Netflix
NFLX on Nasdaq. Netflix sells monthly streaming subscriptions to people who watch shows and movies. Market value $281.1bn.
Price checks use the past 12 months to June 2026. Quality checks use five annual reports, the latest for the year to December 2025.
Should I look at this?
Worth a closer look
Why it could be worth it
What to watch out for
Nothing stood out in the numbers we check.
This is not advice. Check the numbers below.
For every $100 of what the whole company costs, it produced $3.90 of spare cash in the past 12 months. A savings account pays about $4.
You pay 20.3 years of operating profit for the business. The average large US company costs around 18.
Each dollar kept in the business earns 20 cents a year. Above 10 is good.
Quality score: 96 of 100. Price score: 66 of 100. Our list needs 70 on quality and 60 on price.
$68.69 a share, 6% above its 1-year low
Over the past year the price has ranged from $65.08 to $124.86.
Expected to report results Tuesday 20 Oct, after the market closes.
Pays no dividend
Prices from Tuesday’s close (6 October).
Five years of cash, in billions
| Revenue | |||||
| Revenue | $29.7bn | $31.6bn | $33.7bn | $39.0bn | $45.2bn |
| Operating margin | |||||
| Operating margin | 20.9% | 17.8% | 20.6% | 26.7% | 29.5% |
| Debt to equity | |||||
| Debt to equity | 0.97 | 0.69 | 0.71 | 0.63 | 0.54 |
| Shares outstanding | |||||
| Shares outstanding | 0.45bn | 0.43bn | 0.43bn | 4.22bn | 4.16bn |
Health checks
- Free cash flow positive4 of 5 years
- Accounting looks honest (Beneish)Not enough data
- Financial strength (Piotroski)6 of 9
- Profit backed by cash (accruals)Yes
- Debt0.54× equity
- Revenue growth, five yearsStrong, 12.6% a year
- Buying back its own sharesNo, 835% more shares since 2021
The quarter to June 2026
How the business did, compared with the same quarter a year earlier.
- Sales: $12.6 billion last quarter, up 13% on a year ago.
- Profit: $3.4 billion, up 9% on a year ago.
- It keeps 30 cents of each $1 of sales as operating profit, about the same as a year earlier.
- Spare cash over the past 12 months: $11.2 billion, up from $8.5 billion.
- 2% fewer shares than a year ago. Each share owns a bit more of the company.
- Debt is $5.2 billion more than cash, down from $6.3 billion a year ago.
- Sales grew on a year ago in each of the last 4 quarters.
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| September 2024 | $9.8bn |
| December 2024 | $10.2bn |
| March 2025 | $10.5bn |
| June 2025 | $11.1bn |
| September 2025 | $11.5bn |
| December 2025 | $12.1bn |
| March 2026 | $12.2bn |
| June 2026 | $12.6bn |
| Quarter to | Amount |
|---|---|
| September 2024 | $2.4bn |
| December 2024 | $1.9bn |
| March 2025 | $2.9bn |
| June 2025 | $3.1bn |
| September 2025 | $2.5bn |
| December 2025 | $2.4bn |
| March 2026 | $5.3bn |
| June 2026 | $3.4bn |
From the company's quarterly reports to the SEC.
Dates
- Next results (estimated)
- 20 October 2026
- Last annual report (10-K)
- 23 January 2026
- Next quarterly (estimated, 10-Q)
- 16 October 2026
Who owns it
18 long-term investors we follow own it, up from 16 last quarter. 3,374 funds in all.
