On Wednesday, Citi reaffirmed its Neutral stance on Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) shares, maintaining a price target of $660. The decision comes after Netflix's recent upfront preview, where the streaming giant disclosed significant growth in its ad-supported tier. Netflix announced that its ad-tier subscribers have climbed to approximately 40 million monthly active users (MAUs), a substantial increase from the 23 million MAUs reported in December 2023.
Netflix's ad-tier growth indicates an addition of around 4.3 million MAUs per month, a rate that mirrors the company's expansion back in December. According to estimates, this growth trajectory could result in approximately 17 million new ad-tier subscribers annually. Notably, about 40% of Netflix's new signups are opting for the ad-supported plan.
In addition to the growth in its ad-tier user base, Netflix has revealed plans to internalize its ad-tech capabilities. Although Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) will continue to be a partner, Netflix aims to broaden its collaboration to include other major players in the advertising technology space, such as The Trade Desk (NASDAQ:TTD), Google (NASDAQ:GOOGL), and Magnite.
The streaming company's strategy to enhance its advertising technology offering by involving these new partners reflects its commitment to strengthening the ad-tier service. This move signifies an important step for Netflix as it diversifies its revenue streams and adapts to the evolving preferences of its user base.
InvestingPro Insights
As Netflix continues to expand its ad-supported tier and enhance its advertising technology, real-time data from InvestingPro offers valuable insights into the company's financial health and market performance. The streaming behemoth has a market capitalization of $264.37 billion, reflecting its significant presence in the entertainment industry. Notably, Netflix's P/E ratio stands at 41.99, which is considered low relative to its near-term earnings growth, suggesting potential for investors looking at earnings-driven valuation metrics.
An analysis of the company's revenue growth reveals a healthy increase of 9.47% over the last twelve months as of Q1 2024, with a more robust quarterly growth rate of 14.81% in Q1 2024. This growth is underpinned by a solid gross profit margin of 43.06%, indicating efficient cost management relative to revenues. Additionally, investors may find the 82.7% one-year total return particularly compelling, demonstrating the stock's strong performance over the past year. The InvestingPro Tips highlight that Netflix is trading near its 52-week high, with the price at 96.01% of this peak, and analysts remain optimistic about the company's profitability.
For those seeking to delve deeper into Netflix's financial metrics and market potential, InvestingPro offers an array of additional tips, including insights on the company's valuation multiples and debt levels. With 25 analysts revising their earnings upwards for the upcoming period, the platform provides a comprehensive view of Netflix's outlook. To access these insights and more, readers can take advantage of a special offer using the coupon code PRONEWS24 to get an additional 10% off a yearly or biyearly Pro and Pro+ subscription at InvestingPro. There are currently 16 additional InvestingPro Tips available that could further guide investment decisions regarding Netflix.
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