Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX – Free Report) from a hold rating to a buy rating in a research note published on Tuesday, Marketbeat Ratings reports.
Several other research firms have also recently commented on NFLX. Argus cut their target price on Netflix from $141.00 to $110.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Evercore assumed coverage on shares of Netflix in a report on Friday, February 27th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $115.00 price objective on the stock. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of Netflix from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Morgan Stanley set a $110.00 target price on shares of Netflix and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. initiated coverage on shares of Netflix in a research report on Monday, March 2nd. They issued an “overweight” rating and a $120.00 target price for the company. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-six have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $114.35.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on NFLX
Netflix Price Performance
Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX – Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The Internet television network reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $12.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.97 billion. Netflix had a return on equity of 43.26% and a net margin of 24.30%.The company’s quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. Netflix has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.760-0.760 EPS. Equities analysts forecast that Netflix will post 24.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Insiders Place Their Bets
In related news, Director Reed Hastings sold 426,290 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $91.67, for a total value of $39,078,004.30. Following the transaction, the director owned 3,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $361,179.80. This represents a 99.08% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, insider David A. Hyman sold 23,439 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.11, for a total transaction of $2,065,210.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 316,100 shares in the company, valued at approximately $27,851,571. This represents a 6.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 1,520,133 shares of company stock worth $137,259,786 in the last 90 days. Corporate insiders own 1.37% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Netflix
Several hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Natural Investments LLC boosted its position in shares of Netflix by 0.5% in the third quarter. Natural Investments LLC now owns 1,668 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $1,999,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Hengehold Capital Management LLC increased its position in Netflix by 3.3% during the third quarter. Hengehold Capital Management LLC now owns 282 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares during the period. Financial Partners Group Inc raised its stake in Netflix by 0.9% in the 3rd quarter. Financial Partners Group Inc now owns 969 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $1,162,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Seascape Capital Management raised its stake in Netflix by 1.6% in the 3rd quarter. Seascape Capital Management now owns 568 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $681,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Crews Bank & Trust boosted its holdings in Netflix by 5.8% in the 3rd quarter. Crews Bank & Trust now owns 164 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $197,000 after purchasing an additional 9 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
Netflix News Summary
Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:
- Positive Sentiment: BTS Seoul concert livestream drew 18.4 million global viewers — a large live-event audience that supports Netflix’s push into live‑adjacent and music-driven programming, potential ad revenue, and subscriber engagement. BTS Seoul concert livestream draws 18.4 million global viewers, Netflix says
- Positive Sentiment: ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5 filming is underway with new romantic leads and the show promoting its first LGBTQ leads — signals of continued franchise strength and cultural relevance that help retention and organic subscriber interest. ‘Bridgerton’ Season 5 Sets Francesca and Michaela Stirling as Romantic Leads, Filming Now Underway – Variety
- Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment is warming: Citi resumed coverage with a $115 price target and other firms (Erste, Bernstein) have upgraded or reiterated buy/outperform views — supports near-term demand from institutional buyers. Citi Resumes Coverage of Netflix (NFLX) Stock
- Neutral Sentiment: Warner Music multi‑year first‑look partnership to produce music-focused docs/films with Netflix — expands content mix into music and could bolster advertising and live-adjacent offerings, but the revenue impact timing is uncertain. Is Netflix’s (NFLX) Warner Music Deal a Clue to Its Next Advertising Growth Lever?
- Neutral Sentiment: Coverage pieces and analysis (Zacks, The Motley Fool) are debating what comes next after Netflix withdrew from the Warner Bros. assets contest — raises strategic questions but also highlights management discipline; outcome is uncertain. What Comes Next After Netflix Walked Away From Warner?
- Negative Sentiment: Survey data suggests price‑sensitive consumers (e.g., in Canada) are opting for ad‑supported plans — a potential headwind to ARPU if shifts accelerate and ad load/pricing doesn’t fully offset lower subscription revenue. NFLX, DIS, PSKY: New ‘Couch Potato Report’ Shows Cash-Strapped Canadians Choose to Stream with Ads
- Negative Sentiment: Several short‑interest notices reported a “large increase” but the published figures appear erroneous (0 shares/NaN). If accurate shorting picked up it would be negative, but current public data are unreliable — treat reported short‑pressure as uncertain.
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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