Netflix is a streaming entertainment service within the video content industry.
It operates as the pioneering global leader, defined by its vast original content library and massive international subscriber base.
Updated: February 19, 2026, 16:00 EST
Technical Analysis: NFLX is in a pronounced downtrend, trading near its 52-week low with a maximum drawdown of over 43% in the past year. While the stock is deeply oversold, indicating potential for a technical rebound, the lack of clear support levels suggests continued bearish momentum. Its high beta implies above-market volatility, adding risk in the current decline.
Fundamentals: The company maintains solid revenue growth and robust operational profitability, supported by disciplined working capital management and a conservative debt profile. However, rising marketing expenses have pressured margins slightly. Overall, Netflix's financial health is strong, with scalable operations and healthy cash flows.
Valuation & Risk: NFLX appears significantly overvalued with a forward P/E of 41 and negative PEG ratio, signaling high growth expectations not yet backed by earnings. Intense competition and content cyclicality add sector-specific risks. While short interest is low, the stock's high volatility and premium valuation warrant caution.
Recommendation: Given its oversold technical position and strong fundamentals, NFLX may appeal to long-term investors tolerant of volatility. However, the lofty valuation and lack of earnings support suggest waiting for a clearer growth catalyst or more attractive entry point. For now, a cautious approach is advisable.
Based on the provided analysis, here is a 12-month outlook for Netflix (NFLX):
12-Month Outlook for NFLX:
Over the next 12 months, Netflix's outlook hinges on its ability to justify its premium valuation. The key catalyst would be demonstrably stronger-than-expected subscriber growth and engagement stemming from its password-sharing crackdown and ad-supported tier, which could rebuild investor confidence. However, significant risks remain from intense competition, high content costs pressuring margins, and the stock's lofty valuation, which leaves it vulnerable to further downside if growth falters. Given the lack of analyst targets and the current oversold but fundamentally overvalued position, a wide target range of $65 - $95 seems plausible, reflecting high volatility as the market seeks clarity on its new growth initiatives.
Most Wall Street analysts are optimistic about Netflix, Inc.'s 12-month outlook, with consensus target around $77.00, indicating expected upside potential.
Overall, NFLX has investment potential but also faces challenges. Here are key factors to weigh before investing.
NFLX has demonstrated significant underperformance with substantial losses across multiple timeframes, reflecting severe bearish momentum.
The stock has declined sharply over both short-term periods, dropping 12.55% over one month and 32.24% over three months, significantly underperforming the market by 32.22% during this timeframe. Given its high beta of 1.712, this volatility aligns with expectations but highlights elevated risk exposure amidst the downtrend.
Currently trading at $77, NFLX sits just 2.4% above its 52-week low of $75.23 and remains 42.6% below its 52-week high, indicating deeply oversold territory. With a maximum drawdown of 43.35% over the past year, the stock shows little technical support near current levels despite the extreme oversold condition.
| Period | NFLX Return | S&P 500 |
|---|---|---|
| 1m | -11.8% | +1.0% |
| 3m | -33.3% | +1.9% |
| 6m | -37.2% | +6.5% |
| 1y | -24.8% | +12.1% |
| ytd | -15.4% | +0.2% |
Revenue & Profitability Netflix demonstrated solid revenue growth, increasing from $11.5 billion in Q3 2025 to $12.1 billion in Q4, though profitability moderated as the net income ratio declined slightly from 22.1% to 20.1%. The slight compression in margins was driven by rising operating expenses, particularly in selling and marketing, which grew significantly quarter-over-quarter. Despite this, the company maintains robust operating profitability with an operating margin above 24%.
Financial Health Netflix exhibits a conservative capital structure with a low debt ratio of 26% and a manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The interest coverage ratio of 12.6x indicates strong ability to service debt, supported by ample cash reserves reflected in a cash ratio of 0.82. Operating cash flow remains healthy, though the cash flow to debt ratio of 0.15 suggests moderate free cash flow generation relative to total obligations.
