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Netflix, Inc. Is Marching to 240 Million Subscribers (NFLX)

By U.S. News & World Report

Netflix, Inc. (ticker: NFLX) has increased its market capitalization by more than tenfold in the past five years by delivering incredible revenue growth and impressive returns for investors. And according to new projections from a Rosenblatt analyst, Netflix still has plenty of growth ahead.

In a new research note, Rosenblatt analyst Alan Gould says the Netflix growth story will continue for at least another eight years. The company’s recipe of investing in original content and expanding to high-growth international markets like China and India means Netflix is nowhere close to its full potential.

Gould says Netflix has found a winning long-term strategy.

“It has the largest global subscriber base, allowing it to be the lowest-cost provider on a per-subscriber basis. Furthermore, it has minimal distribution costs, and as NFLX produces more of its own content, it becomes producer, distributor and retailer, allowing it to maximize profit,” Gould says.

Just last week, Netflix announced it will begin expanding into the massive Chinese market via a new partnership with China’s largest streaming video content provider, iQIYI.

[See: The 10 Best Ways to Buy Tech Stocks.]

The new iQIYI deal came as a bit of a surprise, considering the company told shareholders China “has become challenging” as recently as last October. Western streaming platforms Netflix, Facebook ( FB) and Alphabet ( GOOG, GOOGL) streaming site YouTube are all banned in China by the government.

Now that the iQIYI deal is in place, Netflix’s growth trajectory leads to some impressive long-term projections.

According to Rosenblatt, Netflix investors can expect the company to more than quadruple its annual revenue from around $9 billion to $40 billion by 2025. By that time, Rosenblatt estimates Netflix will have 240 million global subscribers and will be generating $12 per share of income. In the first quarter of 2017, Netflix reported 98.75 million global subscribers. Even eight years from now, the firm predicts Netflix will still be growing income at compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent.

For any other company, those projections might sound absurd. However, Netflix has consistently delivered revenue growth in the 28 percent range over the past four quarters and is showing no signs of slowing down.

[See: 7 of the Best Stocks to Buy for 2017.]

But while Netflix offers long-term investors a tremendous growth opportunity, it comes at a steep price. Netflix currently trades at an extremely high forward price-earnings ratio of 80.4, and Rosenblatt says the stock is “appropriately valued” at its current price of around $155 per share.

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Netflix, Inc. Is Marching to 240 Million Subscribers (NFLX) originally appeared on usnews.com

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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