Will Netflix earnings sink the stock market Friday?

A big after-hours drop followed the streaming giant's financial report.

| More on:
Happy family watching Netflix together.

Image source: Getty Images

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Thursday was another troubling day for the stock market, as it once again featured an optimistic start to the day followed by a last-minute air pocket. Until the last hour of the day, the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI), Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC), and S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) were all higher, at times sharply so. Yet the swoon in the late afternoon led all three indexes to significant declines.

Index Daily Percentage Change Daily Point Change
Dow (0.89%) (313)
S&P 500 (1.10%) (50)
Nasdaq (1.30%) (186)

Data source: Yahoo! Finance.

After the close of the regular trading session, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) reported its quarterly financial results. What the video streaming service provider had to say was highly disappointing, and the result was a 19% after-hours plunge in the share price. Below, you'll learn more about Netflix's latest numbers and why the reception from the investment community was so negative.

Streaming slowdown

The results that Netflix announced were clearly disappointing, even though on their face, they didn't seem to be all that bad. Revenue of $7.71 billion was up 16% year over year. Net income managed to climb 12% from year-ago levels, producing earnings of $1.33 per share. Netflix added 8.28 million net subscriptions globally, climbing almost 9% year over year.

The 1.2 million paid memberships in the U.S. and Canadian region that Netflix saw come in during the fourth quarter was the strongest period since near the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020. Moreover, the Asia-Pacific region saw sizable growth of 2.6 million paid memberships, compared to 2 million added memberships in the year-ago quarter. Although the Europe, Middle East, and Africa segment slowed down somewhat from prior-year results, 3.5 million net additions still made it Netflix's most successful region.

However, there were some troubling signs as well. Perhaps the most important came from Netflix's own guidance for the first quarter of 2022. Projections for $7.9 billion in revenue would represent just 10% growth from the first quarter of 2021 -- even with Netflix's latest price increases starting to take effect. Net income guidance for $1.3 billion, or $2.86 per share, would be substantially lower from year-earlier levels.

Worst of all, Netflix expects to bring in just 2.5 million new subscriptions globally. The company tried to explain that much of its new content will come out toward the end of the period, which it expects will lead to delayed new signups. Nevertheless, difficult economic conditions and the lingering uncertainty of the pandemic have caused Netflix's new acquisition growth to lag behind its pre-pandemic levels, and Netflix believes that could continue.

Will the market stream lower?

Judging from the way that Netflix's peers in the streaming industry reacted to the news, it's apparent that few investors believe this is a company-specific problem. Shares of Disney (NYSE: DIS) were down 4% in after-hours trading, perhaps reflecting the comments about the difficulty in getting new subscribers in the highly saturated North American market. Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) saw its stock drop 5% after hours, suggesting that connected TV is also at risk.

The big question is whether the rest of the market sees Netflix's slowdown as indicating a broader trend. Already, the Nasdaq has fallen more than 10% from its highs, and pessimism appears to be taking root in many different corners of the stock market.

When established growth leaders hit speed bumps, it always makes shareholders think twice about their positions. Long-term investors in Netflix and other high-growth stocks have seen this episode play out many times before, but that doesn't make it any easier to go through each time it happens. 

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

Scott just revealed what he believes could be the 'five best ASX stocks' for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now...

See The 5 Stocks *Returns as of 9 January 2025

Dan Caplinger owns Walt Disney. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns and has recommended Netflix, Roku, and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. recommends the following options: long January 2024 $145 calls on Walt Disney and short January 2024 $155 calls on Walt Disney. The Motley Fool Australia has recommended Netflix and Walt Disney. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

More on International Stock News

Confused African-American girls in casual clothing standing outdoors and comparing information on smartphones.
International Stock News

Better artificial intelligence (AI) stock for 2025: Nvidia vs. Microsoft

Nvidia has significantly outperformed Microsoft stock over the past couple of years.

Read more »

A young man clasps his hand to his head with his eyes closed and a pained expression on his face as he clasps a laptop computer in front of him, seemingly learning of bad news or a poor investment.
International Stock News

3 subtle investing mistakes I won't repeat in 2025 and beyond

You can avoid the mistakes I made...

Read more »

A bemused woman tries to choose between two slices of cake she holds on two plates.
International Stock News

What's the better long-term investment: The Nasdaq-100 or the top S&P 500 growth stocks?

Investing in top growth stocks can be a great way for investors to grow their portfolios in the long run.

Read more »

man looking happy and excited as he looks at his mobile phone
International Stock News

Jensen Huang just delivered incredible news for Nvidia stock investors

At the CES 2025 technology conference, CEO Jensen Huang highlighted a new multitrillion-dollar opportunity.

Read more »

Happy young couple doing road trip in tropical city.
International Stock News

Why electric vehicle stocks like Tesla just rallied

Wondering what caused Tesla and these other EV shares to pop?

Read more »

a woman with her hands over her face splits her fingers over one eye so she can peep through them.
International Stock News

Will Nvidia stock fall below $100 in 2025?

A worrisome precedent has been set by market leaders of game-changing technologies and innovations.

Read more »

An elephant standing on a chair looking down at a mouse
International Stock News

Should you buy shares in the largest company in the world?

Today, about half of the 20 biggest companies by market value are in the technology industry.

Read more »

a couple clink champagne glasses on board a private aircraft with gourmet food plates set in front of them. They are wearing designer clothes and looking wealthy.
International Stock News

Tesla stock vs Amazon: Billionaires are buying one and selling the other

Several Wall Street billionaires have been making some moves!

Read more »