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SYM vs. DUOL: Which Technology Services Stock Has an Edge Right Now?
ZACKS· 2025-09-24 17:40
Key Takeaways Symbotic posted $22.4B backlog and expects $590-$610M in Q4 revenues with EBITDA of $45-$49M.DUOL boosted 2025 outlook as AI cut costs, lifting gross margin to 72.4% and driving 148 new courses.DUOL's paid subscribers rose 37% in Q2, revenues increased 41% and earnings beat estimates by 65.4%.Symbotic (SYM) and Duolingo (DUOL) are well-established names in the Zacks Technology Services industry. Symbotic, based in Wilmington, MA, develops, commercializes, and deploys innovative, comprehensive ...
Duolingo: AI Hyperscaler At A Discount
Seeking Alpha· 2025-09-17 18:11
Company Overview - Duolingo, Inc. is a consumer app that gamifies language learning for users, known for its engaging marketing campaigns featuring Duo the owl [1]. Investment Position - An analyst has initiated a small position in Duolingo (DUOL) worth less than $10,000 and plans to potentially increase this position in the coming months due to expected stock volatility over the next couple of quarters [3]. Market Perspective - The analyst emphasizes a long-term investment strategy, focusing on understanding market behavior beyond numerical metrics, and expresses a bullish outlook on various stocks including Duolingo [1].
Duolingo CTO on Building an AI-First Culture | WSJ Leadership Institute
WSJ News· 2025-09-16 17:12
Um well we are going to start with the memo that Ben mentioned. It was issued by your CEO in April about four months ago and it called for Dolingo to become quote AI first. And in it your CEO wrote that Dolingo would stop using contractors to do work that AI could handle and headcount would only be given if a team could not automate more of their work.So just a quick summary and the memo it was controversial because of its perceived stance on favoring AI instead of humans and you've since faced backlash fro ...
Wells Fargo Initiates Duolingo (DUOL) with an Underweight Rating, $239 PT
Yahoo Finance· 2025-09-15 13:09
Group 1 - Duolingo Inc. reported a strong performance with sales increasing to $252 million from $178 million year-over-year, and net income growing to $45 million from $24 million in the same period [2] - The company achieved an EPS of $0.91, exceeding the expected $0.55 [2] - Duolingo's Co-Founder and CEO emphasized record profitability and strong top-line growth, leading to an increase in full-year guidance [3] Group 2 - Wells Fargo initiated coverage of Duolingo with an Underweight rating and a price target of $239, citing concerns over user growth issues and downside risk in 2027 estimates [1][3] - Duolingo is investing in its core business and new areas like Chess, Math, and Music, which are expected to drive long-term growth [3] - The company operates as a mobile learning platform offering courses in 40 different languages through its app [4]
5 Must-Buy Laggards of 2025 With Double-Digit Short-Term Price Upside
ZACKS· 2025-09-15 12:21
Market Overview - The AI-driven bull run of 2023 and 2024 has continued into 2025, with Wall Street maintaining upward momentum despite high valuations in U.S. technology stocks [1] - Investors remain undeterred by geopolitical conflicts, restrictive trade policies, and signs of weakness in the U.S. labor market, continuing to invest in equities [2] - The CME FedWatch tool indicates a 100% probability of a 25-basis-point interest rate cut by the Fed, which is expected to benefit stock investors [2] Company Highlights Assurant Inc. (AIZ) - Assurant is focused on both inorganic and organic growth strategies, expecting adjusted EBITDA to increase modestly in 2025 [5] - The company aims to deploy capital for business growth and shareholder returns, supported by a lower debt level and improved leverage ratio [6] - AIZ has an expected revenue growth rate of 5.7% and earnings growth rate of 5.8% for the current year, with a short-term price target indicating a maximum upside of 19.7% from the last closing price of $213.01 [9] DocuSign Inc. (DOCU) - DocuSign's strength lies in its subscription revenues, which have driven growth over the past three years [10] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 7% and earnings growth rate of 2.5% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 54.6% from the last closing price of $80.19 [12] Duolingo Inc. (DUOL) - Duolingo operates a mobile learning platform and utilizes AI applications to enhance the learning experience [13][14] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 36.2% and earnings growth rate of 66% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 94.9% from the last closing price of $307.91 [14][15] West Pharmaceutical Services Inc. (WST) - West Pharmaceutical Services has seen improvement in organic revenues, particularly in its Proprietary Products segment [16] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 4.7% and earnings growth rate of -0.2% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 40% from the last closing price of $253.50 [19] Zebra Technologies Corp. (ZBRA) - Zebra Technologies is benefiting from increased sales in mobile computing and data capture solutions, as well as RFID products [20] - The company has an expected revenue growth rate of 6.3% and earnings growth rate of 15.9% for the current year, with a maximum upside of 31.8% from the last closing price of $312.65 [21][22]
