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Netflix Shares Slide 4% After Company Issues Soft Outlook Amid Warner Bros. Bid
Financial Modeling Prep· 2026-01-21 22:03
Core Viewpoint - Netflix's shares declined over 4% intra-day following weaker-than-expected guidance while pursuing a significant acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery's studio and streaming assets [1] Financial Performance - For Q4 ended December 31, Netflix reported earnings of $0.56 per diluted share on revenue of $12.05 billion, slightly exceeding analyst expectations of $0.55 per share and $11.97 billion in revenue [2] - The company ended the year with 325 million global paid subscribers, and advertising revenue more than doubled from 2024, reaching over $1.5 billion [2] Future Guidance - For Q1, Netflix forecasts earnings of $0.76 per share on revenue of $12.16 billion, below analyst estimates of $0.81 per share and $12.19 billion in revenue [3] - For the full year 2026, projected revenue is between $50.7 billion and $51.7 billion, compared to forecasts of $51.03 billion, indicating annual revenue growth of 12% to 14%, a slowdown from the 16% growth rate in 2025 [3] Content and Market Dynamics - The company noted a decline in viewing hours for non-branded licensed content due to increased licensing activity in 2023 and 2024, influenced by the 148-day Writers Guild of America strike that affected production [4] - The guidance was released alongside news of Netflix enhancing its $72 billion offer for Warner Bros.' studios and HBO Max streaming business, aiming to strengthen its competitive position against Paramount Skydance [4]