Netflix completed a 10-for-1 stock split in November, and ServiceNow completed a 5-for-1 stock split in December.
Netflix stock is down 43% because the company plans to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming and studio assets, but shares look quite attractive at the current price.
ServiceNow stock is down 56% due in part to concerns that AI will disrupt the software industry, but the company's IT products are deeply entrenched across large enterprises.
Netflix (NASDAQ: NFLX) completed a 10-for-1 stock split in November. Shares are currently 43% below the record high. ServiceNow (NYSE: NOW) completed a 5-for-1 stock split in December. Shares are currently 56% below the record high. Most Wall Street analysts think the stocks are undervalued, and certain analysts expect substantial gains.
Investors gravitate toward forward stock splits because they take place after substantial and sustained share price appreciation, which is often a signal of a quality company. Here are the important details about Netflix and ServiceNow.
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Netflix is the leading streaming service no matter how you measure popularity: It has more subscribers, more monthly active users, and accounts for a larger percentage of television viewing time (excluding Alphabet's YouTube) than any competitor. That puts the company in a good position because the streaming video market is forecast to grow at 22% annually through 2030, according to Grand View Research.
Netflix has differentiated itself with original content. With more users and viewing time than its competitors, the company has more data to feed machine learning models that inform content development decisions. Consequently, Netflix originals regularly top the charts. In fact, the company made seven of the 10 most popular original streaming series in 2025.
Netflix has made an all-cash bid to buy Warner Bros. Discovery's streaming and studio business for $83 billion when debt is included. The market has punished the stock since the announcement because Netflix would take on a substantial amount of debt to finance the deal, which would reduce cash flow available to fund original content creation.
However, Netflix would also gain rights to franchises like the DC Universe, Game of Thrones, and Harry Potter. The company could use that intellectual property to develop original content that drives growth for decades, according to co-CEO Greg Peters. While the transaction undoubtedly carries risk, I think those risks have been discounted.
Wall Street expects Netflix's earnings to increase at 22% annually over the next three years, which matches Grand View Research's estimate for the broader streaming video industry. That seems reasonable, and it makes the current valuation of 30 times earnings look quite attractive. I doubt Netflix will return 95% in the next year, but the current price is a solid buying opportunity for patient investors.
ServiceNow serves as an enterprise control tower. Its platform integrates and automates workflows across disparate departments, including information technology (IT), finance, human resources, sales, and customer service. Consultancy Gartner recently recognized the company as a leader in business orchestration and automation technologies.
ServiceNow is particularly dominant in IT software, where its applications assist businesses in optimizing infrastructure costs and performance. The company has added generative AI capabilities to its software that summarize content, surface insights, and build workflows. Gartner recently recognized the company as leader in artificial intelligence applications for IT Service Management.
ServiceNow reported solid fourth-quarter financial results. Revenue rose 20% to $3.5 billion and non-GAAP (adjusted) net income increased 26% to $0.92 per diluted share. Management guided for slightly faster sales growth in the first quarter. CEO Bill McDermott commented, "There is no AI company in the enterprise better positioned for sustainable, profitable revenue growth."
ServiceNow stock is down 56% from its high, partly because investors are worried AI code generation tools will disrupt the software industry. But Wall Street expects the company's adjusted earnings to increase 19% in 2026. That makes the current valuation of 29 times earnings look attractive. I doubt ServiceNow will return 103% in the next year, but investors should still consider buying a small position. More than 85% of Fortune 500 companies use ServiceNow, which makes widespread AI-driven displacement unlikely.
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Trevor Jennewine has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Netflix, ServiceNow, and Warner Bros. Discovery. The Motley Fool recommends Gartner. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.