Netflix Stock: Is NFLX Underperforming the Communication Services Sector?

Netflix Inc_ on phone by- Wachiwit via iStock

Neharika Jain

Wed, February 25, 2026 at 12:34 AM GMT+9 2 min read

In this article:

•                                       StockStory Top Pick 
  

  NFLX

  +2.10%

 XLC  

 +0.64%  

Valued at a market cap of $321 billion, Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) provides entertainment services. The Los Gatos, California-based company offers television (TV) series, documentaries, feature films, games, and live programming across various genres and languages.

Companies valued at $200 billion or more are typically classified as “mega-cap stocks,” and Netflix fits the label perfectly, with its market cap exceeding this threshold, underscoring its size, influence, and dominance within the entertainment industry. The company’s key strengths lie in its global scale, strong original content portfolio, advanced data-driven personalization, and subscription-based revenue mode.

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This entertainment giant has slipped 43.3% below its 52-week high of $134.12, reached on Jun. 30, 2025. Shares of NFLX have declined 28.6% over the past three months, notably underperforming the State Street Communication Services Select Sector SPDR ETF’s (XLC) 2.3% rise during the same time frame.

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Moreover, on a YTD basis, shares of NFLX are down 18.6%, compared to XLC’s 1.8% drop. In the longer term, Netflix has declined 22.8% over the past 52 weeks, lagging behind XLC’s 12% uptick over the same time frame.

To confirm its bearish trend, Netflix has been trading below its 200-day and 50-day moving averages since late October 2025, with slight fluctuations.

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The U.S. Department of Justice has opened a formal antitrust investigation into Netflix’s proposed $83 billion acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD). Regulators are evaluating whether the deal could significantly reduce competition in streaming and entertainment or give Netflix excessive bargaining power over independent creators. The probe references potential violations of Section 7 of the Clayton Act and Section 2 of the Sherman Act, signaling concerns beyond a routine merger review and into possible monopolization risks. The transaction, already viewed skeptically by investors, has pressured Netflix’s stock.

NFLX has also underperformed its rival, The Walt Disney Company (DIS), which declined 4.6% over the past 52 weeks and 6.8% on a YTD basis.

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Despite NFLX’s recent underperformance, analysts remain moderately optimistic about its prospects. The stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy” from the 43 analysts covering it, and the mean price target of $113.23 suggests a 48.3% premium to its current price levels.

_ On the date of publication, Neharika Jain did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com _

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