Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Trading 1.5% Higher After Analyst Upgrade

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX)’s share price shot up 1.5% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after Erste Group Bank upgraded the stock from a hold rating to a buy rating. The stock traded as high as $92.52 and last traded at $92.28. 29,347,773 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 41% from the average session volume of 49,908,090 shares. The stock had previously closed at $90.92.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Citic Securities cut their price objective on Netflix from $109.00 to $95.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, January 26th. Rothschild & Co Redburn set a $120.00 target price on shares of Netflix in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. BMO Capital Markets lowered their price objective on shares of Netflix from $143.00 to $135.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Wells Fargo & Company started coverage on shares of Netflix in a research note on Monday, March 9th. They issued an “equal weight” rating and a $105.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on shares of Netflix from $150.00 to $120.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-six have issued a Buy rating and twelve have assigned a Hold rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $114.35.

Insider Activity

In other news, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 27,312 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.24, for a total value of $2,273,450.88. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly owned 122,140 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,166,933.60. This represents a 18.27% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, CFO Spencer Adam Neumann sold 28,630 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, March 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $97.00, for a total transaction of $2,777,110.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief financial officer directly owned 73,787 shares in the company, valued at $7,157,339. This represents a 27.95% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 1,520,133 shares of company stock valued at $137,259,786. Insiders own 1.37% of the company’s stock.

Key Headlines Impacting Netflix

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ad business accelerating — reports show Netflix’s advertising revenue jumped roughly 2.5x to about $1.5B, driven by AI targeting and global scale, supporting the company’s monetization thesis and near-term revenue upside. Netflix Rides on Strong Advertising Revenues: More Upside Ahead?
• Positive Sentiment: Huge live-audience engagement — Netflix said the BTS Seoul concert livestream drew 18.4 million global viewers, signaling strong reach for live and event-based programming that can boost subscriptions and ad inventory value. BTS Seoul concert livestream draws 18.4 million global viewers, Netflix says
• Positive Sentiment: Ad product expansion — Joey Ai announced premium advertising opportunities on Netflix Canada, indicating continued third‑party interest in Netflix’s ad platform and potential to expand ad revenue internationally. Joey Ai Expands Netflix Advertising Opportunities in Canada
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst backing — recent upgrades and reiterated Outperform ratings (including Erste Group and Bernstein coverage) provide short-term buy-side support and may underpin today’s upward move. Sentiment Shifts on These Beaten Down Stocks: NFLX, ORCL
• Neutral Sentiment: Marketing tie-ins widen reach — a McDonald’s tie-in with the Netflix film “KPop Demon Hunters” is expected to drive mass awareness (analyst suggests big sales for McDonald’s), offering promotional upside for Netflix but limited direct revenue impact. Gonna be golden: These ‘KPop Demon Hunters’ meals could make McDonald’s $100 million
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic content moves — partnerships like the Warner Music first‑look deal and Netflix walking away from a Warner Bros. acquisition both reshape content strategy; they affect medium‑term growth mix but are mixed for near-term stock direction. Is Netflix’s (NFLX) Warner Music Deal a Clue to Its Next Advertising Growth Lever?
• Negative Sentiment: Valuation concerns — analysts note Netflix trades at ~7.3x price/sales and caution that slowing core growth plus heavy early‑2026 content spending could make the multiple look stretched, leaving the stock vulnerable if ad or subscriber momentum softens. Is Netflix Stock’s 7.3X PS Still Worth it? Buy, Sell, or Hold?
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment and Q4 concerns — investor letters and coverage flag lingering sentiment pressure from recent quarters and strategic uncertainty, which can weigh on multiples despite operational progress. Investors’ Concerns Hurt Netflix (NFLX) in Q4

Institutional Trading of Netflix

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of Netflix by 0.4% in the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 38,521,322 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $46,183,983,000 after purchasing an additional 142,238 shares during the last quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. grew its position in Netflix by 837.2% during the 4th quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 111,380 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $10,443,000 after purchasing an additional 99,496 shares during the last quarter. Grove Bank & Trust increased its stake in Netflix by 1,379.8% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 25,512 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $2,392,000 after purchasing an additional 23,788 shares in the last quarter. CIBC Capital Markets Europe S.A. increased its stake in Netflix by 171.4% during the 3rd quarter. CIBC Capital Markets Europe S.A. now owns 66,503 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $79,732,000 after purchasing an additional 42,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC raised its holdings in shares of Netflix by 2,184.8% in the fourth quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 85,727 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $7,841,000 after buying an additional 81,975 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Netflix Trading Up 1.5%

The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $87.04 and its 200-day simple moving average is $101.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The firm has a market cap of $389.62 billion, a PE ratio of 36.52, a PEG ratio of 1.39 and a beta of 1.68.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The Internet television network reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $12.05 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $11.97 billion. Netflix had a net margin of 24.30% and a return on equity of 43.26%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 17.6% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $0.43 earnings per share. Netflix has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.760-0.760 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Netflix, Inc. will post 24.58 earnings per share for the current year.

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.