First Merchants Corp Grows Position in Netflix, Inc. $NFLX

First Merchants Corp boosted its holdings in Netflix, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFLX) by 1,312.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund owned 39,129 shares of the Internet television network’s stock after buying an additional 36,359 shares during the quarter. First Merchants Corp’s holdings in Netflix were worth $3,762,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of the company. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its holdings in Netflix by 912.5% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 390,014,981 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $36,567,805,000 after purchasing an additional 351,493,659 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp grew its position in Netflix by 927.6% in the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 176,780,995 shares of the Internet television network’s stock worth $16,574,986,000 after purchasing an additional 159,578,053 shares during the period. Geode Capital Management LLC raised its stake in Netflix by 892.0% during the 4th quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 99,598,678 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $9,305,336,000 after buying an additional 89,558,684 shares during the last quarter. Capital World Investors raised its stake in Netflix by 859.1% during the 4th quarter. Capital World Investors now owns 89,341,444 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $8,376,656,000 after buying an additional 80,025,890 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD lifted its holdings in shares of Netflix by 685.8% during the 4th quarter. Price T Rowe Associates Inc. MD now owns 86,058,878 shares of the Internet television network’s stock valued at $8,068,882,000 after buying an additional 75,107,069 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 80.93% of the company’s stock.

Key Netflix News

Here are the key news stories impacting Netflix this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Netflix expanded its video podcast partnership with iHeartMedia, adding more iHeartPodcasts as video shows on the platform and strengthening its content offering. Netflix Expands Video Podcast Partnership with iHeartMedia
• Positive Sentiment: Netflix bought a “Hot Ones” spinoff, a content deal that reinforces its rivalry with YouTube and supports its push into popular creator-driven programming. Netflix Buys a ‘Hot Ones’ Spinoff
• Neutral Sentiment: Some commentary argues Netflix may look undervalued after the recent selloff, with analysts still seeing upside if the business continues to execute. Is Netflix Inc (NFLX) a Bargain After 5.8% Drop? GF Value Says Undervalued
• Negative Sentiment: Investor sentiment was hurt by reports that Netflix was outbid or passed over on major acquisition targets, fueling concern that the company is missing strategic growth opportunities. After Missing Out on Roku, Netflix Claims It Won’t Buy Lionsgate. Here’s Why the Market Hates That Answer.
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts and market commentators warned against “catching the falling knife,” reflecting concern that NFLX could remain under pressure after breaking to new lows. Netflix Stock Slump Continues: Citizens JMP Warns Against Catching the Falling Knife

Netflix Trading Down 5.8%

Shares of NFLX stock opened at $72.88 on Tuesday. Netflix, Inc. has a 1 year low of $71.81 and a 1 year high of $134.12. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $88.30 and a 200-day moving average price of $89.75. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.43, a current ratio of 1.41 and a quick ratio of 1.41. The company has a market cap of $306.88 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 23.54, a PEG ratio of 0.98 and a beta of 1.50.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The Internet television network reported $1.23 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.76 by $0.47. The company had revenue of $12.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.17 billion. Netflix had a return on equity of 40.92% and a net margin of 28.52%.Netflix’s revenue for the quarter was up 16.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $6.61 EPS. Netflix has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 0.780-0.780 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Netflix, Inc. will post 3.6 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on NFLX. Barclays set a $110.00 price target on Netflix and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft upped their price objective on Netflix from $98.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, April 14th. Bank of America reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $125.00 target price on shares of Netflix in a report on Monday, May 18th. Rosenblatt Securities dropped their target price on Netflix from $96.00 to $95.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Friday, April 17th. Finally, Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating on shares of Netflix in a research note on Friday, April 17th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirty-three have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $114.26.

Insider Transactions at Netflix

In other news, CEO Theodore A. Sarandos sold 27,312 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $87.97, for a total value of $2,402,636.64. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 284,804 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $25,054,207.88. This trade represents a 8.75% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. The sale was made to cover tax withholding obligations related to the vesting of equity awards. Also, CEO Gregory K. Peters sold 27,312 shares of Netflix stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $88.69, for a total value of $2,422,301.28. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer directly 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 disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 1,349,019 shares of company stock valued at $123,105,721. Company insiders own 1.24% of the company’s stock.

Netflix Profile

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.