Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Shares Up 1.3% Following Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Shares rose 1.3% intraday after Deutsche Bank raised its price target to $100 (maintaining a hold); Netflix traded around $107.7 with mid-day volume about 20% below average.
• Analyst sentiment is broadly positive with a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target of $115.80, supported by recent upgrades from firms including Goldman Sachs and KeyCorp.
• Insiders have been net sellers recently: CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 105,781 shares (~$8.77M) in January, and insiders sold about 1.54M shares (~$141.1M) over the last quarter, though insiders still own 1.37% of the stock.

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report) shares shot up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Wednesday after Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft raised their price target on the stock from $98.00 to $100.00. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft currently has a hold rating on the stock. Netflix traded as high as $107.85 and last traded at $107.71. 37,709,980 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 20% from the average session volume of 47,341,672 shares. The stock had previously closed at $106.28.

Other equities analysts have also recently issued reports about the company. KeyCorp reiterated an "overweight" rating and issued a $115.00 price objective (up from $108.00) on shares of Netflix in a report on Tuesday. New Street Research cut their price objective on Netflix from $100.00 to $96.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. The Goldman Sachs Group upgraded Netflix from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating in a report on Monday. Pivotal Research dropped their target price on Netflix from $105.00 to $95.00 and set a "hold" rating for the company in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Huber Research upgraded Netflix from a "strong sell" rating to a "strong-buy" rating in a report on Friday, February 27th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-six have assigned a Buy rating and twelve have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Netflix currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $115.80.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 105,781 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.94, for a total value of $8,773,476.14. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 122,140 shares in the company, valued at $10,130,291.60. This trade represents a 46.41% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider David A. Hyman sold 23,439 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, January 16th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.11, for a total value of $2,065,210.29. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 316,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,851,571. The trade was a 6.90% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 1,543,023 shares of company stock worth $141,145,842 over the last quarter. Company insiders own 1.37% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about Netflix

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analysts and research houses are lifting forecasts and price targets ahead of earnings, citing stronger ad revenue and pricing power—buy-side support that is underpinning the rally. MoffettNathanson Raises Price Target on Netflix
• Positive Sentiment: KeyBanc and other analysts say Netflix’s ad tier is scaling faster than expected, which should boost near-term revenue and margin improvement. KeyBanc: Ad Tier Scaling Faster
• Positive Sentiment: Citizens/JMP highlights a near-term benefit from U.S. price hikes—an estimated ~$1.1B boost—supporting expectations for a strong quarter. Netflix Stock Eyes $1.1 Billion Windfall
• Positive Sentiment: Technical setup looks constructive: NFLX recently cleared the 200-day moving average, a bullish signal that attracts momentum flows and technical buyers. Netflix Broke Out Above 200-Day MA
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and short-term expectations show elevated uncertainty: traders price roughly a mid-single-digit to low double-digit percentage move around the earnings print, which can amplify volatility in either direction. Options Traders Expect a 7.13% Move
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views remain: some firms (e.g., Deutsche Bank) keep conservative/hold stances even after tweaking targets, creating offsetting signals for investors. Deutsche Bank Adjusts Price Target
• Negative Sentiment: Strategic risk: Netflix’s failed Warner Bros. bid leaves it without an easy franchise shortcut and raises the prospect of a stronger competitor if the WBD–Paramount Skydance deal proceeds—a longer-term headwind investors are weighing. Netflix Refocuses After Failed Warner Bros Bid (Reuters)
• Negative Sentiment: Competition and content spending remain watchpoints: analysts and investors will scrutinize engagement metrics and content ROI in the earnings release for signs Netflix can sustain growth without costly M&A. Netflix to Refocus on Ads and Content (Yahoo)

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. increased its stake in Netflix by 0.4% during the 3rd quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 38,521,322 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $46,183,983,000 after buying an additional 142,238 shares during the period. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. increased its stake in Netflix by 837.2% during the 4th quarter. Contravisory Investment Management Inc. now owns 111,380 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $10,443,000 after buying an additional 99,496 shares during the period. Crew Capital Management Ltd increased its stake in Netflix by 1,021.9% during the 4th quarter. Crew Capital Management Ltd now owns 9,031 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $847,000 after buying an additional 8,226 shares during the period. BNC Wealth Management LLC increased its stake in Netflix by 991.3% during the 4th quarter. BNC Wealth Management LLC now owns 41,229 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $3,866,000 after buying an additional 37,451 shares during the period. Finally, Grove Bank & Trust increased its stake in Netflix by 1,379.8% during the 4th quarter. Grove Bank & Trust now owns 25,512 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $2,392,000 after buying an additional 23,788 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company's stock.

Netflix Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $454.77 billion, a PE ratio of 42.62, a P/E/G ratio of 1.56 and a beta of 1.67. The company has a current ratio of 1.19, a quick ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. The company's 50 day moving average is $90.81 and its 200-day moving average is $98.74.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The Internet television network reported $0.56 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.55 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $12.05 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.97 billion. Netflix had a net margin of 24.30% and a return on equity of 43.26%. The firm's quarterly revenue was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $0.43 EPS. Netflix has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.760-0.760 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts predict that Netflix, Inc. will post 24.58 earnings per share for the current year.

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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