LIVE: Netflix announces Q4 earnings
Here are Wall Street's expectations:
Earnings Per Share: The average analyst estimate calls for Netflix to earn 2 cents per share, which is in line with Netflix's guidance.
Revenue: Wall Street estimates $1.83 billion in Q4 revenue, which would represent 23% growth year-on-year.
US Subscriber Growth: Wall Street estimates 1.62 million net additions, a bit shy of Netflix's forecast of 1.65 million net additions.
International Subscriber Growth: Wall Street estimates 3.50 million net additions, in line with Netflix's forecast.
We'll be covering the earnings report live, so click refresh your browser or click here for real time updates.
2015
2015 was a banner year for Netflix stock, which finished at over $114 a share - rising over 130%. It was the best performer in the S&P 500.
But Netflix's stock was anything but stable in its rise. After missing on subscriber growth numbers during its Q3 report, the stock initially plunged 14% before rallying. Netflix blamed its disappointing Q3 US subscriber growth on the transition to chip-based credit and debit cards.
The stock also fell 9% last week after ITG Investment Research predicted Netflix would badly miss its US subscriber growth numbers for Q4. ITG forecasted that Netflix would announce 1.13 million new US subscribers (much less than the Wall Street consensus and Netflix's own expectations).
Subscriber numbers are the most important factor in Netflix's earnings report, as some believe momentum in the US is starting to wane. Netflix made efforts to supercharge subscriber growth by going live in 130 more countries earlier this month, bringing the total to 190 - in effect, the entire world except China. Shares of Netflix popped nearly 6% after CEO Reed Hastings announced the new markets during a speech at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. But the potential of flagging US subscriber growth is still a concern.
Netflix believes this international growth is the key to unlocking value for its subscribers (and shareholders). Netflix's CPO, Neil Hunt, told Business Insider that the company believes the variations in show preferences within countries are greater than those between countries. This means that a show considered "niche" can still find audiences all over the world, and that international expansion will increase the value of Netflix's content.
We'll be covering the earnings report live, so click refresh your browser or click here for real time updates.