Duolingo Shares Declined After CFO Transition Announcement — Retail Says ‘Buying This Dip’

Duolingo shares ended in red on Monday after the company announced a CFO transition and reported a preliminary update on operating metrics.

• The company announced its current Chief Financial Officer, Matt Skaruppa, would be stepping down and be replaced by Gillian Munson, Board Member and Chair of the Audit Committee.
• The company said that the transition would happen on February 23, 2026. 
• In addition, Duolingo provided a preliminary update on operating metrics for the fourth quarter, indicating a DAU growth of about 30% year over year and bookings at or slightly above the high end of its previously announced guidance range.

Shares of language-learning app Duolingo Inc. (DUOL) closed over 8.4% lower on Monday after the company announced the current Chief Financial Officer, Matt Skaruppa, will step down and will be replaced by Board Member and Chair of Audit Committee Gillian Munson.

The company said that the transition would happen on February 23, 2026.

In addition, Duolingo provided a preliminary update on operating metrics for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025.

Shares of DUOL traded slightly higher in after-market hours, climbing 0.28% at the time of writing.

New Era

Skaruppa will step down after almost six years with the company, during which Duolingo went public.

“Duolingo has been the most rewarding chapter of my career,” Skaruppa said in the statement, highlighting his experience of taking the company public, and building a finance organization that matched its creativity.

Meanwhile, Munson will step up as the CFO after having served on the company’s Board of Directors since 2019. Her experience includes being CFO of Vimeo, Iora Health, Inc. and XO Group Inc., in addition to other leadership positions.

"Having worked closely with leadership as a Board member, I’ve developed deep respect for Duolingo’s culture, operating discipline, and momentum. Few companies combine this level of engagement and impact with strong financial fundamentals, and I’m honored to step into the CFO role to help advance Duolingo’s long-term mission to bring the best education to the world,” Munson said.

Financial Update

In addition to the CFO transition, Duolingo also announced a preliminary update on operating metrics for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 31, 2025. The company said that its preliminary results indicated a fourth quarter DAU growth of about 30% year over year and bookings at or slightly above the high end of its previously announced guidance range of $329.5 million - $335.5 million.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around DUOL shares jumped to ‘extremely bullish’ from ‘bullish’ territory over the past day amid ‘extremely high’ message volumes.

One bullish user noted the drop despite the new CFO announcement and said that they would be ‘buying this dip.’

Another user called the drop in share prices an ‘overreaction’.

Shares of DUOL have lost over 48% of their value in the past year.

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