B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG Purchases New Position in Netflix, Inc. $NFLX

Key Points

• B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. acquired 846,472 Netflix shares in the second quarter, worth approximately $60.4 million. Institutional investors collectively own 80.93% of Netflix.
• Netflix reported quarterly EPS of $0.80, slightly above estimates, while revenue rose 13.4% year over year to $12.56 billion. Analysts maintain a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating with a $103.48 target price.
• Insiders have been selling shares: executives and directors sold 600,295 shares worth about $49.1 million over the past 90 days, while recent analyst actions included downgrades and target-price cuts.

B. Metzler seel. Sohn & Co. AG acquired a new position in Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX - Free Report) during the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor acquired 846,472 shares of the Internet television network's stock, valued at approximately $60,438,000.

Several other institutional investors also recently bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Netflix by 912.5% in the 4th quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 390,014,981 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $36,567,805,000 after buying an additional 351,493,659 shares during the period. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Netflix during the second quarter valued at $24,902,221,000. State Street Corp raised its holdings in shares of Netflix by 927.6% in the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 176,780,995 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $16,574,986,000 after acquiring an additional 159,578,053 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Netflix by 892.0% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 99,598,678 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $9,305,336,000 after acquiring an additional 89,558,684 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capital World Investors lifted its stake in Netflix by 859.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 89,341,444 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $8,376,656,000 after acquiring an additional 80,025,890 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Bradford L. Smith sold 35,990 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, June 17th. The stock was sold at an average price of $77.52, for a total transaction of $2,789,944.80. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 79,690 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,177,568.80. This represents a 31.11% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CFO Spencer Adam Neumann sold 9,248 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, August 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $75.79, for a total value of $700,905.92. Following the sale, the chief financial officer owned 73,787 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $5,592,316.73. This represents a 11.14% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 600,295 shares of company stock valued at $49,056,671. 1.24% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company set a $80.00 target price on shares of Netflix and gave the stock an "equal weight" rating in a report on Friday, July 17th. Pivotal Research lowered their price target on shares of Netflix from $96.00 to $70.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Seaport Research Partners downgraded shares of Netflix from a "buy" rating to a "neutral" rating in a research note on Monday, July 20th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of Netflix from an "underweight" rating to a "sell" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Finally, Raymond James Financial reissued a "market perform" rating on shares of Netflix in a research note on Thursday, May 14th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have given a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Netflix presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $103.48.

Netflix Stock Performance

NFLX stock opened at $80.14 on Friday. Netflix, Inc. has a one year low of $65.08 and a one year high of $126.71. The firm has a market cap of $333.70 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 25.23, a PEG ratio of 1.01 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a current ratio of 1.14. The firm has a 50-day simple moving average of $74.40 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $84.37.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, July 16th. The Internet television network reported $0.80 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.79 by $0.01. Netflix had a net margin of 28.22% and a return on equity of 40.02%. The firm had revenue of $12.56 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.58 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm earned $0.72 EPS. The company's quarterly revenue was up 13.4% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities analysts forecast that Netflix, Inc. will post 3.59 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Netflix News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Bill Ackman’s Pershing Square rebuilt a major position. The investment firm’s purchase, despite previously taking a reported $400 million loss on Netflix, signals confidence in the company’s long-term growth, competitive position and leadership. The disclosure helped support a recent increase in NFLX shares. Netflix Moved, What Is Drawing Attention Now?
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts see advertising as a significant growth opportunity. Netflix is expanding its ad-supported business through live programming, new ad technology and additional tools for marketers. The company is targeting substantial future advertising revenue, which could diversify its sales base and support continued revenue expansion. NFLX's Ad Business Focus
• Positive Sentiment: Valuation has become more attractive after the selloff. Netflix trades at roughly 21 times forward earnings in the cited analysis, a level viewed as more reasonable than during prior periods of comparable declines. A CNBC contributor also recommended Netflix, reinforcing the bullish case among some investors. Netflix Trades at 21 Times Forward Earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Co-founder Reed Hastings discussed Netflix’s performance-focused culture. Hastings said companies should operate as teams rather than families, making workforce reductions easier when employees do not meet expectations. The comments revisit Netflix’s 2001 layoffs but do not represent a new operating announcement. Reed Hastings Says Companies Aren’t Families
• Negative Sentiment: YouTube is reportedly trying to prevent creators from signing with Netflix. YouTube is offering creators millions of dollars and warning that simultaneous Netflix deals could jeopardize marketing support and brand-campaign revenue. This could raise Netflix’s content-acquisition costs and make it harder to secure popular creator-led programming. YouTube Offers Creators Millions to Avoid Netflix Deals
• Negative Sentiment: Netflix faces a lawsuit from the band Demon Hunter. The group alleges that Netflix’s KPop Demon Hunters infringes its rights. The case creates legal and reputational risk, although the financial impact is currently unclear. Netflix Sued by Band Demon Hunter

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.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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