Spotting Winners: Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) And Consumer Subscription Stocks In Q3

In this article:
NFLX Cover Image
Spotting Winners: Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) And Consumer Subscription Stocks In Q3

The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who not so much). Let’s take a look at how the consumer subscription stocks have fared in Q3, starting with Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX).

Consumers today expect goods and services to be hyper-personalized and on demand. Whether it be what music they listen to, what movie they watch, or even finding a date, online consumer businesses are expected to delight their customers with simple user interfaces that magically fulfill demand. Subscription models have further increased usage and stickiness of many online consumer services.

The 7 consumer subscription stocks we track reported a slower Q3; on average, revenues beat analyst consensus estimates by 2.5% while next quarter's revenue guidance was 0.8% below consensus. Investors abandoned cash-burning companies to buy stocks with higher margins of safety, but consumer subscription stocks held their ground better than others, with the share prices up 27.3% on average since the previous earnings results.

Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)

Launched by Reed Hastings as a DVD mail rental company until its famous pivot to streaming in 2007, Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) is a pioneering streaming content platform.

Netflix reported revenues of $8.54 billion, up 7.8% year on year, in line with analyst expectations. It was a strong quarter for the company, with revenue roughly in line with expectations. In addition, streaming net adds (essentially its paying customers) beat across all geographies.

Netflix Total Revenue
Netflix Total Revenue

The stock is up 38.2% since the results and currently trades at $478.28.

Read our full report on Netflix here, it's free.

Best Q3: Roku (NASDAQ:ROKU)

Spun out from Netflix, Roku (NASDAQ: ROKU) makes hardware players that offer access to various online streaming TV services.

Roku reported revenues of $912 million, up 19.8% year on year, outperforming analyst expectations by 6.6%. It was a very good quarter for the company, with a solid beat of analysts' revenue estimates and strong growth in its user base.

Roku Total Revenue
Roku Total Revenue

Roku achieved the biggest analyst estimates beat among its peers. The company reported 75.8 million monthly active users, up 15.9% year on year. The stock is up 56.8% since the results and currently trades at $93.58.

Is now the time to buy Roku? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it's free.

Weakest Q3: Match Group (NASDAQ:MTCH)

Originally started as a dial-up service before widespread internet adoption, Match (NASDAQ:MTCH) was an early innovator in online dating and today has a portfolio of apps including Tinder, Hinge, Archer, and OkCupid.

Match Group reported revenues of $881.6 million, up 8.9% year on year, in line with analyst expectations. It was a mixed quarter for Match. Its revenue beat analysts' expectations, driven by better-than-expected ARPU. That growth, however, was offset by year-on-year subscriber churn. This churn can be attributed to management's significant price increases, a new strategy the team implemented at the start of the year. Its subscribers did increase sequentially, however, showing that the initial shock from Match's price increase could be stabilizing. Management has also taken measures to make the company more efficient, enabling it to beat Wall Street's adjusted operating income and EPS estimates.

The stock is up 6.3% since the results and currently trades at $36.77.

Read our full analysis of Match Group's results here.

Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY)

With courses ranging from investing to cooking to computer programming, Udemy (NASDAQ:UDMY) is an online learning platform that connects learners with expert instructors who specialize in a wide range of topics.

Udemy reported revenues of $184.7 million, up 16.6% year on year, surpassing analyst expectations by 3.6%. It was a good quarter for the company, with a decent beat of analysts' revenue estimates but slow revenue growth.

Udemy had the weakest full-year guidance update among its peers. The company reported 1.41 million active buyers, up 6.8% year on year. The stock is up 44.8% since the results and currently trades at $13.05.

Read our full, actionable report on Udemy here, it's free.

Bumble (NASDAQ:BMBL)

Founded by the co-founder of Tinder, Whitney Wolfe Herd, Bumble (NASDAQ:BMBL) is a leading dating app built with women at the center.

Bumble reported revenues of $275.5 million, up 18.4% year on year, falling short of analyst expectations by 0.5%. It was a weak quarter for the company, with underwhelming revenue guidance for the next quarter and a miss of analysts' revenue estimates.

Bumble had the weakest performance against analyst estimates among its peers. The company reported 3.82 million active buyers, up 16.1% year on year. The stock is up 6% since the results and currently trades at $14.22.

Read our full, actionable report on Bumble here, it's free.

Join Paid Stock Investor Research

Help us make StockStory more helpful to investors like yourself. Join our paid user research session and receive a $50 Amazon gift card for your opinions. Sign up here.

The author has no position in any of the stocks mentioned

Advertisement