Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) Stock Price Up 1.6%

Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) shares shot up 1.6% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $616.25 and last traded at $615.82. 1,134,430 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 74% from the average session volume of 4,380,478 shares. The stock had previously closed at $606.00.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research analysts have weighed in on the company. StockNews.com raised Netflix from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, February 26th. Needham & Company LLC raised shares of Netflix from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $700.00 price target on the stock in a report on Friday, April 19th. Bank of America raised their price objective on shares of Netflix from $650.00 to $700.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a report on Friday, April 19th. Canaccord Genuity Group reiterated a “hold” rating and issued a $585.00 target price (down from $720.00) on shares of Netflix in a research note on Friday, April 19th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on shares of Netflix from $570.00 to $685.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, February 27th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating, twelve have assigned a hold rating and twenty-three have issued a buy rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $631.15.

Netflix Price Performance

The firm’s 50-day moving average is $602.85 and its 200-day moving average is $531.62. The company has a quick ratio of 1.07, a current ratio of 1.07 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62. The company has a market capitalization of $262.66 billion, a PE ratio of 42.67, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 1.40 and a beta of 1.23.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last released its earnings results on Thursday, April 18th. The Internet television network reported $5.28 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.51 by $0.77. The company had revenue of $9.37 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.28 billion. Netflix had a return on equity of 29.62% and a net margin of 18.42%. Netflix’s revenue for the quarter was up 14.8% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company posted $2.88 EPS. Equities analysts predict that Netflix, Inc. will post 18.3 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Netflix news, CEO Theodore A. Sarandos sold 68,957 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $561.33, for a total transaction of $38,707,632.81. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now directly owns 1,278 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $717,379.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. In related news, CEO Theodore A. Sarandos sold 68,957 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $561.33, for a total transaction of $38,707,632.81. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 1,278 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $717,379.74. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, Chairman Reed Hastings sold 18,361 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, May 1st. The shares were sold at an average price of $551.54, for a total value of $10,126,825.94. Following the transaction, the chairman now directly owns 28 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $15,443.12. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 155,298 shares of company stock worth $89,753,167. 1.76% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of Netflix

Institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Authentikos Wealth Advisory LLC purchased a new position in Netflix in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $25,000. Spartan Planning & Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Netflix in the third quarter worth $26,000. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Netflix by 80.0% during the first quarter. Valued Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 45 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $27,000 after purchasing an additional 20 shares in the last quarter. Carmel Capital Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Netflix by 290.0% during the third quarter. Carmel Capital Partners LLC now owns 78 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 58 shares during the last quarter. Finally, VitalStone Financial LLC increased its holdings in Netflix by 933.3% in the 4th quarter. VitalStone Financial LLC now owns 62 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 56 shares in the last quarter. 80.93% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

About Netflix

Netflix, Inc provides entertainment services. It offers TV series, documentaries, feature films, and games across various genres and languages. The company also provides members the ability to receive streaming content through a host of internet-connected devices, including TVs, digital video players, TV set-top boxes, and mobile devices.