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Market Data Table

Breakfast News: Is Netflix's Growth Story Cooling?

July 17, 2026

Thursday's Markets
S&P 500 7,534 (-0.51%)
Nasdaq 25,882 (-1.47%)
Dow 52,553 (-0.20%)
Bitcoin $64,172 (-1.21%)

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Chart showing Netflix's revenue over the past five years gradually rising from around $750 billion in the second half of 2021 to $13 billion in the first half of 2026.

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1) Netflix Dips Despite Revenue Growth

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) dipped 9.5% in pre-market trading, as second-quarter free cash flow fell from $2.3 billion a year ago to $1.5 billion, and management said it expects revenue growth to soften to around 12% year over year (YOY) in Q3. But the streaming giant continued its long-term revenue growth with a 13.4% rise in Q2.

"We expect to deliver … 13% to 14% top line growth for the full year": CFO Spencer Adam Neumann pointed out there's "a little bit of quarter-to-quarter choppiness in growth." He added that "in many ways, we're still just getting started as a company," and spoke of "an audience approaching 1 billion people with still lots of room to grow."
"It's about engagement and time spent on their platform": In response to Q1 results, Fool analyst David Meier spoke of the way Netflix's management frames the long-term opportunity, as they described the company as "the first place people go for entertainment and the last they cancel."

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2) Intuitive Surgical Dips 10% on Valuation Fears

Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) -- recommended in Rule Breakers -- reported an 18.5% rise in Q2 revenue YOY, with a diluted earnings-per-share (EPS) rise of 26.5% coming in ahead of expectations, as the company reached 11,710 installations of its da Vinci robotic surgery platform. Management now expects a rise near the midpoint of the 13.5% to 15.5% range in da Vinci procedures for the full year, slowing from 18% in 2025 -- and that's playing on investor sentiment, with the stock down 10% in early morning trading.

"Intuitive is still relatively early in the rollout of the da Vinci 5": Team Rule Breakers last month described Intuitive's latest technology generation as "a computation-heavy platform that is collecting a wealth of proprietary data on virtually every nuance of a surgeon's movements," and highlighted the stock's valuation was historically low at around 49 times trailing earnings -- though not traditionally cheap. It's about 47 now.
"Changes in patient coverage and premium dynamics may be affecting when patients seek care": CEO David Rosa noted possible delays in seeking treatment, adding, "as patients return to care, we expect da Vinci will remain a clear choice for their surgeons and care teams."

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3) Your Mindset Is Your Best Asset When Markets Drop

Asian markets were hit by further tech stock weakness this morning, after yesterday's revenue and earnings beats from Taiwan Semiconductor (NYSE:TSM) failed to settle fears over heavy spending and its possible effects on profitability. In response, Nasdaq futures dipped 2% this morning, with S&P 500 futures down 1%. As the market moves, remember that your long-term returns depend less on market timing and more on managing your own psychology.

I've dealt with fear, greed, and boredom. Because I'm a hardcore long-term investor, I don't get bored when I can do nothing to my stocks for months at a stretch. I've been a victim of greed, but by far, fear has cost me many an opportunity. -- Neha Chamaria, Team Hidden Gems

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4) Today's Pre-Market Earnings You Won't Want to Miss

Regions Financial (NYSE:RF), recommended in Dividend Investor, reported Q2 net income of $549 million, up 1.8% from the $539 million posted in Q1. With $226 million in dividends declared, the diversified financial services company has raised its dividend for 13 years in a row. The stock was little changed in early trading.
Travelers Companies (NYSE:TRV), which provides insurance for homes, autos, and businesses, reported net written premiums of $11.53 billion in Q2, comfortably ahead of the $10.34 billion reported in Q1. Fears of higher weather-related impacts didn't materialize, with catastrophe losses of $518 million well down from $927 million in the prior-year quarter. The stock edged up around 2%.
Truist Financial (NYSE:TFC), recommended in Stock Advisor by Team Hidden Gems, reported a 5.5% rise in Q2 revenue compared to the same quarter last year, as CEO Bill Rogers spoke of "earnings per share increasing 37% year over year." The $5.27 billion revenue was in line with estimates, with little reaction in the stock price.

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5) Today's Take: Beach Reads That Stuck With Me

The Alchemist, by Paulo Coelho. The book has a lot of beautiful quotes and my favorite is: “Every search begins with beginner's luck. And every search ends with the victor's being severely tested." During the investor journey, we'll encounter a bit of beginner's luck and we'll be tested as well. But I believe that we learn the most in difficult times. -- Alicia Alfiere, Team Rule Breakers

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6) Your Take

What's the most underappreciated competitive advantage you've found in a company you own -- something the market didn't seem to fully recognize?

Debate with friends and family, or become a member to hear what your fellow Fools are saying!

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