Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) shares fell 8% after its second-quarter report on July 16, yet the streaming giant is on pace for its most profitable year ever. The company spent nearly $5 billion on stock buybacks, its largest quarterly repurchase activity on record, and management reloaded its buyback authorization to $27 billion.
All of this comes at a time when investors appear disinterested, even as shares trade for less than 20 times earnings. The stock is down nearly 50% from last year's high, weighed down by a valuation rerating and concerns that user engagement is softening against rising competition from short-form video, podcasts, gaming, and other streamers.
Continue reading