Duolingo Stock Up 7%. Learn Why, CEO Growth Path, Whether To Buy $DUOL
Forbes· 2025-08-08 20:17
Core Insights - Duolingo's stock surged 30% after exceeding Q2 2025 revenue and profit expectations, raising its growth guidance for the year [2][6] - The launch of OpenAI's GPT-5 later that day caused a reversal in Duolingo's stock performance, raising concerns about potential competition [3][9] - Analysts suggest that Duolingo could sustain growth at 30% or higher by implementing strategic changes [4][14] Financial Performance - Q2 2025 revenue reached $252 million, a 41% increase, exceeding Wall Street estimates by $11 million [15] - Daily active users in Q2 were 48 million, up nearly 40% [15] - Net income for Q2 was $45 million, reflecting an 84% increase [15] - Q3 revenue projection is $259 million, which is $6 million above analyst forecasts [15] - Full-year 2025 revenue guidance is set at $1.015 billion, exceeding previous estimates by $23.5 million [15] Growth Strategies - Duolingo aims to diversify beyond language learning and utilize AI tools like GPT-5 to enhance user engagement [7][16] - The company plans to maximize revenue per active user by encouraging upgrades to paid subscriptions [7][16] - Expansion into Asia and targeting younger learners are key components of Duolingo's growth strategy [7][16] - Customer retention will be boosted through gamification techniques [7][16] Market Position and Competitive Advantage - Duolingo's growth is attributed to strong user engagement and the unique conversational practice feature offered to paying subscribers [10][12] - Concerns about GPT-5 potentially threatening Duolingo's market share are countered by the company's competitive strengths and ability to leverage AI for growth [11][12] - Analysts believe that Duolingo's content quality and user engagement loop provide a significant competitive moat [12] Future Outlook - Analysts set an average price target of $501.82 for Duolingo stock, indicating a potential upside of 47.46% [14] - The company is positioned to use GPT-5 to enhance its offerings and maintain a competitive edge in the language learning market [14]
The backlash against Duolingo going ‘AI-first' didn't even matter
TechCrunch· 2025-08-07 15:32
Core Insights - Duolingo reported quarterly revenue that exceeded estimates, resulting in a nearly 30% increase in stock price [1] - The company is transitioning to an "AI-first" model, significantly increasing its language course offerings [2] - Financial metrics indicate a projected revenue of over $1 billion for the year, with a 40% year-over-year growth in daily active users [3] Company Strategy - CEO Luis von Ahn announced a shift towards generative AI, phasing out contract workers and limiting new hires unless automation is not feasible [2] - The introduction of 148 new language courses has more than doubled the previous offerings, showcasing the impact of AI on content scaling [2][3] Public Sentiment and Financial Performance - Despite some backlash regarding the AI approach, the company's financial performance remains strong, with a focus on improving social media sentiment [4] - The growth in daily active users, while significant, is at the lower end of the company's estimated growth range of 40-45% [3]
Buy 2 AI-Powered Technology Services Stocks to Tap Lucrative Upside
ZACKS· 2025-07-04 12:36
Industry Overview - The technology services industry is mature, with demand for services in good shape, and revenues, income, and cash flows are expected to gradually return to pre-pandemic levels, enabling stable dividends for most players [1] - The global shift toward digitization is creating opportunities in markets such as 5G, blockchain, and AI, with companies adopting generative AI, machine learning, and data science to gain competitive advantages [4] - The business software industry is benefiting from strong demand for multi-cloud-enabled software solutions as companies transition from legacy platforms to modern cloud-based infrastructure [4] Company Highlights AppLovin Corp. (APP) - AppLovin is a software-based platform for mobile app developers, enhancing marketing and monetization of apps [6] - The introduction of AI-powered AXON 2.0 technology and strategic expansion in gaming studios have significantly boosted revenue growth [7] - AppLovin's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 16% and 84.8%, respectively, with a Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings improving by 0.1% in the last seven days [8] - The average short-term price target for AppLovin shares indicates a potential increase of 37% from the last closing price of $341.64, with a maximum upside of 90.3% [8] Duolingo Inc. (DUOL) - Duolingo operates as a mobile learning platform offering courses in 40 different languages and provides a digital language proficiency assessment exam [10] - The company utilizes AI applications to personalize and automate the learning process, with tools like Birdbrain analyzing real-time user performance [11] - Duolingo's expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 33.5% and 54.3%, respectively, with the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings improving by 2.1% over the last 60 days [12] - The average short-term price target for Duolingo shares indicates a potential increase of 24% from the last closing price of $391.86, with a maximum upside of 53.1% [12]
