Netflix profit rises but outlook disappoints (Reuters)

Monday, April 25, 2011 4:01 PM By dwi

NEW YORK (Reuters) – Netflix Inc (NFLX.O), habitual to delivering stunning growth, unsuccessful to wow investors as it issued an earnings looking that lapse brief of expectations.

Shares of Netflix lapse 5 proportionality after its report, a clew that anything less than amend action module not satisfy for a consort whose hit has nearly tripled over the time year

The flick property service's prototypal lodge earnings and revenue surpassed expectations -- and it shapely up its subscriber base to more than 23 meg customers -- but it was the earnings looking that caught the tending of investors.

"Netflix is rattling much a momentum stock," said Brett Harriss, an shrink with Gabelli & Co. "We didn't intend a blockbuster lodge and guidance was a little light."

Specifically, Netflix said it would probable acquire between 93 cents and $1.15 a care in the ordinal quarter, compared with shrink expectations of $1.19 a share.

One anxiety analysts spinous to was Netflix's planetary business, thoughtful grave to its ontogeny over the next several years. So far, it has entered Canada, where it today has meet over 800,000 subscribers after heptad months of business.

But treatment in Canada -- and plans to advise into another markets -- is reaching at a cost. The consort expects to post a $50 to $70 meg operative expiration in its planetary playing during the ordinal half of the year, steeper than the $50 meg it previously projected.

Atul Bagga, an shrink with ThinkEquity, said concerns most Netflix's looking and the money its finance for its planetary playing were overblown. "In my view, that opportunity is meet effort going," he said.

Netflix has upraised expectations by producing out-sized subscriber additions lodge after quarter. Netflix ended the prototypal lodge 23.6 meg subscribers, more than Comcast Corp(CMCSA.O), the largest U.S. telegram company.

In the prototypal lodge of 2011 it additional 3.3 meg domestic subscribers, nearly threefold the number additional during the period a assemblage ago, highlighting its success in its transition from a mail-order playing to digit that progressively delivers its movies and TV shows over the Web.

Netflix posted earnings of $60.2 million, or $1.11 a care -- up from $32.3 million, or 59 cents per share, in the period a assemblage ago. The earnings were 3 cents meliorate than analysts' cipher prognosticate of $1.08 a share.

Revenue rose 46 proportionality to $719 million, which again surpassed analysts expectations of $703.6 million, according to Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

To draw more customers, Netflix has shapely its moving offerings finished a rush of noesis agreements. Recent ones allow a Lionsgate care for "Mad Men," a Fox care for "Glee," and a two-year care with CBS that adds shows much as "Cheers and "Frasier."

Netflix prefabricated an battleful advise into securing its own content, purchase the distribution rights for the example series "House of Cards," starring Kevin Spacey. The consort said on Monday that it designed digit to threesome more "similar but small deals."

Netflix shares lapse to $238.20 mass the earnings report, after approaching at $251.67, down 55 cents, during the lawful Nasdaq session. They hit climbed nearly 44 proportionality this year.

(Additional news by Liana Baker; Editing by metropolis Hill)


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