Analyst Predicts Internet Stocks Will Require AI Profits by 2026
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Dec 18 2025
0mins
Should l Buy DUOL?
Source: Benzinga
Internet Stocks Performance: Internet stocks are struggling as they lagged behind the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 in 2025 due to operational missteps, increased competition from generative AI, and inconsistent margins, despite a stable macroeconomic environment.
2026 Outlook on AI Monetization: Analysts emphasize that for internet companies to maintain valuations in 2026, they must show significant progress in AI monetization and profitability, alongside improved execution.
Stock-Specific Insights: JP Morgan's analyst Bryan M. Smilek rates Duolingo and Coursera as Overweight, citing potential for growth, while Etsy and Udemy are rated Neutral, and Nerdy Inc. and Chegg are Underweight due to negative sentiment and performance concerns.
AI Integration in Education: The integration of AI in education is expected to diversify traffic sources and enhance learning products, with companies that leverage enterprise tech and proprietary content being better positioned for success in this shift.
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Analyst Views on DUOL
Wall Street analysts forecast DUOL stock price to rise
17 Analyst Rating
10 Buy
6 Hold
1 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 112.050
Low
160.00
Averages
260.36
High
330.00
Current: 112.050
Low
160.00
Averages
260.36
High
330.00
About DUOL
Duolingo, Inc. is a technology company. The Company is engaged in offering a mobile learning platform, as well as a digital English language proficiency assessment exam. It operates a freemium business model, namely, the app and the Website are accessible free of charge, although Duolingo also offers premium services for a subscription fee. Its solutions consist of the Duolingo App, Super Duolingo, Duolingo Max, Duolingo English Test: AI-Driven Language Assessment, Duolingo for Schools, and Duolingo ABC. The Duolingo App offers courses in over 40 different languages, including Spanish, English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese and Chinese. Duolingo can also be accessed on desktop computers via a Web browser. Its subscription offering, Super Duolingo, offers learners additional features to enhance their learning experience. The Duolingo English Test is an online, on-demand, high-stakes English proficiency assessment. It also operates an animation and motion design studio.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Duolingo Surpasses 50M Users and $1B Revenue in 2025
- User and Revenue Growth: Duolingo surpassed 50 million daily active users and $1 billion in annual revenue in 2025, demonstrating strong market demand and a solid user base, further solidifying its leadership in the language learning market.
- Profitability Improvement: With an increase in paid subscribers and gross margins exceeding 70%, Duolingo's profitability has significantly strengthened, indicating the sustainability of its business model and attracting more investor interest.
- Stability of Growth: Although user growth is moderating, maintaining annual revenue growth above 20% would enhance the company's profitability, reflecting its successful transition from a high-growth app to a stable subscription platform.
- Product-Driven Growth: Duolingo's growth relies primarily on its product's natural appeal rather than aggressive marketing spending, making this product-led growth model more sustainable and reducing the risk of user attrition due to promotional activities.
See More
Duolingo's Financial Outlook Remains Positive Ahead of Earnings
- Market Share Growth: Despite facing competition from AI, Duolingo has surpassed 50 million daily active users, driving a 41% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3, demonstrating its sustained appeal and growth potential in the language learning market.
- Increase in Paid Users: Duolingo's paid subscribers rose by 34% year-over-year to 11.5 million, indicating strong user recognition and willingness to pay for its services, which bolsters the company's revenue base and future growth confidence.
- Expansion into New Areas: Beyond language learning, chess has become the fastest-growing subject on Duolingo's platform, showcasing its diversification strategy in the edtech sector and broadening its user base and market opportunities.
- Investor Sentiment Shift: Although the stock has dropped 70% over the past year, the pessimistic outlook may create opportunities for a rebound, with expectations that the upcoming earnings report will reaffirm its growth potential, thereby attracting more investor interest.
See More
Duolingo's Stock Poised for a Major Rebound
- Stock Price Decline Context: Duolingo's stock has plummeted 70% over the past year and 36% year-to-date; however, this pessimism may create an opportunity for a rebound, especially with earnings set to be reported on February 26, which could attract investor interest.
- Market Valuation Analysis: The stock price has dropped from over $500 last year to around $100, and while some investors deemed the previous valuation excessive, the current price is viewed as overly depressed, indicating a potential for 10x returns.