5 Stocks to Buy Amid Growing Strength in the Business Services Sector
ZACKS· 2025-06-17 12:46
Industry Overview - The U.S. Business Services Sector is supported by strong domestic economic fundamentals, encompassing companies that provide various services such as consulting, staffing, financial transactions, outsourcing, advertising, waste removal, building maintenance, technology services, and auction/valuation services [1] - The sector is mature with stable demand for services, and revenues, income, and cash flows are above pre-pandemic levels. It ranks in the top 25% of the Zacks Sector Rank, indicating expected outperformance over the next three to six months [2] Stock Recommendations - Five business services stocks with favorable Zacks Rank that have shown double-digit returns in the past three months are Duolingo Inc. (DUOL), Cintas Corp. (CTAS), Stantec Inc. (STN), Thomson Reuters Corp. (TRI), and FirstCash Holdings Inc. (FCFS). Each stock carries a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy) [3] Company Highlights Duolingo Inc. (DUOL) - Duolingo operates a mobile learning platform offering courses in 40 languages and provides a digital language proficiency assessment exam [6] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 33.4% and 55.3%, respectively, with a 10.2% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [7][9] Cintas Corp. (CTAS) - Cintas is benefiting from solid momentum across its segments, with product penetration into existing customers aiding its Uniform Rental and Facility Services segment [8] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 7% and 10.8%, respectively, with a 1.9% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [10] Stantec Inc. (STN) - Stantec provides professional consulting services in various fields including planning, engineering, architecture, and environmental sciences [11][12] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 11.1% and 19.5%, respectively, with a 3.2% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 30 days [13] Thomson Reuters Corp. (TRI) - Thomson Reuters operates as a content and technology company across multiple regions, providing value-added information and technology in law, tax, accounting, and other fields [14][15] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are 3.2% and 4.2%, respectively, with a 1.3% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [15] FirstCash Holdings Inc. (FCFS) - FirstCash operates retail pawn stores in the U.S., Mexico, and Latin America, providing pawn loans and retail payment solutions [16][17] - Expected revenue and earnings growth rates for the current year are -0.2% and 17.3%, respectively, with a 2.7% improvement in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for current-year earnings over the last 60 days [18]
第一家因为“AI first”而被用户抛弃的公司出现了
创业邦· 2025-06-03 03:21
Core Viewpoint - Duolingo's recent shift to an "AI-first" strategy has sparked significant backlash from users, leading to a wave of cancellations and negative sentiment on social media, despite the company reporting strong financial growth. Group 1: Company Strategy and Actions - Duolingo announced its transition to an "AI-first" strategy, aiming to replace contractors with AI for tasks that can be automated, which has led to user outrage and a decline in app engagement [5][11][19] - The company has already laid off about 10% of its contractors, primarily affecting translation and content creation roles, as part of this strategy [10][23] - Following the backlash, Duolingo attempted to divert attention by clearing its social media accounts, creating a sense of mystery around its actions [7][21] Group 2: User Reactions and Market Impact - Users expressed their dissatisfaction through social media, with many deleting the app and sharing their experiences, including a notable video that garnered over 5 million views [13][16] - Despite the negative feedback, Duolingo's latest financial report showed a 38% year-over-year revenue increase, with paid subscribers reaching 10.3 million, a 40% growth [21][22] - The company's daily active users increased by nearly 50%, indicating that while there is user discontent, the overall user base may still be growing [21] Group 3: AI Integration and Content Quality - The integration of AI has reportedly increased course development speed by tenfold, allowing for the rapid creation of new language courses [22] - However, concerns have been raised about the quality of AI-generated content, with former content creators noting that AI lacks the creativity and cultural context that human instructors provide [25][27] - The shift to AI has also led to a slight decline in gross margin, from 73% in 2023 to 71.9% in Q4 2024, attributed to the costs associated with AI operations [23]