Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX – Get Free Report) was upgraded by equities researchers at Huber Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Zacks.com reports.
Several other equities analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Benchmark reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Netflix in a research note on Tuesday, January 13th. UBS Group set a $104.00 price objective on shares of Netflix in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Barclays reissued a “neutral” rating and set a $110.00 target price on shares of Netflix in a research note on Friday, December 5th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft restated a “hold” rating and set a $98.00 target price (up from $95.00) on shares of Netflix in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, President Capital upgraded Netflix from a “neutral” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $130.00 price target for the company in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have assigned a Buy rating and fifteen have given a Hold rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $115.91.
Get Our Latest Stock Analysis on NFLX
Netflix Stock Up 13.8%
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The Internet television network reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.01. Netflix had a return on equity of 43.26% and a net margin of 24.30%.The company had revenue of $12.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.97 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. Netflix’s revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. Netflix has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.760-0.760 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Netflix will post 24.58 earnings per share for the current year.
Insider Buying and Selling
In other news, insider Cletus R. Willems sold 3,136 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.67, for a total value of $259,253.12. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 27,312 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.24, for a total value of $2,273,450.88. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 122,140 shares in the company, valued at $10,166,933.60. This represents a 18.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders sold a total of 1,399,163 shares of company stock worth $129,899,103 in the last quarter. 1.37% of the stock is owned by insiders.
Institutional Inflows and Outflows
A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in NFLX. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its holdings in Netflix by 912.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 390,014,981 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $36,567,805,000 after acquiring an additional 351,493,659 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp boosted its holdings in shares of Netflix by 927.6% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 176,780,995 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $16,574,986,000 after purchasing an additional 159,578,053 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Netflix by 892.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 99,598,678 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $9,305,336,000 after purchasing an additional 89,558,684 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its position in shares of Netflix by 859.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 89,341,444 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $8,376,656,000 after purchasing an additional 80,025,890 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Morgan Stanley grew its position in shares of Netflix by 903.0% in the fourth quarter. Morgan Stanley now owns 85,349,973 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $8,002,414,000 after purchasing an additional 76,840,318 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.
Netflix News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Netflix formally declined to match Paramount Skydance’s higher offer for Warner Bros., ending the bidding war and securing a large breakup / termination payment that preserves cash and avoids taking on a complex, debt‑heavy asset. Netflix Receives Termination Fee After WBD Deal Collapse
- Positive Sentiment: Investors cheered the exit as it reduces near‑term strategic risk and potential integration headaches; commentators and analysts framed the decision as disciplined capital allocation, which helped lift shares. Netflix, Paramount shares jump as months-long fight for Warner ends
- Positive Sentiment: Regulatory and political risk eased — a planned Senate antitrust hearing tied to the deal was canceled after Netflix withdrew, removing a headline risk that would have attracted more scrutiny. After Netflix Drops Warner Bros. Bid, GOP Senator Cancels Planned Antitrust Hearing
- Positive Sentiment: Analysts and brokers responded with upgrades and higher price targets (Wolfe, Arete, Evercore coverage appears), supporting the rally and signaling refreshed bullish conviction. Wolfe Research adjusts price target on Netflix to $110 from $95; maintains outperform
- Positive Sentiment: Operational news also helped sentiment: Netflix expanded live sports/content reach by partnering with Apple to co‑broadcast the Canadian F1 Grand Prix, reinforcing content momentum outside M&A headlines. Apple and Netflix team up to air Formula 1 Canadian Grand Prix
- Neutral Sentiment: Market structure changed: Paramount Skydance looks set to win the Warner Bros. deal, which removes one strategic path for Netflix but also eliminates a costly contest; outcome may affect industry dynamics long‑term rather than Netflix’s near‑term earnings. Project Warrior: How Paramount beat Netflix in $110bn battle for Warner
- Negative Sentiment: Some opinion pieces warn of political/antitrust fallout and reputational/strategic implications from the episode (claims the fight became politicized and that Netflix’s positioning could invite scrutiny). These narratives could re‑emerge if Netflix pursues other large deals. Opinion | Why Netflix Lost Warner to Paramount
About Netflix
Netflix, Inc (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a global entertainment company that provides subscription-based streaming of films, television series, documentaries and other video content. Founded in 1997 by Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph and headquartered in Los Gatos, California, the company began as a DVD-by-mail rental service and introduced streaming video in 2007. Netflix later expanded into producing and distributing original programming, beginning notable original hits in the 2010s, and now operates a content production and distribution ecosystem alongside its licensing activity.
The company’s primary product is its on-demand streaming service, which can be accessed on a wide range of internet-connected devices and delivered through a suite of apps and web platforms.
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