- User Growth and Revenue: Duolingo boasts over 50 million daily active users and achieved a 41% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3, with paid subscribers increasing by 34% to 11.5 million, demonstrating sustained appeal and demand in the ed-tech sector.
- AI Threat and Market Response: Despite concerns that AI advancements could render Duolingo obsolete, the company's financial results indicate ongoing growth, particularly with chess becoming the fastest-growing subject, suggesting that Duolingo's diverse offerings are successfully attracting more users.
See More
Duolingo's 2026 Growth Sustainability Analysis
- User Growth Trends: Duolingo surpassed 50 million daily active users and over $1 billion in annual revenue in 2025; while growth may moderate, maintaining a stable revenue growth of 20% or more annually will ensure strong profitability and market competitiveness.
- Paid Subscriber Expansion: The growth rate of paid subscribers outpaces total user growth, indicating significant progress in monetization; if this trend continues, it will further solidify Duolingo's leadership position in the edtech sector.
- Operating Cost Control: With gross margins exceeding 70%, Duolingo can maintain profitability even if revenue growth slows, as operating costs do not need to rise at the same pace, ensuring long-term financial health.
- Product-Led Growth: Duolingo's growth is primarily driven by its product's inherent appeal rather than aggressive marketing spend, making this product-led growth model more sustainable and reducing the risk of user attrition due to market fluctuations.
See More
T-Mobile Launches Real-Time Translation Feature
- Real-Time Translation Feature: T-Mobile's newly launched feature provides real-time translation during calls in over 50 languages, embedded directly into its network infrastructure, enhancing user call experiences and potentially reshaping the language service market landscape.
- Impact on Duolingo: Following T-Mobile's announcement, Duolingo's shares plummeted over 10% on Wednesday to a 52-week low of $107.25, indicating market concerns about its competitive viability, despite the company's focus on language learning rather than translation.
- Market Reaction: Retail sentiment on Stocktwits regarding DUOL remained neutral over the past 24 hours, although some users labeled the selloff as 'stupid,' arguing that Duolingo is a learning app, not a translation tool, reflecting confusion about its market positioning.
- Leadership Changes: Duolingo is undergoing leadership changes as current CFO Matt Skaruppa is set to step down on February 23, 2026, with Board Member Gillian Munson taking over, which may influence the company's future strategic direction.
See More
Duolingo Stock Plummets Despite Rising Revenue and Engagement
- Stock Price Crash: Duolingo's stock price faced a significant decline as of February 3, 2026, yet the company's revenue and user engagement continue to rise, indicating a potential misjudgment of its future prospects by the market.
- Revenue Growth: Despite the stock price drop, Duolingo's revenue is still on the rise, suggesting that its core business maintains strong market demand, potentially offering a buying opportunity for investors.
- Free Cash Flow Improvement: The company's free cash flow is consistently increasing, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency and successful cost control, which lays a solid foundation for future investments and expansion.
- User Engagement Increase: The rise in user engagement not only strengthens Duolingo's competitive position in the market but may also support its long-term growth, even though the stock has underperformed in the short term.
See More
Duolingo Surpasses 50M Users and $1B Revenue in 2025
- User and Revenue Growth: Duolingo surpassed 50 million daily active users and $1 billion in annual revenue in 2025, demonstrating strong market demand and a solid user base, further solidifying its leadership in the language learning market.
- Profitability Improvement: With an increase in paid subscribers and gross margins exceeding 70%, Duolingo's profitability has significantly strengthened, indicating the sustainability of its business model and attracting more investor interest.
- Stability of Growth: Although user growth is moderating, maintaining annual revenue growth above 20% would enhance the company's profitability, reflecting its successful transition from a high-growth app to a stable subscription platform.
- Product-Driven Growth: Duolingo's growth relies primarily on its product's natural appeal rather than aggressive marketing spending, making this product-led growth model more sustainable and reducing the risk of user attrition due to promotional activities.
See More
Duolingo's Financial Outlook Remains Positive Ahead of Earnings
- Market Share Growth: Despite facing competition from AI, Duolingo has surpassed 50 million daily active users, driving a 41% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3, demonstrating its sustained appeal and growth potential in the language learning market.
