Evercore Turns Bullish on Duolingo Stock as AI Fears Fade

Evercore upgraded Duolingo's stock rating from "In Line" to "Outperform" and increased its price target to $210 from $105. The financial firm believes that Duolingo is performing well despite the emergence of generative AI, which has been seen as potentially disruptive to language learning apps. The report showed that 53% of 1,300 U.S. language learners surveyed used Duolingo, compared to only 13% using Babbel, Duolingo's closest pure-play competitor. Moreover, 66% of respondents expressed strong satisfaction with the platform.

Duolingo's focus on user activity and product development has been key, as Evercore noted that the introduction of AI products didn't deter users from using the app. The company's adjusted EBITDA guidance for the year was raised, projecting around $1.21 billion in revenue with $320 million in adjusted EBITDA. Duolingo expects to have 99 million daily active users (DAUs) by 2028 and anticipates EPS for 2027 and 2028 to be 10% and 25% above Wall Street's consensus estimates, respectively.

However, Wall Street remains cautious, with a consensus "Hold" rating on Duolingo's stock and a mean price target of $132.56, which suggests a potential downside of roughly 14%.