshold [58]. - Duolingo's annual revenue growth has been at least 40% over the past three years, with a compound annual growth rate of 42% [30]. Group 4: Competitive Landscape - Etsy faces significant competition from larger companies like Amazon and Shopify, which have greater financial resources [44]. - Duolingo is considered a market leader with competitors like Babel and Rosetta Stone but surpasses them in user engagement and brand awareness [45]. - There are no major disruptive upstarts challenging Etsy's business model, but there are smaller alternatives [48]. - Duolingo faces potential disruption from AI technologies, particularly in language learning, but currently has no direct competition [49][50]. Group 5: Financial Metrics - Etsy's return on equity is negative due to large-scale buybacks, indicating potential management issues [41]. - Duolingo reported a return on equity of almost 40%, influenced by a one-time tax benefit, but generally shows an upward trend [42].