Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Lowered to Hold Rating by StockNews.com

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) was downgraded by equities researchers at StockNews.com from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a note issued to investors on Tuesday.

Several other analysts have also recently issued reports on NFLX. Argus upped their target price on shares of Netflix from $840.00 to $1,040.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, January 6th. Macquarie raised their price objective on Netflix from $965.00 to $1,150.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Wolfe Research upgraded Netflix from a “peer perform” rating to an “outperform” rating and set a $1,100.00 target price for the company in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Phillip Securities lowered Netflix from a “hold” rating to a “moderate sell” rating in a report on Friday, January 24th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price objective on shares of Netflix from $850.00 to $960.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-five have given a buy rating and one has issued a strong buy rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $1,021.70.

Netflix Stock Performance

NASDAQ NFLX opened at $1,011.11 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a current ratio of 1.22 and a quick ratio of 1.22. Netflix has a 1-year low of $542.01 and a 1-year high of $1,011.83. The business has a 50 day simple moving average of $909.38 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $784.44. The stock has a market capitalization of $432.51 billion, a PE ratio of 50.99, a P/E/G ratio of 2.02 and a beta of 1.27.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last posted its earnings results on Tuesday, January 21st. The Internet television network reported $4.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.20 by $0.07. The firm had revenue of $10.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.14 billion. Netflix had a net margin of 22.34% and a return on equity of 38.32%. Netflix’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm posted $2.11 earnings per share. On average, research analysts predict that Netflix will post 24.58 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, CFO Spencer Adam Neumann sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $978.41, for a total value of $9,784,100.00. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 3,691 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,611,311.31. This trade represents a 73.04 % decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, Director Timothy M. Haley sold 647 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $800.19, for a total transaction of $517,722.93. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last three months, insiders have sold 291,585 shares of company stock worth $277,777,833. 1.76% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Netflix

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of NFLX. RPg Family Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Netflix during the 3rd quarter worth $25,000. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC boosted its holdings in Netflix by 82.4% in the fourth quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 31 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 14 shares in the last quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. grew its stake in shares of Netflix by 700.0% during the third quarter. E Fund Management Hong Kong Co. Ltd. now owns 48 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 42 shares during the last quarter. Newton One Investments LLC acquired a new position in shares of Netflix during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. Finally, MidAtlantic Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in Netflix in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $37,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Netflix Company Profile

Netflix, Inc provides entertainment services. It offers TV series, documentaries, feature films, and games across various genres and languages. The company also provides members the ability to receive streaming content through a host of internet-connected devices, including TVs, digital video players, TV set-top boxes, and mobile devices.