DUOL vs. DFEN.DE

Last updated Jun 13, 2026

DUOL (Duolingo, Inc.) is a stock, while DFEN.DE (VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A) is Aerospace & Defense fund tracking the MarketVector Global Defense Industry Index. Over the past 3 years, DUOL returned -8.39%/yr vs 40.64%/yr for DFEN.DE. At a 0.25 correlation, their price movements are largely independent.

Performance

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) and VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Different Trading Currencies

DUOL is traded in USD, while DFEN.DE is traded in EUR. To make them comparable, the DFEN.DE values have been converted to USD using the latest available exchange rates.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, DUOL achieves a -30.13% return, which is significantly lower than DFEN.DE's 1.46% return.

DUOL

• 1D: -0.98%
• 1M: 16.81%
• YTD: -30.13%
• 6M: -37.52%
• 1Y: -74.53%
• 3Y*: -8.39%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

DFEN.DE

• 1D: 0.49%
• 1M: 1.00%
• YTD: 1.46%
• 6M: 2.92%
• 1Y: 13.94%
• 3Y*: 40.64%
• 5Y*: —
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023
DUOL Duolingo, Inc.	-30.13%	-45.87%	42.93%	62.38%
DFEN.DE VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A	1.46%	70.20%	43.28%	24.17%

Correlation

The correlation between DUOL and DFEN.DE is 0.16, which is low. Their price movements are largely independent, making them effective diversification partners.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.16
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.24
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Apr 5, 2023	0.25

Return for Risk

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

DUOL

DUOL Risk / Return Rank: 5
DUOL Sharpe Ratio Rank: 2
DUOL Sortino Ratio Rank: 1
DUOL Omega Ratio Rank: 2
DUOL Calmar Ratio Rank: 6
DUOL Martin Ratio Rank: 14

DFEN.DE

DFEN.DE Risk / Return Rank: 19
DFEN.DE Sharpe Ratio Rank: 19
DFEN.DE Sortino Ratio Rank: 20
DFEN.DE Omega Ratio Rank: 19
DFEN.DE Calmar Ratio Rank: 20
DFEN.DE Martin Ratio Rank: 18

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) and VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.

Values are calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. Risk-adjusted metrics are more stable over longer periods — use the period switch above to explore them.

	DUOL	DFEN.DE	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	-1.19	0.55	-1.73
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	-2.31	0.95	-3.27
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	0.72	1.11	-0.39
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	-0.92	0.71	-1.63
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	-1.26	1.73	-2.99

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current DUOL Sharpe Ratio is -1.19, which is lower than the DFEN.DE Sharpe Ratio of 0.55. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of DUOL and DFEN.DE, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Drawdowns

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum DUOL drawdown since its inception was -83.35%, which is greater than DFEN.DE's maximum drawdown of -19.59%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for DUOL and DFEN.DE.

Drawdown Indicators

	DUOL	DFEN.DE	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-83.35%	-19.59%	-63.76%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-81.19%	-19.59%	-61.60%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-83.35%	-19.59%	-63.76%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-77.32%	-16.58%	-60.74%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-35.76%	-3.51%	-32.25%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	59.48%	8.02%	+51.46%

Volatility

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE - Volatility Comparison

Duolingo, Inc. (DUOL) has a higher volatility of 15.67% compared to VanEck Defense UCITS ETF A (DFEN.DE) at 7.93%. This indicates that DUOL's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than DFEN.DE based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	DUOL	DFEN.DE	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	15.67%	7.93%	+7.74%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	40.94%	19.89%	+21.05%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	62.97%	25.41%	+37.56%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	66.21%	21.76%	+44.45%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	66.21%	21.76%	+44.45%

Dividends

DUOL vs. DFEN.DE - Dividend Comparison

Neither DUOL nor DFEN.DE has paid dividends to shareholders.

Tickers have no history of dividend payments

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both DUOL and DFEN.DE in my portfolio?

DUOL and DFEN.DE have a correlation of 0.16, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.