The latest Market Talks covering Technology, Media and Telecom. Published exclusively on Dow Jones Newswires at 4:20 ET, 12:20 ET and 16:50 ET.

1534 ET - Bank of America analysts are keeping an eye on Netflix's deal strategy after the streaming giant's commentary on its 1Q earnings call since walking away from its bidding war over Warner Bros. Discovery. "We would have expected a clearer and more compelling articulation of management's near‑to medium‑term outlook," the analysts say in a note. The analysts found it notable that Netflix placed more muted emphasis on buybacks, despite $6.8 billion remaining under its current repurchase authorization, along with comments around building an "M&A muscle" as part of its recent deal process. The company emphasized that Warner was "nice to have, not a need to have," signaling that it's returning to investing in areas like local content, sports and live programming and vertical video, the analysts say. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

1339 ET - The market may have gotten ahead of itself going into Netflix's latest earnings report after the streaming giant's recent round of subscription price increases, Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos says in a note. "It seems fitting that shares appear to be retracing back to the same pre-earnings levels before some perhaps ill-advised enthusiasm drove them higher into the print," even if the timing and magnitude of the price hikes was surprising, Kurnos says. Still, its tough to tell how much of Netflix's 2Q outlook miss was due to those dialed up expectations, he says. Netflix slides 10% to $96.77. (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

1326 ET - It's still up for debate whether Netflix can take up a bigger share of the time people spend watching content, Benchmark analyst Daniel Kurnos says in a note. During the streaming giant's latest earnings call, management shared progress on its internal quality engagement metric, but shared sparse details around how they define the metric and where the incremental engagement is coming from, according to Kurnos. Netflix says it provides more content per dollar as its competitors, but that commentary doesn't ring as forcefully as it pursues its own strategic content shifts in the midst of the "not all hours are created equal" mantra, Kurnos says. "Is Netflix a must-have today? Largely, yes," he says. "Can it maintain that status and even grow watch-time penetration globally? The jury is still out." (kelly.cloonan@wsj.com)

1223 ET - CoinMarketCap's "Fear and Greed Index", which tracks risk-on versus risk-off sentiment in the cryptocurrency market, is at its highest level since last July. The index is at 64 today, making for a reading of "greed." While the index is leaning towards risk-on behavior, dominance of bitcoin remains steady. Bitcoin continues to make up 59% of the total cryptocurrency market capitalization, says CoinMarketCap. That's down from 63% at this time last year. Ethereum continues to hold 11% of crypto's market cap, with other cryptocurrencies holding the remaining 30%. Major cryptocurrencies are mostly up today, with bitcoin rising 3.4%, according to LSEG, while ethereum climbs 4%, XRP is up 2.7%, and Cardano is 1.9% higher. (kirk.maltais@wsj.com)

1151 ET - Apple has the opportunity to gain share with the upcoming iPhone cycle, BNP Paribas analysts write in a note, upgrading the stock to outperform and raising their price target to $300. While the shortage in memory chips risks demand destruction at the lower end of the smartphone industry, Apple is insulated due to its size and ability to share cost pressure with its supply chain. A decrease in the availability of smartphones at lower-tier levels could prompt consumers to switch to a premium Apple product, exacerbating an existing mix shift trend. Lastly, Apple's deal with Google Gemini could fuel its artificial-intelligence innovation, with its Worldwide Developers Conference this summer potentially serving as a catalyst on that front. They estimate Apple will boost its smartphone share by 2-3 points through 2027. Apple is up 3.2%. (elias.schisgall@wsj.com)

1113 ET - Netflix maintains its full-year outlook, a move UBS analysts say in a research note is disappointing. Management suggested that it is still early in the year, though. That means an outlook boost could still be in the cards, according to the analysts, given that Netflix's operational momentum continues to be strong. Recent price increases have been digested well by consumers, and a wider range of content and investments in live events will continue to drive engagement. At the same time, the analysts note the widening discount for ad-supported plans compared with premium tiers should help to drive ad revenues. "The company plans to launch vertical video on mobile at the end of this month and suggested it would pursue an expanded relationship with the NFL," they write. Shares are off 9.5%. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

