Streaming giant Netflix (NFLX) is scheduled to announce its first-quarter results after the market closes on Thursday, April 16. The stock has gained about 10% year-to-date, driven by strong ad growth, early U.S. price hikes, and a solid content lineup. The stock also got a boost after the company walked away from a merger with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), along with a $2.8 billion breakup fee.
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Ahead of the print, Wall Street remains upbeat, with analysts expecting Netflix to report EPS of $0.79 for Q1 2026, reflecting an increase of 15% year-over-year. Meanwhile, revenue is expected to rise 15.5% to $12.18 billion.
Analysts’ Views Ahead of Netflix’s Q1 Earnings
Heading into Q1 earnings results, Evercore analyst Mark Mahaney reiterated a Buy rating on the stock with a $115 price target. Mahaney expects results to come in largely in line with expectations, supported by a strong content lineup and the impact of recent price hikes. He believes Netflix could maintain or slightly raise its full-year outlook, with steady growth in subscribers and pricing helping drive revenue and earnings.
Likewise, Wedbush’s four-star-rated analyst Alicia Reese also maintained a Buy rating on the stock and raised her price target to $118 from $115, reflecting an upside of 15% from the current levels. She believes strong growth potential in global advertising and the added benefit of recent price increases could boost profitability this year.
In contrast, Deutsche Bank analyst Bryan Kraft maintained a Hold rating but raised his price target to $100 from $98.00. He noted that while Netflix avoided risks by walking away from the Warner Bros. Discovery deal and gained a $2.8 billion fee, the company will continue to rely on subscriber growth, price increases, and advertising for future gains.
Kraft also cautioned that growth could slow in the coming years, with the stock already reflecting much of the near-term upside.
Here’s What Options Traders Anticipate
Using TipRanks’ Options tool, we can see what options traders are expecting from the stock immediately after its earnings report. The expected earnings move is determined by calculating the at-the-money straddle of the options closest to expiration after the earnings announcement. If this sounds complicated, don’t worry, the Options tool does this for you.
Indeed, it currently says that options traders are expecting a 6.54% move in either direction in Netflix stock in reaction to Q1 2026 results.
Is Netflix a Good Stock to Buy?
Turning to Wall Street, NFLX stock carries a Strong Buy consensus rating. Among the 40 analysts covering the stock, 30 have issued Buy recommendations, and 10 rate it as Hold. Moreover, the average Netflix stock price target of $115.09 implies a 12% upside potential from current levels.
