Netflix, Inc. $NFLX Shares Bought by AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc

Key Points

• AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK dramatically increased its Netflix stake by 1,051.7% in Q4 to 597,660 shares worth $56.03 million, and several other institutions (Vanguard, Baillie Gifford, Sumitomo Mitsui, Nordea, Assenagon) also made large purchases, leaving institutional investors with 80.93% ownership.
• Netflix beat Q1 estimates (EPS $1.23 vs. $0.76; revenue $12.25B) but issued weak Q2 guidance that highlights subscriber churn risk, while the board approved a $25 billion open-ended share buyback to support the stock.
• Analysts overall are bullish — consensus rating is “Moderate Buy” with an average price target of $114.53 — yet insiders have been net sellers, with ~1.49 million shares sold in the last 90 days and insiders now owning 1.37% of the company.

AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc grew its stake in shares of Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX - Free Report) by 1,051.7% during the fourth quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 597,660 shares of the Internet television network's stock after purchasing an additional 545,766 shares during the quarter. AEGON ASSET MANAGEMENT UK Plc's holdings in Netflix were worth $56,031,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake 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 valued at $36,567,805,000 after buying an additional 351,493,659 shares during the period. Baillie Gifford & Co. increased its stake in Netflix by 912.3% in the 4th quarter. Baillie Gifford & Co. now owns 36,940,035 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $3,463,498,000 after buying an additional 33,290,988 shares during the period. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. increased its stake in Netflix by 891.3% in the 4th quarter. Sumitomo Mitsui Trust Group Inc. now owns 12,099,908 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $1,134,487,000 after buying an additional 10,879,276 shares during the period. Nordea Investment Management AB increased its stake in Netflix by 886.6% in the 4th quarter. Nordea Investment Management AB now owns 9,667,997 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $902,798,000 after buying an additional 8,688,113 shares during the period. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. increased its stake in Netflix by 983.1% in the 4th quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 6,234,314 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $584,529,000 after buying an additional 5,658,740 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

NFLX has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Morgan Stanley restated an "overweight" rating on shares of Netflix in a research report on Friday, April 17th. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded shares of Netflix from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Monday, April 13th. Erste Group Bank upgraded shares of Netflix from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, March 24th. TD Cowen decreased their target price on shares of Netflix from $115.00 to $112.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, DZ Bank restated a "buy" rating on shares of Netflix in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-five have given a Buy rating and fourteen have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Netflix has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $114.53.

Netflix Trading Down 0.5%

NASDAQ NFLX opened at $92.37 on Friday. Netflix, Inc. has a 12 month low of $75.01 and a 12 month high of $134.12. The company has a 50-day moving average of $93.60 and a 200-day moving average of $97.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The company has a market cap of $388.94 billion, a P/E ratio of 29.83, a P/E/G ratio of 1.20 and a beta of 1.67.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, April 16th. The Internet television network reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.17 billion. Netflix had a net margin of 28.52% and a return on equity of 40.92%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $6.61 EPS. Netflix has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.780-0.780 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Netflix, Inc. will post 3.53 earnings per share for the current year.

Key Stories Impacting Netflix

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Board approved a $25 billion additional share repurchase authorization (no expiration), boosting capital returns and supporting the share price rally. Netflix announces $25 billion share buyback (Reuters)
• Positive Sentiment: Market reaction: the buyback and messaging drove pre-market gains and helped stem the post-earnings selloff. Netflix authorizes fresh $25B buyback (MSN)
• Positive Sentiment: Wall Street support: JPMorgan reaffirmed a Buy on NFLX, and Daiwa raised its price target, both reinforcing investor confidence after the drop. JPMorgan reaffirms Buy (AmericanBankingNews) Daiwa raises price target to $102 (MarketScreener)
• Positive Sentiment: Notable institutional interest — Cathie Wood continued buying shares, signaling conviction from some active growth managers. Cathie Wood keeps buying (Barchart)
• Neutral Sentiment: Industry M&A backdrop: Warner Bros. shareholders approved a large Paramount Skydance acquisition — consolidation could reshape content economics and competitive dynamics, with mixed implications for Netflix (it was the losing bidder). Warner Bros shareholders approve deal (Yahoo Finance)
• Neutral Sentiment: Strategic moves: reports Netflix is in talks to buy Los Angeles studio space — this would be a content-production play that supports long-term content pipeline but is not an immediate earnings driver. Netflix in talks to buy LA studio space (Yahoo Market Chatter)
• Neutral Sentiment: Governance item: Netflix’s board recommended “No” on two shareholder proposals tied to ideological content concerns — likely low short-term financial impact but could matter to activist investors. Board recommends No on proposals (Forbes)
• Negative Sentiment: Guidance and churn risk: management’s weak Q2 guidance after a Q1 beat signaled rising subscriber churn, which sparked the initial selloff and remains the primary near-term headwind for the stock. Buyback-and-chill strategy but guidance weak (The Daily Upside)
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst and market reaction: several pieces discuss the post-earnings selloff and questions about subscriber momentum and valuation — signaling continued volatility until membership trends stabilize. What is next after Q1 guidance selloff (Seeking Alpha)

Insider Activity

In other Netflix news, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 27,312 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $83.24, for a total value of $2,273,450.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 122,140 shares in the company, valued at $10,166,933.60. This represents a 18.27% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Cletus R. Willems sold 3,136 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, February 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.67, for a total value of $259,253.12. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 1,487,794 shares of company stock worth $136,255,772. Insiders own 1.37% of the company's stock.

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.

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