SAN FRANCISCO (AP) – As its U.S. subscriber growth tapers off, Netflix’s Internet video service is setting out to conquer the rest of the world in an audacious expansion likely to sway the company’s stock and the prices it pays for TV shows and movies. The stakes riding on Netflix’s next act came into sharper focus Tuesday with the release of the company’s fourth-quarter report. Netflix added 1.56 million U.S. subscribers from October through December, slightly below what management had predicted. It marked the second-straight quarter that Netflix’s subscriber gains in the U.S. have disappointed. But international growth exceeded the company’s projections to give Netflix nearly 75 million subscribers through December. Netflix Inc.’s earnings also topped analyst forecast. Investors were thrilled. Netflix’s stock surged 8 percent in extended trading to $116.75.