- Increase in Paid Users: Duolingo's paid subscribers rose by 34% year-over-year to 11.5 million, indicating strong user recognition and willingness to pay for its services, which bolsters the company's revenue base and future growth confidence.
- Expansion into New Areas: Beyond language learning, chess has become the fastest-growing subject on Duolingo's platform, showcasing its diversification strategy in the edtech sector and broadening its user base and market opportunities.
- Investor Sentiment Shift: Although the stock has dropped 70% over the past year, the pessimistic outlook may create opportunities for a rebound, with expectations that the upcoming earnings report will reaffirm its growth potential, thereby attracting more investor interest.
See More
Duolingo's Stock Poised for a Major Rebound
- Stock Price Decline Context: Duolingo's stock has plummeted 70% over the past year and 36% year-to-date; however, this pessimism may create an opportunity for a rebound, especially with earnings set to be reported on February 26, which could attract investor interest.
- Market Valuation Analysis: The stock price has dropped from over $500 last year to around $100, and while some investors deemed the previous valuation excessive, the current price is viewed as overly depressed, indicating a potential for 10x returns.
- User Growth and Revenue: Duolingo boasts over 50 million daily active users and achieved a 41% year-over-year revenue growth in Q3, with paid subscribers increasing by 34% to 11.5 million, demonstrating sustained appeal and demand in the ed-tech sector.
- AI Threat and Market Response: Despite concerns that AI advancements could render Duolingo obsolete, the company's financial results indicate ongoing growth, particularly with chess becoming the fastest-growing subject, suggesting that Duolingo's diverse offerings are successfully attracting more users.
See More
Duolingo's 2026 Growth Sustainability Analysis
- User Growth Trends: Duolingo surpassed 50 million daily active users and over $1 billion in annual revenue in 2025; while growth may moderate, maintaining a stable revenue growth of 20% or more annually will ensure strong profitability and market competitiveness.
- Paid Subscriber Expansion: The growth rate of paid subscribers outpaces total user growth, indicating significant progress in monetization; if this trend continues, it will further solidify Duolingo's leadership position in the edtech sector.
- Operating Cost Control: With gross margins exceeding 70%, Duolingo can maintain profitability even if revenue growth slows, as operating costs do not need to rise at the same pace, ensuring long-term financial health.
- Product-Led Growth: Duolingo's growth is primarily driven by its product's inherent appeal rather than aggressive marketing spend, making this product-led growth model more sustainable and reducing the risk of user attrition due to market fluctuations.
See More
T-Mobile Launches Real-Time Translation Feature
- Real-Time Translation Feature: T-Mobile's newly launched feature provides real-time translation during calls in over 50 languages, embedded directly into its network infrastructure, enhancing user call experiences and potentially reshaping the language service market landscape.
- Impact on Duolingo: Following T-Mobile's announcement, Duolingo's shares plummeted over 10% on Wednesday to a 52-week low of $107.25, indicating market concerns about its competitive viability, despite the company's focus on language learning rather than translation.
- Market Reaction: Retail sentiment on Stocktwits regarding DUOL remained neutral over the past 24 hours, although some users labeled the selloff as 'stupid,' arguing that Duolingo is a learning app, not a translation tool, reflecting confusion about its market positioning.
- Leadership Changes: Duolingo is undergoing leadership changes as current CFO Matt Skaruppa is set to step down on February 23, 2026, with Board Member Gillian Munson taking over, which may influence the company's future strategic direction.
See More
Duolingo Stock Plummets Despite Rising Revenue and Engagement
- Stock Price Crash: Duolingo's stock price faced a significant decline as of February 3, 2026, yet the company's revenue and user engagement continue to rise, indicating a potential misjudgment of its future prospects by the market.
- Revenue Growth: Despite the stock price drop, Duolingo's revenue is still on the rise, suggesting that its core business maintains strong market demand, potentially offering a buying opportunity for investors.
- Free Cash Flow Improvement: The company's free cash flow is consistently increasing, reflecting enhanced operational efficiency and successful cost control, which lays a solid foundation for future investments and expansion.
- User Engagement Increase: The rise in user engagement not only strengthens Duolingo's competitive position in the market but may also support its long-term growth, even though the stock has underperformed in the short term.
See More
