Netflix Stock Is a Buy Thanks to a Colossal Shift Happening Right Now
When TheStreet's Jim Cramer recently binge-watched a few shows on Netflix, Inc. (NFLX) - Get Report , little did he realize his small part in a gigantic revolution.
The video streaming revolution is leading to massive disruptions across all spectrums of entertainment. Subscriber losses plague big-name networks like ESPN (part of Disney (DIS) - Get Report ), while content providers scramble to stymie the impact that Netflix, Roku (ROKU) - Get Report , Amazon (AMZN) - Get Report and others are benefitting from.
This shift is one reason why Barclays' analyst Kannan Venkateshwar initiated Netflix stock with an overweight rating and $245 price target. Netflix could "become one of the most successful media companies" if it's able to grow its subscribers faster than its content costs, he argues.
From Wednesday's close, his price target implies about 15% upside to Netflix stock, which is already up some 65% over the past year.
The analyst drew connections between the steam-powered engine vs. electricity to demonstrate how powerful Netflix's platform is today, Cramer, who also manages the Action Alerts PLUS charitable trust portfolio, pointed out on CNBC's "Mad Dash" segment. Now that's a revolution, making no small comparison for Netflix.
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"This is a remarkable report," Cramer added, noting that it's 52-pages long explaining how great a company Netflix really is. The analyst even says one day Netflix could be as large as Disney.
Cramer's colleague David Faber also pointed out that, despite the huge rally over the past 12 months, Netflix came in at No. 5 on UBS' list of crowded short positions. At No. 1 stood Tesla Inc. (TSLA) - Get Report .
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At the time of publication, Cramer's Action Alerts PLUS had no position in any security mentioned.
