Reed Hastings Sells 390,970 Shares of Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Stock

Key Points

• Reed Hastings sold 390,970 Netflix shares on Feb 2 at an average price of $83.63 for about $32.7M, leaving him with 3,940 shares — a roughly 99% reduction in his position.
• The Feb. 2 sale continues a string of large insider disposals (426,290 shares on Jan. 2 at $91.67 and 375,470 on Dec. 1 at $108.43), indicating sustained executive selling over recent months.
• Netflix shares recently traded near $79.94 and carry a MarketBeat consensus of "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $116.17; the company is seeing ad‑revenue momentum (~$1.5B) but faces regulatory, antitrust and labor/AI headwinds tied to the proposed Warner Bros. deal.

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report) Director Reed Hastings sold 390,970 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 2nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $83.63, for a total transaction of $32,696,821.10. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 3,940 shares in the company, valued at $329,502.20. This represents a 99.00% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website.

Reed Hastings also recently made the following trade(s):

• On Friday, January 2nd, Reed Hastings sold 426,290 shares of Netflix stock. The stock was sold at an average price of $91.67, for a total value of $39,078,004.30.
• On Monday, December 1st, Reed Hastings sold 375,470 shares of Netflix stock. The shares were sold at an average price of $108.43, for a total value of $40,712,212.10.

Netflix Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:NFLX traded down $2.82 during trading on Tuesday, reaching $79.94. 49,556,772 shares of the company traded hands, compared to its average volume of 51,771,074. The company's 50 day moving average is $93.28 and its two-hundred day moving average is $109.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $337.52 billion, a PE ratio of 31.63, a PEG ratio of 1.48 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a quick ratio of 1.19, a current ratio of 1.19 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51. Netflix, Inc. has a 52 week low of $79.62 and a 52 week high of $134.12.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The Internet television network reported $0.56 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $12.05 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $11.97 billion. Netflix had a return on equity of 43.26% and a net margin of 24.30%.The firm's revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.43 earnings per share. 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.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on NFLX shares. Needham & Company LLC lowered their price objective on Netflix from $150.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. William Blair reissued an "outperform" rating on shares of Netflix in a report on Wednesday, January 21st. New Street Research decreased their target price on shares of Netflix from $100.00 to $96.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. HSBC lowered their target price on shares of Netflix from $107.00 to $106.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Finally, Wedbush reissued an "outperform" rating and issued a $115.00 target price on shares of Netflix in a research note on Wednesday, January 21st. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have issued a Buy rating and seventeen have assigned a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $116.17.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Netflix

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. First Financial Corp IN boosted its position in Netflix by 900.0% in the fourth quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 270 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 243 shares in the last quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. lifted its stake in Netflix by 885.2% during the 4th quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 266 shares of the Internet television network's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. boosted its position in Netflix by 13,400.0% in the fourth quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. now owns 270 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC purchased a new position in shares of Netflix during the 3rd quarter valued at $25,000. Finally, Retirement Wealth Solutions LLC bought a new position in shares of Netflix in the third quarter worth $28,000. 80.93% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Netflix News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Ad business momentum — Netflix’s ad tier is showing strong growth (reported ~$1.5B in ad revenue), supporting a new growth engine and higher margin potential. Netflix's Ad Revenue Surges to $1.5 Billion
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — recent broker coverage includes upgrades/positives (Freedom Capital Markets upgrade to Buy; Bernstein reiterates Buy), which can help cushion downside if deal progress continues. Freedom Capital Markets Upgrades Netflix To Buy Bernstein Remains a Buy on Netflix
• Neutral Sentiment: Warner Bros. vote timeline — reports say Warner Bros. Discovery shareholders are likely to hold a vote on the transaction in March, which is a near‑term corporate milestone investors will watch for deal clearance or conditions. Warner Bros' shareholders likely to hold vote on Netflix deal in March: Report
• Neutral Sentiment: Options market signal — short‑term options "max pain" analysis points to an $88 level by Feb. 20, suggesting traders are positioning for continued near‑term rangebound action. Netflix Max Pain Points to a Price of $88
• Negative Sentiment: Heightened regulatory/antitrust scrutiny — Netflix co‑CEO Ted Sarandos was questioned by a Senate panel about competitive effects of the proposed Warner Bros. deal; lawmakers flagged consumer and labor concerns that raise the chance of regulatory hurdles. Netflix co‑CEO faces grilling by US Senate panel over Warner Bros deal
• Negative Sentiment: Political and reputational risk — at the Senate hearing one senator publicly accused Netflix of promoting certain content to children, which adds a political/PR angle that could complicate regulatory optics. Netflix co‑CEO grilled by US senators over Warner Bros. Discovery merger
• Negative Sentiment: Talent and production friction — a German voice‑actors boycott over an AI‑training clause creates operational and PR headwinds in local markets and highlights labor tensions around tech use. German voice actors boycott Netflix over AI training concerns
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling & deal skepticism — recent CEO stock sales and commentary about regulatory obstacles have amplified investor concern that the bidding/approval process could be protracted or costly. Insider Selling: Netflix CEO Sells Stock The Biggest Obstacle to Netflix Acquiring Warner Bros.

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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