- Gardner Russo & QuinnTom Russo
- Value
- $408m
- Share of fund
- 4.6%
- Greenlea Lane CapitalJosh Tarasoff
- Value
- $20m
- Share of fund
- 5.4%
- First Pacific Advisors (FPA)Steven Romick
- Value
- $1m
- Share of fund
- <0.1%
- Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb (Sequoia Fund)John Harris
- Value
- $577,697
- Share of fund
- <0.1%
- Semper AugustusChristopher Bloomstran
- Value
- $212,772
- Share of fund
- <0.1%
| Fund | Value | Share of that fund | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pershing SquareBill Ackman | $934m | 4.8% | New |
| Harris Associates (Oakmark)Bill Nygren | $786m | 1.0% | Added |
| GMOJeremy Grantham | $739m | 1.7% | Added |
| FundsmithTerry Smith | $499m | 3.7% | New |
| Gardner Russo & QuinnTom Russo | $408m | 4.6% | |
| Gotham Asset ManagementJoel Greenblatt | $44m | 0.1% | Added |
| Greenlea Lane CapitalJosh Tarasoff | $20m | 5.4% | |
| GAMCO InvestorsMario Gabelli | $12m | 0.1% | Added |
| Weitz Investment ManagementWally Weitz | $11m | 0.7% | New |
| Polen CapitalDan Davidowitz | $5m | <0.1% | Cut |
| Eagle Capital ManagementBoykin Curry | $4m | <0.1% | Cut |
| Saber Capital ManagementJohn Huber | $4m | 2.6% | Added |
| Markel GroupTom Gayner | $3m | <0.1% | New |
| Platinum Investment ManagementPlatinum team | $2m | 0.5% | Cut |
| First Manhattan Co.First Manhattan partners | $2m | <0.1% | Cut |
| First Pacific Advisors (FPA)Steven Romick | $1m | <0.1% | |
| Ruane Cunniff & Goldfarb (Sequoia Fund)John Harris | $577,697 | <0.1% | |
| Semper AugustusChristopher Bloomstran | $212,772 | <0.1% |
Sold out this quarter
- Boston PartnersBoston Partners teamSold out
- Horizon KineticsMurray StahlSold out
Largest holders overall
- BlackRock$24.9bn
- Vanguard Capital Management$19.6bn
- State Street$12.9bnAdded
- FMR$9.7bnCut
- Invesco$9.7bnAdded
- Geode Capital Management$7.8bnAdded
- Morgan Stanley$7.1bn
- Price T Rowe Associates$6.7bnCut
- Capital World Investors$6.2bnCut
- Vanguard Portfolio Management$5.4bn
From 13F filings for the quarter ended 30 June 2026.
Big holders and activists
2 investors own more than 5%.
- Vanguard Capital ManagementPassive investor7.5%Since 31 March 2026
- FMR LLCPassive investorat least 3.3%−1.8 pts(filed with 1 related holder)Since 30 June 2026
- The Vanguard GroupPassive investorSold down below 5%Since 13 March 2026
| Holder | Stake | Since | |
|---|---|---|---|
Vanguard Capital Management Passive investor | 7.5% | 31 March 2026 | |
FMR LLC Passive investor | at least 3.3%−1.8 pts (filed with 1 related holder) | 30 June 2026 | |
The Vanguard Group Passive investor | Sold down below 5% | 13 March 2026 |
From Schedule 13D and 13G filings: anyone owning more than 5% must file one.
What insiders did
No insider bought shares on the open market in the last 12 months. 8 sold $402m, $384m of it under preset trading plans.
- BARTON RICHARD NDirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 10 September 2026
- Shares
- 720
- Price
- $75.27
- Value
- $54,194
- BARTON RICHARD NDirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 9 September 2026
- Shares
- 720
- Price
- $76.26
- Value
- $54,907
- BARTON RICHARD NDirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 8 September 2026
- Shares
- 720
- Price
- $77.60
- Value
- $55,872
- Neumann Spencer AdamChief Financial OfficerSold
- Date
- 10 August 2026
- Shares
- 9,248
- Price
- $75.79
- Value
- $700,907
- Peters Gregory KCo-CEO, DirectorSold
- Date
- 6 August 2026
- Shares
- 27,312
- Price
- $73.54
- Value
- $2m
- BARTON RICHARD NDirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 5 August 2026
- Shares
- 2,160
- Price
- $75.10
- Value
- $162,216
- HYMAN DAVID AChief Legal OfficerSold
- Date
- 4 August 2026
- Shares
- 5,723
- Price
- $72.85
- Value
- $416,899
- SARANDOS THEODORE ACo-CEO, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 4 August 2026
- Shares
- 27,312
- Price
- $73.35
- Value
- $2m
- SARANDOS THEODORE ACo-CEO, DirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 3 August 2026
- Shares
- 105,850
- Price
- $73.03
- Value
- $8m
- SMITH BRADFORD LDirectorSoldunder a preset trading plan
- Date
- 17 June 2026
- Shares
- 35,990
- Price
- $77.52
- Value
- $3m
| Date | Who | Did | Shares | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 September 2026 | BARTON RICHARD N Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 720 | $75.27 | $54,194 |
| 9 September 2026 | BARTON RICHARD N Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 720 | $76.26 | $54,907 |
| 8 September 2026 | BARTON RICHARD N Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 720 | $77.60 | $55,872 |
| 10 August 2026 | Neumann Spencer Adam Chief Financial Officer | Sold | 9,248 | $75.79 | $700,907 |
| 6 August 2026 | Peters Gregory K Co-CEO, Director | Sold | 27,312 | $73.54 | $2m |
| 5 August 2026 | BARTON RICHARD N Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 2,160 | $75.10 | $162,216 |
| 4 August 2026 | HYMAN DAVID A Chief Legal Officer | Sold | 5,723 | $72.85 | $416,899 |
| 4 August 2026 | SARANDOS THEODORE A Co-CEO, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 27,312 | $73.35 | $2m |
| 3 August 2026 | SARANDOS THEODORE A Co-CEO, Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 105,850 | $73.03 | $8m |
| 17 June 2026 | SMITH BRADFORD L Director | Sold under a preset trading plan | 35,990 | $77.52 | $3m |
From Form 4 filings: insiders must report trades in their own company's shares within two days.
