Netflix is attracting more new subscribers than expected, as monte

(Reuters) – Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX) has experienced during the first quarter, a number significantly higher than expected new subscribers, the american group of online videos taking advantage of its new programs and confirming the market players in their assumption that the massive investments made by the company will fuel its growth around the world.

The title Netflix, which has come down from 1.24% at the end of the regular session of the New York stock Exchange, was 7% in trade after the stock Exchange, with market capitalization 137.2 billion ($110.8 billion euros), i.e. a total multiplied by two on a year.

Netflix has attracted 7.4 million new subscribers in the period January-march, compared with 6.5 million expected by analysts, according to the firm FactSet. The group also says to expect about 6.2 million new customers in the current quarter, or a million more than the consensus.

At the end of march, the total number of its subscribers stood at 125 million.

The group planned to spend up to eight billion dollars in tv series and films this year. Like Netflix is now available in 190 countries, investors are forgiving compared to a current generation of negative cash flow, retaining only the growth potential.

Netflix, however, is faced with competition from the giants, Disney, and Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN).com, which also capitalize on the online video. Disney will cease to provide services to Netflix from 2019 to propose its own offer.

Among the new series planned during the first quarter have been “Altered Carbon” and “Jessica Jones”.

The net profit was $ 290,1 million dollars in the first quarter, or $ 0.64 a share against 178,2 million ($0.40/share) a year ago. The turnover has increased by 40% over the period, to $ 3.7 billion.

These two data are consistent with the consensus Thomson Reuters I/B/E/S.

(Laharee Chatterjee, Benoit Van Overstraeten for the French service)