How to buy shares in Netflix (NFLX): UK guide

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to future change. The content of this article is provided for information purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice.

Investments in a currency other than GBP are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in GBP terms. You could lose money in GBP even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

New to the stock market, but interested in investing? If it’s your first time buying shares in the UK, you may feel more comfortable putting your money behind a company you’ve heard of.

One big name that fits the bill is the US entertainment giant Netflix, which offers streaming services to subscribers all over the world. Netflix Inc is listed on the NASDAQ stock exchange, and is a regular fixture in the S&P 500 stock market index.

But how exactly do you buy shares in Netflix as a UK investor? Read on for everything you need to know, including info on online trading platforms, commission fees and the latest Netflix (NFLX) share prices.

So, let’s dive in.

Can I buy Netflix shares in the UK?

Yes, you can buy shares in Netflix and in other US companies, even though you’re based in the UK.

Thanks to online trading platforms, UK investors can access stocks and shares for companies all over the world. This includes those included in both the US-based S&P 500 index and the UK-based FTSE 100 index.

It’s reasonably straightforward to buy and sell shares too. Once you’ve signed up to an online investment platform, you can do it in just a few clicks.

Here are a few of the most popular options for UK investors wanting to buy shares in US companies:

• eToro
• XTB
• Hargreaves Lansdown
• Trading 212
• Webull
• Interactive Brokers.

You can also use a broker service to trade stocks and shares, and to manage your investment portfolio. Bear in mind though that this will come with extra fees.

How to buy Netflix shares

Can’t wait to start your investment journey? Below, we’ll run through the main steps involved in buying shares using an online investment platform.

1. Find an investment platform

As Netflix is a major global company, most of the big investment platforms should offer trading in its stock.

Some popular trading platforms here in the UK are eToro, XTB, Trading 212, Webull and Interactive Brokers.

The first thing to do when researching platforms is to check that this is the case. You will also want to compare fees and charges carefully, and check out how user-friendly the platform is.

Another useful feature for newbie investors that some platforms offer is a demo trading account. This lets you ‘test out’ investments and get a feel for trading without actually committing any real-world funds.

2. Create an account

Once you’ve chosen a platform, you’ll need to spend a few minutes signing up for an account. You’ll need to provide some personal details, and follow the processes for verifying your identity.

Before you sign up, a really crucial thing to check is that the platform is listed on the FCA register. Otherwise, it may not be a legitimate company.

3. Fund your account

Before you can start buying shares, you’ll firstly need to transfer money from your bank account over to your chosen investment platform. Simply follow the platform’s processes to do this.

4. Search the platform for Netflix stock

You can search using either the company name or its stock ticker symbol, which for Netflix Inc is NFLX.

5. Choose either the number of shares or the amount of investment

There are two main ways you can buy shares online. The first is to enter the specific number of shares you want to buy (i.e. 50 shares), while the second is to enter the amount you want to invest.

With the latter option, the platform will automatically purchase the appropriate number of shares on your behalf up to your maximum investment limit.

6. Confirm the order

Check the details of the order carefully, then submit. As long as you do this within market hours, your shares should be purchased right away.

How to invest in Netflix via a fund

One way to invest in Netflix and other companies is to buy shares directly. But there are alternative ways to do it, such as through a fund.

A few options to look into include:

• Global funds
• Investment trusts
• Exchange traded funds (ETFs).

These options offer ready-made portfolios, made up of stocks and shares in multiple different companies. The benefit to this is that it allows you to diversify your portfolio and spread your investment across multiple companies. So if one performs badly, it may be balanced out by the others.

As Netflix is a major global company, you can expect to find it included in many funds, trusts and ETFs.

These are also available to buy through online investment platforms. You’ll usually just need an investor account, then you can purchase in just a few clicks.

Netflix (NFLX) share price

The current Netflix Inc (NFLX) share price at the publish date of this article (30th October 2024) is: $759.44 USD or £583.13 GBP.¹

Remember though that share prices fluctuate, and they can go up or down. So the prices above are accurate at the time of writing, but are likely to be different at the time you’re buying your shares.

The good news though is that you can check the latest Netflix share prices at any time using the handy Wise stock ticker tool.

Check latest NFLX share price

Does Netflix stock pay out dividends?

Dividends are payments made by a company to its shareholders, based on annual overall profits. They can be paid as cash (most common) or in the form of additional shares in the same company.

Netflix stock doesn’t currently pay dividends to shareholders on its stock, and hasn’t since the company first went public.²

What does it cost to buy and sell Netflix shares?

You can expect to pay fees when you buy shares in the UK. Most online trading platforms have them, and there are a few different types of charges to look out for.

The most common are trading fees (charged every time you buy/sell shares) and foreign exchange fees. These are charged to convert your money from GBP to USD - this is an important one to know about if you’re buying US stock.

Some investment platforms are free to join, while others have an annual account fee.

Take a look at the table below for an idea of the fees charged by some of the UK’s most popular investment platforms:

Platform	US trade (commission) fees	Foreign exchange fees
eToro	£03	0.75%4
XTB5	£0	0.5%
Hargreaves Lansdown6	£11.95	1%
Trading 2127	£0	0.15%
Interactive Brokers8	£1.79	0.03%

Note: All above investment platform fees were correct as of 30th October 2024.

If you’re interested in investing in a fund instead of buying shares, it’s likely that the fees will be different to those listed above. So, you’ll need to check the individual platform for further details.

Avoid hidden currency conversion mark-ups

After reading this, you should be all clued up on how to buy shares in Netflix shares as a UK investor. We’ve looked at the latest Netflix share prices, info on fees and steps to buy your first shares in the company.

But if you’re planning on buying and selling shares and funds listed abroad, there’s another crucial thing to consider - currency conversion.

Trade in different currencies and you could be hit with extra cost for cross border money transfer.

You may wish to hold your money in a Wise account until you decide to invest it in your chosen platform. Open a Wise account and you can convert currency at mid-market exchange rates, for low, transparent fees*.

You can also use your Wise account to conveniently manage your money in up to 40+ currencies, sending payments worldwide at the mid-market rate for low fees*.

There’s even an extra feature, Wise Interest. With a Wise account you can earn returns on GBP, USD and EUR by opening a Wise account and investing in a fund that holds government-guaranteed assets. Capital at risk.

Open your Wise account

When investing, your capital is at risk. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may get back less than you put in. Tax treatment depends on your individual circumstances and may be subject to future change. The content of this article is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to be, nor does it constitute, any form of personal advice.

Investments in a currency other than GBP are exposed to currency exchange risk. Currency exchange rates are constantly changing, which may affect the value of the investment in GBP terms. You could lose money in GBP even if the stock price rises in the currency of origin. Stocks listed on overseas exchanges may be subject to additional dealing and exchange rate charges, and may have other tax implications, and may not provide the same, or any, regulatory protection as in the UK.

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Sources used:

1. Wise - Netflix Inc stock price (NFLX)
2. Sure Dividend - info on potential Netflix dividends
3. eToro - eToro fees and charges
4. eToro - eToro conversion fees
5. XTB - XTB fees and charges
6. Hargreaves Lansdown - HL fees and charges
7. Trading 212 - Trading 212 fees and charges
8. Interactive Brokers - IB fees and charges for UK residents

Sources last checked on date: 30-Oct-2024