Rathbones Group PLC Increases Stake in Netflix, Inc. $NFLX

Key Points

• Rathbones Group increased its Netflix stake by 53.7% in the first quarter, adding 442,520 shares to hold 1.27 million shares valued at approximately $121.8 million. Institutional investors and hedge funds collectively own 80.93% of Netflix.
• Analysts maintain a generally positive outlook, with Netflix receiving a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and an average price target of $103.48, although several firms recently lowered their targets.
• Netflix reported quarterly EPS of $0.80, slightly exceeding estimates, while revenue rose 13.4% year over year to $12.56 billion. The stock opened at $71.71, near the lower end of its 12-month range, as insiders sold roughly $42.2 million in shares during the quarter.

Rathbones Group PLC boosted its stake in Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX - Free Report) by 53.7% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The firm owned 1,266,693 shares of the Internet television network's stock after purchasing an additional 442,520 shares during the quarter. Rathbones Group PLC's holdings in Netflix were worth $121,793,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC grew its position in shares of Netflix by 875.7% during the fourth quarter. Checchi Capital Advisers LLC now owns 31,143 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $2,920,000 after acquiring an additional 27,951 shares during the last quarter. BNC Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in Netflix by 991.3% in the 4th quarter. BNC Wealth Management LLC now owns 41,229 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $3,866,000 after purchasing an additional 37,451 shares during the last quarter. Family Capital Trust Co lifted its position in Netflix by 20,869.5% in the 4th quarter. Family Capital Trust Co now owns 27,470 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $2,576,000 after purchasing an additional 27,339 shares during the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Netflix by 912.5% during 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 purchasing an additional 351,493,659 shares during the period. Finally, BLB&B Advisors LLC boosted its stake in Netflix by 617.4% during the 4th quarter. BLB&B Advisors LLC now owns 60,635 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $5,685,000 after purchasing an additional 52,183 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

Several research analysts have commented on NFLX shares. Barclays decreased their target price on shares of Netflix from $85.00 to $80.00 and set an "equal weight" rating for the company in a research report on Friday, July 17th. Piper Sandler reiterated an "overweight" rating and set a $85.00 price objective (down from $115.00) on shares of Netflix in a research report on Friday, July 17th. BMO Capital Markets lowered Netflix from an "outperform" rating to a "market perform" rating in a report on Monday, July 20th. Needham & Company LLC restated a "buy" rating on shares of Netflix in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, KeyCorp reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and set a $92.00 target price (down from $115.00) on shares of Netflix in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Four analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have issued a Buy rating, seventeen have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Netflix presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $103.48.

Netflix Stock Performance

NASDAQ:NFLX opened at $71.71 on Monday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $76.66 and a 200-day moving average of $85.38. The firm has a market cap of $298.60 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 22.57, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.90 and a beta of 1.52. The company has a current ratio of 1.14, a quick ratio of 1.14 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.39. Netflix, Inc. has a twelve month low of $65.08 and a twelve month 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 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.79 by $0.01. Netflix had a return on equity of 40.02% and a net margin of 28.22%.The company had revenue of $12.56 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $12.58 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company earned $0.72 earnings per share. The firm's revenue was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts forecast that Netflix, Inc. will post 3.59 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 27,312 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 7th. The stock was sold at an average price of $88.69, for a total transaction of $2,422,301.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 120,931 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,725,370.39. The trade was a 18.42% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director Reed Hastings sold 386,700 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $85.97, for a total value of $33,244,599.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 3,940 shares in the company, valued at approximately $338,721.80. This trade represents a 98.99% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 492,289 shares of company stock worth $42,186,530 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 1.24% of the company's stock.

Netflix News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Netflix agreed to a five-year, approximately $500 million licensing deal covering all 371 episodes of The Walking Dead universe in international markets. The agreement strengthens Netflix’s global content lineup and adds a recognizable franchise beginning in 2027. Los Angeles Times article
• Positive Sentiment: Walmart-owned Flipkart is offering qualifying loyalty members a monthly Netflix mobile subscription after four orders in a month. The partnership could support customer acquisition and engagement in India, although the direct financial impact appears limited. Reuters article

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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