Netflix and other 'stay at home' companies benefit from coronavirus

With coronavirus or COVID-19 spreading throughout the world, 'stay-at-home' companies like Netflix are benefiting the most according to industry analysts.

BMO Capital Market analyst Dan Salmon wrote in a research note on Friday that Netflix "is an obvious beneficiary if consumers stay home due to coronavirus (COVID-19 virus) concerns, and this has been reflected in considerable stock price outperformance this week". Netflix shares were up 0.8% this week, after the worst sell-off on Wall Street in close to 9 years.

It's not just Netflix that is an "obvious beneficiary" of the coronavirus keeping people safer at home, but more internet-connected customers and services are benefiting. These include Facebook, Amazon, and others -- but throw in Microsoft, Sony, and every game developer and streaming service out there -- hell, including NVIDIA's just-launched GeForce NOW service into the mix.

They're all benefitting from people staying at home right now, with MKM Partners analyst JC O'Hara writing: "We tried to identify what products/services/companies would potentially benefit in a world of quarantined individuals. What would people do if stuck inside all day?".