NEW YORK — Netflix’s $9.5 billion drive to dominate video streaming worldwide is paying off.

Investors sent its shares surging 18 percent to $412.12 on Tuesday morning after Netflix said Tuesday that it will profitably reach all 200 of the countries that have broadband Internet service within two years. Earlier, the Los Gatos, California-based company rose as much as 19 percent for the biggest intraday gain since April 2013. Through Tuesday’s close, the stock had gained 2.1 percent this year.

“We then intend to generate material global profits from 2017 onwards,” Chief Executive Officer Reed Hastings and his finance chief, David Wells, said on the company’s website.

The outlook reassured investors who have expressed concerns about the company’s narrow margins, widening international losses and a budget for films and TV shows that’s swollen to $9.5 billion from $7.3 billion in the past year.

International subscriber growth outstripped gains in the U.S. for the third straight quarter, as Hastings raced to plant his flag before other would-be competitors. Users outside the U.S. expanded by a record 2.43 million in the fourth quarter, reaching 18.3 million.

Netflix expects to add another 2.25 million international customers this quarter. It already has more than 5 million users in Latin America, the most detailed number Netflix has given regarding international subscribers.

The company didn’t say which countries are up next after Australia and New Zealand, where the streaming service debuts in March. Unexplored territories with fast Internet service include China, Japan, Spain and South Korea.

“Every country but North Korea,” Hastings said in an interview. “Under U.S. law, we’re still blocked there.”

Licensing issues may inhibit Netflix’s expansion into China, he said. The company is exploring its options, and any investment will be modest.


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