“Citi analysts recently sent a note to clients saying there is a 40% chance that Apple will buy Netflix,” Karl Kaufman writes for Forbes. “The basis for the analyst’s argument is that Apple will have $252 billion in overseas cash available to repatriate, and they need to do something with it.”
“Where did Citi come up with their 40% estimate? Did they just pull it out of thin air? Apple is very secretive when it comes to their long-term plans, so this type of analyst note seems to be nothing more than mere speculation,” Kaufman writes. “The Citi analysts have nothing to lose by making their prediction — if they’re wrong, they can claim they said there was a 60% chance of a deal not happening.”
“Apple has already committed $1 billion towards creating new shows and their largest acquisition was buying Beats for $3 billion in 2014” Kaufman writes. “Why would they spend $75 billion to buy Netflix?”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Citi said exactly the same thing last May, too.
Here’s what we said the May before last:
What is unique about Netflix? A handful of TV series are not worth $40 billion. Apple is perfectly capable of taking on Netflix without having to buy them, deal with integrating their employees, etc. Until Apple actually buys Netflix, we’ll keep saying that Apple will buy Netflix for the same reason they bought Palm. — MacDailyNews, May 27, 2016
SEE ALSO:
Citi: Apple 40% likely to acquire Netflix, 5% likely to acquire Tesla – May 5, 2017
Analyst: Apple could double dividend, buy Netflix with repatriated cash under President Trump’s U.S. corporate tax changes – March 17, 2017
No, Apple doesn’t need to buy Netflix – February 22, 2017
Why Apple should buy Netflix or something – February 22, 2017
Apple’s arrogance said to contribute to struggles to make big deals – February 15, 2017
Apple hires Amazon’s Fire TV head to run Apple TV business – February 8, 2017
Why Apple should buy Disney – January 26, 2017
Apple’s new TV app shows just how painfully behind Apple is – December 14, 2016
Apple approached Time Warner about possible merger before AT&T talks – October 21, 2016
Apple’s Eddy Cue: Nope, we don’t want to be Netflix – October 20, 2016
Google signs up CBS for planned web TV service to debut in early 2017; close to deal with 21st Century Fox – October 20, 2016
Bernstein: Apple buying Netflix would be a waste of $50 billion – October 5, 2016
A chance for an Apple buyout offer as Netflix stumbles – July 19, 2016
Here comes á la carte programming – without Apple – July 13, 2016
Should Apple absorb Netflix? – July 11, 2016
Apple to buy Netflix? – May 27, 2016
Should Apple buy Netflix for $53 billion? – May 10, 2016
Apple declines to place bid on NFL Thursday Night Football – March 3, 2016
Why Apple should buy Netflix – January 7, 2016
Apple TV 4 is a beta product and, if you bought one, you’re an unpaid beta tester – November 5, 2015
Apple made ‘audacious bid’ for Top Gear trio of Clarkson, Hammond and May, but lost out to Bezos’ Amazon – September 1, 2015
Why Apple should buy Netflix – April 21, 2015
Why Apple should buy Netflix – March 26, 2014
Jim Cramer: Apple should buy Twitter or Netflix to spur growth – February 7, 2013
The Netflix buyout battle: Apple vs. Time Warner – April 10, 2012
He’s a clown, I say it’s 41%.
There is 60% chance that Apple won’t buy NFLX. I like my odds better.
For the amount Apple would spend on buying Netflix, they could buy a lot of content and marketing to create their own.
And if they (Apple) bought Netflix it would be a money losing deal. For Apple.
Not to mention everything Tim Cook touches turns to shit.
Apple has to purchase quality because the decrepit and self-serving Cupertino politburo and its halfwit liberal evangelist CEO are incapable of acting like responsible adults.
buy netflix, for the right to do what, show content? instead of buying nexflix, are there no companies that want to grow a division anymore? is it only about buying a possible competitor in a space?
I’m sick of the mergers. let the new ideas come forth and that only happens in the crucible of building something from scratch. how many owners did palm have?
lazy CEOs. quit begging congress for tax breaks and go to work creating the next product or service. taxes will no longer be the go to excuse for a sorry quarter, or the sorry decision making by these over paid golf jockeys.
If this analyst was any good he, she, they, them would be the richest he, she, they, them in the world and would not be working for citi. 2018, never repeat what an analyst says. just reply, ‘ah’.
Buy Netflix…then leave it alone..just protect it and add your weight so it can stream more.
Netflix has the best interface, always had.
Microsoft spent 85 billion on Skype…Netflix is a better buy..
nope.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703730804576313932659388852
Apple will only ruin Netflix please don’t
ABC/Disney are pulling their stuff from Netflix and Disney is in the process of buying Fox Movie & TV Productions. That eliminates a lot of content. ABC/Disney are also part owners of HULU- along with Comcast(NBC Universal) and Time-Warner (Warner Pictures/TV along with CNN/TBS/TNT/HBO/Cinemax soon to be part of AT&T).
There is not much to suggest that you are buying much more than a handful of contracts and server capacity.