Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) Receives Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” from Analysts

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) has received an average recommendation of “Moderate Buy” from the thirty-seven research firms that are covering the company, Marketbeat reports. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, twenty-six have issued a buy rating and two have assigned a strong buy rating to the company. The average 12-month price objective among analysts that have issued ratings on the stock in the last year is $1,093.39.

A number of research analysts have issued reports on NFLX shares. KeyCorp upped their price target on shares of Netflix from $1,000.00 to $1,070.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research note on Monday, April 21st. Pivotal Research boosted their price objective on Netflix from $1,250.00 to $1,350.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Monday, April 21st. Arete Research raised Netflix to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. Needham & Company LLC reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $1,126.00 price target on shares of Netflix in a report on Thursday, April 17th. Finally, Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Netflix from $1,000.00 to $1,175.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 22nd.

Netflix Stock Up 1.2%

NASDAQ:NFLX opened at $1,191.53 on Wednesday. The company’s 50-day simple moving average is $1,009.34 and its 200-day simple moving average is $948.26. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.56, a quick ratio of 1.22 and a current ratio of 1.22. Netflix has a fifty-two week low of $587.04 and a fifty-two week high of $1,196.50. The stock has a market capitalization of $507.08 billion, a P/E ratio of 60.09, a P/E/G ratio of 2.12 and a beta of 1.58.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 17th. The Internet television network reported $6.61 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $5.74 by $0.87. Netflix had a net margin of 22.34% and a return on equity of 38.32%. The company had revenue of $10.54 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.51 billion. During the same period last year, the firm earned $8.28 earnings per share. On average, equities analysts anticipate that Netflix will post 24.58 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, CFO Spencer Adam Neumann sold 2,601 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $982.05, for a total transaction of $2,554,312.05. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 3,691 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,624,746.55. This trade represents a 41.34% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Also, Chairman Reed Hastings sold 30,485 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, March 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $981.92, for a total value of $29,933,831.20. Following the completion of the sale, the chairman now owns 394 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $386,876.48. The trade was a 98.72% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 132,868 shares of company stock worth $138,483,256 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.76% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Netflix

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Netflix by 100.0% in the 1st quarter. Halbert Hargrove Global Advisors LLC now owns 26 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 13 shares during the last quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC raised its holdings in Netflix by 82.4% in the 4th quarter. Pathway Financial Advisers LLC now owns 31 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 14 shares during the period. Brown Shipley& Co Ltd acquired a new position in Netflix in the fourth quarter valued at about $27,000. Transce3nd LLC purchased a new position in Netflix during the fourth quarter worth about $32,000. Finally, Newton One Investments LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Netflix during the fourth quarter valued at about $34,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Netflix

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.