0932 ET - Netflix's narrow 1Q beat and soft 2Q guidance--coupled with Reed Hastings' decision to leave the board--has investors feeling pessimistic, with shares off 9% in early trading. But Wedbush analysts say in a research note that they still see an upside. "We remain positive on Netflix's overall opportunity to expand revenue in 2026, driven by both domestic subscription pricing and advertising revenue, while continuing to expand its global footprint with incremental subscriber and advertising opportunities," they write. The streamer continues to expand its content offerings and drive increased engagement, while substantial growth in advertising and the latest price increases can meaningfully boost profitability, the analysts say. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

0932 ET - Shares of European semiconductor companies are on the rise after Iran said the Strait of Hormuz is "completely open" to commercial vessels following a cease-fire in Lebanon. The strait, a key waterway used to transport helium needed to make artificial-intelligence chips, had remained largely closed in recent weeks. Shares of Dutch semiconductor-equipment maker ASML Holding and smaller rival ASM International are up 1.2% and 3.1%, respectively. Shares of BE Semiconductor Industries, the Dutch supplier of semiconductor assembly equipment, are up 2.8%. German chip maker Infineon Technologies is up 4.8%. STMicroelectronics shares are up 4.4%. (mauro.orru@wsj.com)

0835 ET - Netflix slumps 10% premarket, which Morgan Stanley primarily attributes to the company's 2Q guide and lack of a FY26 raise. "We think these are explained by the timing of U.S. price hikes (typically taking 2-3 months to filter through, while lapping last year's increase) and some conservatism early in the year," the analysts say in a research note, advising investors to buy the dip. While they expect debates around engagement to continue, the analysts say it was encouraging that 1Q view hours were up at a similar rate of growth as in 2H25, considering the recent period saw 17 days of robust streaming competition from the Winter Olympics on Peacock/NBC. At the same time, Netflix's advertising business continues to ramp, with no signs of macro weakness, they add. (connor.hart@wsj.com)

0626 ET - Netflix faces investor unease as Chairman and Co-founder Reed Hastings prepares to step down from the company's board in June, XTB's Kathleen Brooks writes. "This was unexpected news [..] Hastings' departure from Netflix has jolted investors at an interesting time for the company," she says. After withdrawing from a bid for Warner Bros., Netflix might keep financial flexibility but confronts greater competition from Paramount, she adds. While the failed deal was mentioned in the earnings report, Netflix is leaving room for future acquisitions, she notes. However, the U.S. giant offered no added incentives--such as a dividend--likely weighing on after-hours trading. (najat.kantouar@wsj.com)

0527 ET - Netflix's lower-than-expected guidance for revenue in the second quarter shouldn't set alarm bells ringing, Jefferies analysts write. Netflix shares fall steeply premarket, but "the primary issue was overly optimistic expectations" around the streaming giant's margins and its pricing in the U.S., the analysts write. The guidance miss doesn't suggest any deterioration in Netflix's business, they say. However, the stock's market-beating gains so far this year and short-term negative narratives around the company could temporarily limit performance, the analysts add. Netflix shares drop 9.75% premarket. (josephmichael.stonor@wsj.com)

0456 ET - Ericsson consensus for full-year earnings estimates could be cut by a low single-digit percentage after the company's first-quarter results, UBS analyst Francois-Xavier Bouvignies writes. Group revenue fell 10% on year versus consensus that was looking for a 7% decline, while adjusted EBIT missed consensus by 1% and management flagged rising input costs and increased uncertainty in the outlook. For the second quarter, the company expects networks revenues to be in line with seasonal trends of 4% growth on the quarter versus consensus at 7%. Taken together, the results and guidance imply first-half revenues around 3% below consensus and EBIT 2%-5% below, UBS adds. "With the stock being up 22% year-to-date, we believe a modest cut to consensus EPS is likely to weigh on the share." Shares fall 1%. (dominic.chopping@wsj.com)

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

April 17, 2026 16:50 ET (20:50 GMT)

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