Societe Generale sees big downside in Netflix shares with 'uniqueness' eroding

A "wider competitive set" has started to dilute Netflix's (NFLX) perceived "uniqueness" and will probably restrain its pricing power in the short term, Societe Generale analyst Christophe Cherblanc tells investors in a research note. The low price points set by Disney+ (DIS) at $6.99 per month and Apple TV+ (AAPL) at $4.99 per month will likely make Netflix more cautious exercising its pricing power, Cherblanc contends. Further, he believes the company's 2019 price increases have had a slightly higher than expected impact on U.S. churn. The analyst keeps a Sell rating on Netflix with a $200 price target. The streaming service closed Friday up $5.41 to $295.03. Despite the recent pullback, the shares still have "significant downside" risk, Cherblanc contends. Nonetheless, the analyst thinks Netflix will retain a dominant position in a "rapidly expanding" over-the-top market and deliver steady margin expansion.