Operational Efficiency Operational efficiency is solid, with Netflix achieving a return on equity of 9.1% and a fixed asset turnover of 6.0x, indicating effective utilization of content and infrastructure investments. The asset turnover of 0.22x is relatively low, which is typical for capital-intensive streaming models, but the short cash conversion cycle of under 7 days highlights strong working capital management. Overall, the company demonstrates disciplined capital allocation and scalable operations.
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Try Now & Get Tesla Stock RewardBased on the provided metrics, Netflix appears significantly overvalued. The forward P/E ratio of approximately 41 is notably high, suggesting the market has priced in substantial future earnings growth. This concern is amplified by the deeply negative PEG ratio, which indicates that the market's growth expectations are not being supported by the stock's actual projected earnings growth rate, and the extremely high EV/EBITDA of over 51, which points to a premium valuation relative to its operating cash flow.
A peer comparison cannot be definitively conducted as industry average data is unavailable. However, the high absolute values of the P/E, Price-to-Book (12.21), and EV/EBITDA ratios suggest that NFLX trades at a significant premium. Without industry benchmarks, it is challenging to determine if this premium is justified by superior execution and growth prospects relative to its media and streaming peers.
Of course. Here is a risk analysis for NFLX based on the provided metrics.
1. Volatility Risk Netflix exhibits significantly higher volatility compared to the broader market, as evidenced by its Beta of 1.712. This indicates the stock is about 71% more volatile than the market, meaning it typically experiences sharper price swings both upward and downward. This elevated risk is further substantiated by the substantial maximum drawdown of -43.35% over the past year, which highlights the potential for severe peak-to-trough declines in a relatively short period.
2. Other Risks The absence of notable short interest suggests that the market does not currently harbor a strong, concentrated bearish sentiment against the stock. This can be viewed as a positive indicator, as it reduces the immediate risk of a short squeeze or intense selling pressure from that specific cohort. However, investors should remain cautious of external risks, including intense competition in the streaming sector, the cyclical nature of content-driven performance, and broader market liquidity conditions that could still impact the share price.
Neutral. While Netflix shows strong fundamentals and analyst optimism, I'm cautious due to its elevated valuation metrics and recent technical weakness. The stock's high volatility and premium pricing need to outweigh ongoing competitive pressures. This may suit risk-tolerant, long-term investors who believe in the streaming leader's ability to execute its growth strategy.
Based on the metrics provided, NFLX appears overvalued. The forward P/E of 41 and P/S ratio of 7.2 are exceptionally high, indicating the market is pricing in substantial future growth that is not supported by the negative PEG ratio (-8.2). While Netflix demonstrates strong profitability and financial health, these valuation premiums suggest the stock is expensive relative to its current fundamentals, even accounting for its industry-leading position. The negative PEG ratio, in particular, signals that its high P/E is not justified by its earnings growth trajectory.
Based on the provided information, here are the key risks of holding NFLX stock, ordered by importance:
1. High Volatility and Momentum Risk: The stock's high beta of 1.712 and its sharp recent decline of over 32% in three months indicate it is prone to severe price swings, with little technical support near its current level just above its 52-week low. 2. Intense Competitive and Content Cycle Risk: The streaming industry is characterized by fierce competition and the cyclical performance of content, which can lead to volatile subscriber growth and require continuous, heavy investment in new programming. 3. Profitability Compression Risk: While currently robust, profitability faces pressure from rising operating expenses, particularly in selling and marketing, as evidenced by the recent quarter-over-quarter decline in the net income ratio. 4. Moderate Free Cash Flow Generation Risk: The cash flow to debt ratio of 0.15 indicates that free cash flow generation is modest relative to total obligations, which could constrain financial flexibility amid high content investment needs.
Based on the provided analysis, here is a strategic forecast for Netflix (NFLX) stock through 2026:
Our target price range for 2026 is $90-$120, with a base case of $100. The key growth drivers are the successful monetization of the password-sharing crackdown and ad-supported tier, coupled with disciplined content spending to defend its dominant market position. The primary assumptions are that subscriber growth stabilizes in the mid-single digits and operating margins hold above 20%. This forecast carries significant uncertainty, heavily dependent on the unpredictable success of its new initiatives and the intensity of competition, which could lead to substantial deviation from these targets.