The Netflix stock forecast 2021 trajectory adjusted after Q3 earnings missed subscriber estimates but beat profit targets, reinforcing the resilience of its operating margin strategy amid competitive pressures. Wedbush commissioned a U.S. market-focused consumer survey, with Pachter noting that “quarterly survey results are encouraging and suggest upside in the fourth quarter.” Among the takeaways he noted: “The proportion of subscribers on the ad-supported tier remained consistent in the third quarter, but we expect that to shift higher in the fourth quarter and beyond.” Pressure from competition and less robust subscriber growth coupled with growing production costs led Netflix to raise prices in North America earlier this year. The monthly cost for its basic plan rose $1 to $9.99, the standard plan jumped from $13.99 to $15.49 and the premium plan rose from $17.99 to $19.99. Throughout 2021, Netflix stock forecast incorporated inflation concerns, with analysts noting minimal churn risk despite modest price hikes in North America. This demonstrated elasticity in consumer demand for premium streaming content.