The firm noted that Netflix traded down roughly $5 yesterday after Warner Bros. announced that it will sell movie rentals through Facebook. The firm calls this merely one distribution outlet for the a la cart service, but the firm also expects competition to expand from Amazon.com Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN) and Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) via iTunes.
Gabelli’s notes do not show a drop-off near-term but notes that Netflix should see pressure first on margins and eventually on subscriber growth rates. It currently has about 20 million subscribers and the firm sees that 20 million becoming 28 million through 2011 and that the rate will slow thereafter.
Valuation is a large part of the call as well. Netflix trades at roughly 27-times 2011 EBITDA and roughly 52-times projected earnings.
JON C. OGG