Netflix (NFLX -0.83%) is an on-demand subscription streaming service that's become a household name The company was launched in 2007, but its origins go back to 1997 as a DVD-by-mail movie rental service. Co-founder Reed Hastings has been quoted as saying the catalyst to to start the mail-based rental business was being fined by then-premier movie rental business Blockbuster for being late to return a film.
The company is one of the most popular global and U.S. streaming services, with a domestic market share of 22% as of mid-2024, neck-and-neck with Amazon (AMZN +0.90%) Prime services.
While the COVID-19 pandemic spurred a surge in growth for Netflix with millions staying at home for months, the subsequent rampant inflation and changes in consumer spending hit the streaming giant hard.
But Netflix looks to be steadily getting back on track. As of early 2024, Netflix had about 270 million paid members worldwide, a 16% increase from the same period the prior year. The company also generated revenue of $9.4 billion in the first quarter of 2024, up 15% from the prior-year period, with profits soaring almost 80% to $2.3 billion.
NASDAQ: NFLX
Key Data Points
Netflix recorded revenue of $33.7 billion and net income of $5.4 billion in 2023, a respective increase of 7% and 20% from 2022. It introduced a cheaper, ad-supported tier at the end of 2022 and gained 40 million subscribers globally by early 2024.
As a publicly traded company, anyone can become a part owner of Netflix and share in the streaming giant's growth story. Here's what you need to know about who owns Netflix, its board of directors, and how to become a shareholder and invest in Netflix.
Shareholder
Institutional investors
- Vanguard Group: A top global investment advisor, Vanguard Group has approximately $7.7 trillion in global assets under management. It is the largest provider of mutual funds and the second-largest provider of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). The company owns 36.6 million shares of Netflix, representing a stake of 8.5%.
- BlackRock (BLK -0.41%): The investment company was founded in 1988 and is the world's largest asset manager with $10 trillion in assets under management. The company owns 31.38 million shares of Netflix, representing an equity stake of 7.3% of outstanding shares.
- FMR, LLC: Fidelity Management & Research Company LLC is part of Fidelity Investments. Fidelity has approximately $5 trillion in assets under management. The company owns 21.01 million shares of Netflix, representing a 4.9% stake.
- State Street Corporation (STT +0.69%): The company is a global financial services and bank holding giant. It has $4.1 trillion in assets under management. The company owns approximately 16.5 million shares of Netflix, representing an equity stake of roughly 3.8% of outstanding shares.
- T. Rowe Price Group (TROW -0.36%): The global investment firm was founded in 1937 and is based in Baltimore, Maryland. It controls approximately $1.5 trillion in assets and owns approximately 11.71 million shares of Netflix, an equity stake of 2.7%.
Board of Directors
How to invest in Netflix
Because Netflix is a publicly traded company, anyone with a brokerage account can invest in the stock. Even if you don't currently have a brokerage account, opening one is easy. You'll want to find the brokerage account that is best for your investment needs, then fund it so you are ready to put cash into your favorite stocks.
As you determine how much cash to use to fund your brokerage account to buy shares of Netflix or any other stock, consider your budget. You should have a solid emergency fund and money set aside for key expenses like rent and monthly bills. You should only invest cash that you can leave in your portfolio for at least five years.
It's also wise to diversify your investment capital across multiple stocks and industries. A great objective to have is a diversified portfolio of 25 or more stocks. If you follow a strategy like dollar-cost averaging, you can consistently put even a modest amount of capital into various stocks in all kinds of market environments. This can help you avoid risky and often ineffective approaches like market timing while ensuring your are building your portfolio in both smooth and turbulent market landscapes.
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Do your research before you buy shares of any company. Understand its competitors, how the company fits into its industry, its competitive and cost advantages, and its growth trajectory. You should also understand how the business makes money, its balance sheet, and its financial history. The right investment for your portfolio will be personal to your investment objectives, values, and long-term financial goals.
If you're still ready to buy shares of Netflix stock, open your brokerage and pull up its order page. You'll need to enter the right stock ticker (NFLX for Netflix), determine the number of shares you want to buy, and whether you'd like to make a market order or limit order (The Motley Fool recommends a market order since it guarantees you'll buy the stock at the current listed price). Make sure you look everything over before you initiate your trade, then click the submit button to become a Netflix shareholder.
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