Clearbridge Investments LLC Takes Position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Clearbridge Investments LLC purchased a new stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) during the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm purchased 294,395 shares of the medical research company's stock, valued at approximately $46,603,000. Clearbridge Investments LLC owned about 0.22% of Natera as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in Natera by 20.7% during the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $54,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in Natera by 1.7% in the fourth quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 3,629 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $574,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the period. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its stake in Natera by 3.1% in the fourth quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 2,963 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $470,000 after acquiring an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Natera by 104.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. raised its position in shares of Natera by 12.0% during the 4th quarter. Hanseatic Management Services Inc. now owns 998 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $158,000 after acquiring an additional 107 shares during the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total transaction of $4,277,837.07. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 109,665 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,091,435.05. This trade represents a 19.12 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 78,553 shares of the business's stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total value of $12,958,888.41. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief executive officer now directly owns 267,629 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $44,150,756.13. This trade represents a 22.69 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 325,922 shares of company stock valued at $51,603,664. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Natera Stock Down 3.5 %

Shares of NASDAQ NTRA traded down $4.84 during midday trading on Friday, reaching $133.87. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,247,142 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,377,854. The company has a current ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 4.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Natera, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $83.13 and a fifty-two week high of $183.00. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $156.81 and a 200-day simple moving average of $151.57. The stock has a market capitalization of $18.10 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -76.06 and a beta of 1.80.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Thursday, February 27th. The medical research company reported ($0.41) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.42) by $0.01. Natera had a negative return on equity of 26.23% and a negative net margin of 14.01%. The business had revenue of $476.10 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $447.91 million. Equities research analysts predict that Natera, Inc. will post -1.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

NTRA has been the topic of several recent research reports. Robert W. Baird lifted their price objective on Natera from $183.00 to $188.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, February 28th. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, February 28th. Barclays initiated coverage on Natera in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. They issued an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 price target for the company. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natera from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report on Wednesday, March 19th. Finally, Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on shares of Natera in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 target price on the stock. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have given a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $178.12.

Natera Profile

Natera, Inc, a diagnostics company, develops and commercializes molecular testing services worldwide. Its products include Panorama, a non-invasive prenatal test that screens for chromosomal abnormalities of a fetus, as well as in twin pregnancies; Horizon carrier screening test for individuals and couples determine if they are carriers of genetic variations that cause certain genetic conditions; Vistara single-gene NIPT screens for 25 single-gene disorders that cause severe skeletal, cardiac, and neurological conditions; Spectrum, preimplantation genetic tests for couples undergoing IVF; Anora that analyzes miscarriage tissue from women; Empower, a hereditary cancer screening test; and non-invasive prenatal paternity product, which allows a couple to establish paternity without waiting for the child to be born.