Warning signs in its filings
Problems the company itself reported to the SEC, in its own words.
None of the warning signs we check for were found.
We look for five warning signs: doubt it can keep going, weak checks on its own accounts, a notice that its past accounts can't be relied on, a change of auditor, and one customer bringing in a big share of sales. We don't check lawsuits, investigations or debt yet.
We checked the auditor's report, internal controls, restatement notices, auditor changes and big customers in the 10-K filed 23 Jan 2026, plus the 10-Q filed 17 Jul 2026 and 7 later 8-Ks.
A 10-K is the yearly report every US company files with the SEC. An 8-K is a short notice of a big event.
What could go wrong
Cheap for a reason is the question the numbers cannot answer.
Whether the price already reflects the risks is what the deep dive is for.
What changed in the risks this year
Companies must list what could hurt them each year. These are the parts that changed since last year’s report.
The WBD transaction may not be completed on the currently contemplated timeline or terms, or at all.
Could happenConsummation of the WBD transaction is conditioned on, among other things, obtaining necessary governmental and regulatory approvals. If any of the conditions to the WBD transaction are not satisfied, it could delay or prevent the WBD transaction from occurring, which could result in Netflix’s obligation to pay a $5.8 billion termination fee in certain specified circumstances. Further, as a condition to their approval of the WBD transaction, regulatory agencies may impose requirements, limitations or costs or require divestitures or place restrictions on the conduct of WBD's streaming and studios businesses after the closing. These requirements, limitations, costs, divestitures or restrictions could jeopardize or delay the consummation of the WBD transaction, may result in a material adverse effect on WBD's streaming and studios businesses or may reduce the anticipated benefits of the WBD transaction.
Read moreWe have a substantial amount of indebtedness and other obligations, including streaming content obligations, which could adversely affect our financial position, and we may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service our debt and other obligations.
Could happenIn connection with our transaction with WBD to acquire WBD’s streaming and studios businesses, including its film and television studios, HBO Max and HBO (such transaction, the “WBD transaction”), we expect to incur and/or assume a substantial amount of additional indebtedness, which will materially increase the amount of our outstanding indebtedness and could subject us to additional risks. We have obtained commitments from financing sources to provide up to a $42.2 billion senior unsecured bridge term loan facility, and we have entered into a $5 billion senior unsecured revolving credit facility and a $20 billion senior unsecured delayed draw term loan facility. We may draw on such facilities or issue or obtain other debt financing to finance a portion of the cash consideration for the WBD transaction. In addition, upon completion of the WBD transaction, we expect to assume additional outstanding debt of WBD. The terms of the indebtedness we may incur or assume in connection with the WBD transaction could vary materially and may include secured debt and/or debt with restrictive covenants that are more burdensome than those in our existing debt arrangements. To the extent these covenants remain in effect after closing, they could reduce the combined company’s operating and financial flexibility, and the substantial indebtedness to be incurred or assumed in connection with the WBD transaction could further exacerbate the risks described above.
Read moreProvisions in our charter documents and under Delaware law could discourage a takeover that stockholders may consider favorable, although we have announced plans to modify some of these provisions over time.
Could happen• announcements of developments affecting our business, including mergers and acquisitions, such as the WBD transaction, systems or expansion plans by us or others;
The deep dive
Everything above is arithmetic on public filings. The deep dive reads the last ten years of annual reports, the proxy statements, and the earnings calls, then argues the case the way Buffett, Klarman, and Hohn would, and checks every claim against the source.
- What the business is worth, as a range, and the margin of safety at today’s price
- Prices to start buying, buy, and buy hard
- The three things that would make this a mistake
- Every number footnoted to the filing it came from
It's near its lowest price in a year. The deep dive tells you if that's a bargain or a warning.
Your first deep dive is free.
Not advice. Numbers on this page come from SEC filings and are updated each night; prices are updated again after the US market closes. The five-year figures are rounded.