NEW YORK, Jan 4, 2026, 16:55 ET — Market closed
- Netflix shares slipped about 3% in the first trading session of 2026, ending near the day’s low.
- Focus stays on regulatory and financing questions around Netflix’s planned Warner assets purchase.
- Next catalysts include U.S. ISM data on Jan. 5 and Netflix results on Jan. 20.
Netflix (NFLX.O) shares closed down about 3% at $90.99 on Friday, underperforming a steady U.S. market as investors remained cautious on the streaming company’s pending Warner Bros deal.
That drop matters now because the stock is sitting near the low end of its recent range and well off its peak. At Friday’s close, Netflix was about 32% below its 52-week high of $134.12 and roughly 11% above its 52-week low of $82.11.
With Wall Street reopening on Monday, attention shifts to catalysts that can move rate-sensitive growth shares. The ISM manufacturing report is due Jan. 5 and the services report Jan. 7, both at 10:00 a.m. ET; the U.S. payrolls report is set for 8:30 a.m. ET on Jan. 9, with consumer price data on Jan. 13.
The broader tape was calm on Friday. The S&P 500 rose 0.2%, while the Nasdaq was roughly flat, the Associated Press reported.
Media stocks were weaker, with Walt Disney (DIS.N) down about 2% and Warner Bros Discovery (WBD.O) off about 1% in the session, pricing data showed.
Netflix agreed in December to buy Warner Bros Discovery’s TV and film studios and streaming division for about $72 billion in equity, or $82.7 billion including debt, Reuters reported. Netflix said it expects at least $2 billion to $3 billion in annual cost savings by the third year after closing.
Anthony Saglimbene, chief market strategist at Ameriprise Financial, said the deal was “a recognition that there’s more optimism about the ability to get deals done.” Reuters
A filing showed Netflix has begun replacing part of the $59 billion bridge loan tied to the transaction. Bridge loans are short-term funding used to secure cash for a big deal until longer-term borrowing is arranged; Reuters reported Netflix lined up a $5 billion revolving credit facility and two $10 billion term loans it can draw later, leaving about $34 billion of the bridge facility to be syndicated — placed with a group of lenders.
The proposed acquisition, which includes HBO and HBO Max, is expected to close after Warner Bros spins off its Global Networks unit in the third quarter of 2026, Reuters reported. Rival interest has not fully faded: Paramount Skydance has pursued Warner with a higher headline offer, complicating the backdrop even as Warner’s board leans toward the Netflix deal, according to a Reuters report.
Netflix said it will publish fourth-quarter results and its business outlook on Jan. 20 at about 4:01 p.m. ET, followed by a live video interview at 4:45 p.m. ET with co-CEOs Ted Sarandos and Greg Peters and other executives.
From a chart-watcher’s perspective, the stock finished near the bottom of Friday’s $90.81–$94.13 range. A break below $90 would put the $82.11 52-week low back into view, while a rebound would need to retake roughly $94 to ease near-term pressure.
But the downside case is straightforward: a long antitrust review, tougher financing terms, or conditions that dilute the promised cost savings could keep the shares volatile. Investors have ISM surveys on Jan. 5 and Jan. 7 and payrolls on Jan. 9 on the near-term calendar, but the next company catalyst is Netflix’s Jan. 20 earnings and guidance, with the Fed’s next meeting set for Jan. 27–28.
