NFLX stock | 1000 shares | Plan to purchase and hold 3 weeks

 

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Shares Up 2.7% - Time to Buy?

Written by MarketBeat

February 24, 2026

Key Points

• Beat Q4 expectations: Netflix reported $0.56 EPS (vs. $0.55 est.) and $12.05B revenue, with management reiterating growth in advertising and subscribers, providing fundamental support for the stock.
• Deal and regulatory risk: A renewed Warner Bros. Discovery bidding war (Paramount's revised offer) creates merger execution uncertainty and a limited response window for Netflix, while political pressure over a board member and new UK streamer regulation could add approval risk and headline volatility.
• Market context and insider activity: Shares rose 2.7% to $78 on light volume (down ~34%), trading below the 50‑day ($86.55) and 200‑day ($105.35) averages; analysts rate the stock a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $116.08, and insiders sold roughly 1.4M shares in the past three months.
• MarketBeat previews top five stocks to own in March.

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report)'s share price was up 2.7% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $78.12 and last traded at $78.04. Approximately 31,868,467 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 34% from the average daily volume of 48,054,715 shares. The stock had previously closed at $76.02.

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment:Q4 results beat expectations — Netflix reported stronger revenue and EPS growth, and management reiterated growth in advertising and subscriber metrics, giving fundamental support to the stock. (Company earnings/quarterly report)
• Positive Sentiment:Analyst/bull commentary — Some investors and analysts still call Netflix a “global category killer” and see the recent pullback as a buying opportunity, which helps underpin buyer interest. ‘A Global Category Killer,’ Says Investor About Netflix Stock
• Neutral Sentiment:Bid battle timeline — Warner Bros. Discovery’s board is reviewing a revised Paramount Skydance offer, which gives Netflix a limited window to respond; the outcome could swing sentiment either way depending on whether Netflix retains its preferred-deal position. Paramount Revises Its Bid for Warner Bros. Discovery
• Neutral Sentiment:Longer-term regulatory change — The UK said it will regulate streamers like traditional broadcasters, a structural shift that raises compliance costs but applies industry-wide rather than singling out Netflix. UK to regulate Netflix and other streamers in line with broadcasters
• Negative Sentiment:Deal uncertainty clouds outlook — Analysts and traders punished the stock after earnings because Netflix’s 2026 guidance and the escalating WBD bidding war (Paramount’s higher offer) materially increase merger execution risk and potential regulatory scrutiny. Netflix Declines 8% Post Q4 Earnings: Buy, Sell or Hold the Stock?
• Negative Sentiment:Political/regulatory risk — Public pressure from President Trump to remove board member Susan Rice has injected political risk into the WBD acquisition review, potentially complicating approvals and adding headline volatility. Trump Calls on Netflix to Oust Susan Rice From Its Board

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NFLX has been the topic of a number of research analyst reports. President Capital raised Netflix from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $130.00 target price on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 3rd. Needham & Company LLC dropped their target price on Netflix from $150.00 to $120.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, January 21st. Barclays reiterated a "neutral" rating and set a $110.00 price target on shares of Netflix in a research note on Friday, December 5th. UBS Group set a $104.00 price objective on shares of Netflix in a report on Tuesday, January 27th. Finally, Cfra lowered shares of Netflix from a "strong-buy" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $100.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Monday, January 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have assigned a Buy rating and sixteen have given a Hold rating to the company's stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $116.08.

Netflix Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $329.50 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.88, a PEG ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.71. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.51, a current ratio of 1.19 and a quick ratio of 1.19. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $86.55 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $105.35.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX - Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The Internet television network reported $0.56 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of $0.55 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $12.05 billion for 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 business's revenue for the quarter was up 17.6% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $0.43 EPS. Netflix has set its Q1 2026 guidance at 0.760-0.760 EPS. As a group, analysts anticipate that Netflix, Inc. will post 24.58 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at Netflix

In other news, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 105,781 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $82.94, for a total transaction of $8,773,476.14. Following the sale, the chief executive officer owned 122,140 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,130,291.60. The trade was a 46.41% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider David A. Hyman sold 23,439 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated 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 sale, the insider directly owned 316,100 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $27,851,571. This trade represents a 6.90% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 1,399,163 shares of company stock worth $129,899,103. Insiders own 1.37% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Netflix

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. First Financial Corp IN lifted its stake in shares of Netflix by 900.0% in the 4th quarter. First Financial Corp IN now owns 270 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 243 shares during the period. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. increased its position in Netflix by 885.2% during the 4th quarter. DiNuzzo Private Wealth Inc. now owns 266 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 239 shares during the period. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of Netflix by 13,400.0% during the 4th quarter. Turning Point Benefit Group Inc. now owns 270 shares of the Internet television network's stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 268 shares in the last quarter. Imprint Wealth LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Netflix in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Finally, Cornerstone Financial Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Netflix in the 4th quarter valued at approximately $26,000. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.