• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia

Trendingnow

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire

1

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year

2

Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic

3

Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
TechNetflix

Netflix Is Down 17% From Its Post-Earnings High. Here’s Why Investors Are So Worried

By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kevin Kelleher
Kevin Kelleher
Down Arrow Button Icon
October 22, 2018, 6:56 PM ET
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Last week, when Netflix said it was signing up way more subscribers than analysts expected, its stock shot up. Since then, Netflix’ stock has given up all of those gains as investors grappled with the high costs of creating Netflix programs.

Netflix said it would raise $2 billion through a new junk bond offering Monday, which will be issued in dollars and euros and take the company’s debt above $10 billion mark for the first time. The proceeds will likely be used for “content acquisitions, production and development, capital expenditures, investments, working capital and potential acquisitions and strategic transactions,” the company said in a statement.

For years, raising money by issuing debt has been a relatively inexpensive offering. But interest rates have been rising—the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield has risen to 3.2% from 1.3% since July 2016—and that can make borrowing costs higher in the long-term.

Before Netflix reported earnings last Tuesday, several Wall Street analysts lowered their price targets on Netflix’s stock, citing growing competition and rising interest rates as key reasons. Of course, once Netflix blew away analyst estimates on its subscriber growth, those concerns were brushed aside. Now that the initial euphoria is subsiding, and with Netflix planning to hold more than $10 billion outstanding debt, they are returning to center stage.

After Netflix posted earnings, its stock surged 15% to $397.20 a share in afterhours trading, but closed official trading Monday at $329.54 a share, a decline of 17% in a little less than a week.

Netflix is the king of so-called over-the-top TV, with 75% of the 49 million homes that stream video over the internet using its service, compared with 33% for Amazon Prime Video and 17% for Hulu. But Disney is pulling its content from Netflix to prepare its own Netflix rival, while AT&T is adding Time Warner content like HBO to create yet another deep-pocketed competitor.

To maintain its edge, Netflix needs more cash to build its own library. With interest rates expected to keep rising for some time, Netflix may be smart to raise more debt now. But the interest rates on that debt are already looking pricey. A $1.9 billion bond Netflix issued last April had a yield of 5.875%, while a $1.5 billion bond issued one year earlier had a 3.625% yield.

Netflix said it’s still negotiating the interest rate on the new $2 billion bonds with potential investors, but some reports indicate the U.S. portion of the 10.5-year bond may yield around 6.375%, the highest yield on any of Netflix’s outstanding bonds.

While worrisome, the growth in Netflix debt in a market with rising interest rates may not prove be a big obstacle for the company. On Monday, Moody’s gave Netflix’s proposed bond offering a Ba3 rating, which classifies it a high-yield or junk bond offering. Still, Moody’s suggested that, with Netflix’s strong growth in subscribers, the bonds may grow less leveraged over time.

“Despite the continuing issuances of debt to fund the company’s negative cash flows,” Moody’s said, “we expect leverage to drop gradually over time as the transition from licensed content to produced original content levels off and newer international markets begin to contribute to profits and overall margins improve.”

About the Author
By Kevin Kelleher
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon
Add Fortune on Google for similar content.

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • World's Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
  • Lists Calendar
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

Microsoft executive Jacob Andreou poses for a photo wearing a black suit jacket, with a tan background behind him.
AIMicrosoft
The 33-year-old executive Satya Nadella is trusting to fix Microsoft’s Copilot AI assistant
By Sebastian HerreraJune 27, 2026
38 minutes ago
Big Short legend Steve Eisman says everyone is buying the wrong AI stocks
InvestingFinance
Big Short legend Steve Eisman says everyone is buying the wrong AI stocks
By Shawn TullyJune 27, 2026
2 hours ago
Hacker in a dark hooded jacket holding a smartphone displaying an incoming unknown call while working on a laptop
CybersecurityScams
Job scams are getting more sophisticated, and they’re costing Americans millions
By Jacqueline MunisJune 27, 2026
3 hours ago
Qualcomm’s big AI gamble: Breaking Nvidia’s chips stronghold 
AIChips
Qualcomm’s big AI gamble: Breaking Nvidia’s chips stronghold 
By Phil WahbaJune 27, 2026
3 hours ago
Sam Altman and Donald Trump.
AIOpenAI
OpenAI agrees to stagger rollout of its most powerful model to only Trump-approved customers
By Eva Roytburg and Beatrice NolanJune 26, 2026
14 hours ago
gr
PoliticsElections
Anthropic and OpenAI waged a $27 million proxy war in a Manhattan congressional race. The winner told them both to get lost
By Sasha RogelbergJune 26, 2026
15 hours ago

Most Popular

MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
Success
MacKenzie Scott alone accounted for one-third of America's $19.2 billion in megagifts last year
By Sydney LakeJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
Success
Now worth $200 million, Sarah Jessica Parker credits being ‘one of eight kids that struggled financially’ for her hunger, ambition, and work ethic
By Orianna Rosa RoyleJune 24, 2026
3 days ago
Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
Economy
Ray Dalio says the U.S. just had its 'Suez moment'—and history says what comes next could end an empire
By Nick LichtenbergJune 26, 2026
1 day ago
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
Economy
The bond market knows something about the $39 trillion national debt that Washington doesn’t
By Eva RoytburgJune 25, 2026
2 days ago
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
Personal Finance
Current price of oil as of June 26, 2026
By Joseph HostetlerJune 26, 2026
21 hours ago
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
Asia
Ray Dalio just finished a 10-day trip to China. He says global leaders know America ‘doesn’t have what it takes to fight to maintain its empire’
By Nick LichtenbergJune 24, 2026
3 days ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.