Netflix Authorizes $25 Billion Stock Buyback

Netflix announced on Thursday that its board of directors has authorized an additional $25 billion stock repurchase program, a move aimed at returning capital to shareholders following the company's withdrawal from a major acquisition bid earlier this year. The streamer, based in Los Gatos, California, disclosed the open-ended program in a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, prompting its shares to rise 1.5 percent in premarket trading. The stock closed at $93.24 the previous day and has remained flat year-to-date amid ongoing volatility.

The new authorization supplements a prior buyback plan approved in December 2024, from which approximately $6.8 billion remains available as of the end of March. In the first quarter, Netflix repurchased 13.5 million shares for $1.3 billion. Company executives emphasized that repurchases will proceed based on factors such as stock price, market conditions, and alternative investment opportunities, with no obligation to buy a specific number of shares and the option to pause or discontinue at any time.

This development comes roughly two months after Netflix stepped back from its pursuit of Warner Bros. Discovery's studios...