Netflix: Upgrade-Palooza!
Netflix (NFLX) shares are skyrocketing today, after the company late yesterday posted strong Q4 results, with better expected forward guidance. The upside surprise has triggered a mass re-rating of the stock by the Street, triggering at least five analyst upgrades, plus a host of other estimate and price target revisions. At the core of the new enthusiasm: expanding gross margins, as more customers take advantage of the company’s streaming video service.
Here’s a look at the upgrades:
- Youssef Squali, Jefferies: Upgrades to Buy from Hold, target to $65, from $52. “Q4 results show that Netflix’s momentum is stronger than ever, driven by excellent execution amid a very favorable competitive environment,” he writes. Squali says the company is seeing benefits from the popularity of its movie streaming service. He takes his 2010 EPS estimate up to $2.56, from $2.28.
