Handelsbanken Fonder AB Cuts Position in Netflix, Inc. $NFLX

Key Points

• Handelsbanken Fonder AB reduced its Netflix stake by 16.1% in the second quarter, selling 542,555 shares and retaining 2.82 million shares valued at approximately $201.4 million.
• Despite the reduction, institutional ownership remains high at 80.93%, with major investors including Vanguard, State Street, Geode Capital and Capital World Investors reporting substantial position increases.
• Netflix insiders sold roughly $49.1 million in stock over the past 90 days, while analysts maintained an overall “Moderate Buy” consensus with an average price target of $103.48 versus the stock’s reported $76.29 price.

Handelsbanken Fonder AB lowered its holdings in shares of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX - Free Report) by 16.1% during the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 2,820,999 shares of the Internet television network's stock after selling 542,555 shares during the quarter. Handelsbanken Fonder AB owned approximately 0.07% of Netflix worth $201,419,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other institutional investors and hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in NFLX. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holdings in 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 acquiring an additional 351,493,659 shares in the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in Netflix by 927.6% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 176,780,995 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $16,574,986,000 after acquiring an additional 159,578,053 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in Netflix by 892.0% during 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 purchasing an additional 89,558,684 shares in the last quarter. Capital World Investors grew its position in shares of Netflix by 859.1% in the fourth quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 89,341,444 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $8,376,656,000 after purchasing an additional 80,025,890 shares during the period. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD grew its position in shares of Netflix by 685.8% in the fourth quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 86,058,878 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $8,068,882,000 after purchasing an additional 75,107,069 shares during the period. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Insider Activity at Netflix

In other news, CEO Theodore A. Sarandos sold 105,850 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.03, for a total transaction of $7,730,225.50. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 206,266 shares in the company, valued at $15,063,605.98. This trade represents a 33.91% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 27,312 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, August 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $73.54, for a total transaction of $2,008,524.48. Following the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 120,931 shares in the company, valued at approximately $8,893,265.74. The trade was a 18.42% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 600,295 shares of company stock valued at $49,056,671 over the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 1.24% of the company's stock.

More Netflix News

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Netflix said its U.S. advertising commitments for 2026 nearly doubled from the prior year during its Upfront negotiations. The announcement suggests growing advertiser demand and supports expectations that the company’s ad-supported business can become a more meaningful revenue and profit contributor. Netflix Wraps Upfront, Volume Nearly Doubled
• Positive Sentiment: Several market commentators highlighted potential upside after Netflix’s steep pullback. One analysis pointed to possible earnings catalysts and continued purchasing, while another said analysts see substantial appreciation potential based on buy ratings and price targets well above current levels. Netflix Is Down 42% From Its High Down but Not Out: Analysts See 40% Upside in Netflix
• Positive Sentiment: Netflix was also selected as a “Final Trade” on CNBC’s Halftime Report, adding to near-term positive investor attention. CNBC Final Trades
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary remains divided over Netflix’s long-term dominance and its premium valuation relative to Disney. The debate centers on whether Netflix’s more predictable streaming growth and emerging advertising business justify the higher multiple. Is Netflix’s Long-Term Dominance Under Threat?
• Negative Sentiment: CFO Spencer Adam Neumann sold 9,248 shares for approximately $701,000, reducing his holdings by 11.14%. While insider sales do not necessarily indicate a change in business outlook, the transaction may weigh modestly on sentiment. Netflix SEC Form 4 Filing

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several research firms recently weighed in on NFLX. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reduced their price target on shares of Netflix from $118.00 to $85.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. New Street Research lifted their price objective on Netflix from $96.00 to $102.00 in a report on Friday, April 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft set a $110.00 price objective on Netflix in a research note on Monday, July 20th. Phillip Securities upgraded Netflix from a "moderate buy" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a research report on Sunday, July 19th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $92.00 price target (down from $115.00) on shares of Netflix in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have issued a Buy rating, seventeen have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $103.48.

Netflix Stock Performance

NASDAQ NFLX opened at $76.29 on Tuesday. 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 stock's fifty day moving average is $75.13 and its two-hundred day moving average is $84.78. The firm has a market capitalization of $317.67 billion, a P/E ratio of 24.01, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.93 and a beta of 1.52. Netflix, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $65.08 and a fifty-two week high of $126.71.

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

Netflix Profile

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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