Ending Soon! Save 33% on All Access

For Carl Icahn, It's Splitsville With Netflix A day after the entertainment company announced a 7-for-1 stock split, the activist investor said he sold his remaining Netflix shares.

By Fred Imbert

This story originally appeared on CNBC

REUTERS | Brendan McDermid

For Carl Icahn, it's splitsville with Netflix. A day after the entertainment company announced a 7-for-1 stock split, the activist investor said he sold his remaining Netflix shares.

"Netflix was a no brainer when we first went into it." Icahn said in a CNBC "Fast Money Halftime" interview. "You couldn't compete with Netflix because they were starting the year with like $2 billion flowing into them, and Reed Hastings did a great job in building it up."

"I think the competition is somewhat easier if you see the secular change going on where they're building service, where they can go over the top, and there's going to be cable competition," Icahn added.

Icahn also said he believes Apple may be in the same position Netflix was, or maybe even in a better one. "I just don't see how … you compete with Apple because of the great ecosystem they've built."

Icahn Enterprises owned approximately 1.4 million Netflix shares at the end of the first quarter, according to Reuters.

Netflix shares dipped shortly after Icahn tweeted the announcement, and were up slightly in midafternoon trading.


The stock split will come in the form of a dividend of six additional shares for each outstanding share, Netflix said. It is payable on July 14 to stock owners of record at the July 2 close. Trading at the post-split price will start July 15.

The move was anticipated this year after Netflix voting shareholders approved a share reauthorization, a preliminary step toward a split.

The company's stock has risen about 100 percent this year and nearly 60 percent in the last 12 months.

—CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.

Fred Imbert is a news associate at CNBC.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Science & Technology

PR Guide for AI Startups — How to Dodge Pitfalls and Shine in a Crowded Market

Here are five common PR mistakes AI startups must avoid.

Growing a Business

6 Things Every Brand Should Understand About PR

Public relations is an important part of business success, but brands don't always know what they're looking for. Here's what your publicist won't tell you about PR.

Business News

Former OpenAI Board Member Reveals Why She Had CEO Sam Altman Fired

New details have emerged about the board decision that shook the tech world.

Growing a Business

3 Effective Engagement Tactics to Help Small Businesses Create Authentic Connections With Customers

Enhance your customer experience and foster stronger customer relationships using these three strategies.

Branding

Why You Need a Customer Mission Statement if You Want a Successful Organization

Traditional mission statements focus on the company, not the customer. To create a more customer-centric organization, start with changing your mission statement by giving it an external focus.