Ieq Capital LLC Increases Stake in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Ieq Capital LLC raised its holdings in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 551.2% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The fund owned 61,005 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 51,637 shares during the quarter. Ieq Capital LLC's holdings in Natera were worth $9,657,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Blue Trust Inc. increased 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 purchasing an additional 97 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc lifted its stake in Natera by 345.8% in the fourth quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 166 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd increased its position in Natera by 34.3% during the 3rd quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 372 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $47,000 after purchasing an additional 95 shares during the period. Principal Securities Inc. lifted its position in shares of Natera by 20.7% in the 4th quarter. Principal Securities Inc. now owns 344 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $54,000 after purchasing an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, True Wealth Design LLC purchased a new position in Natera during the third quarter valued at approximately $57,000. 99.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Craig Hallum lifted their price target on Natera from $121.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Wednesday, November 13th. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their target price on Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th. Canaccord Genuity Group increased their price target on shares of Natera from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Friday, January 3rd. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price objective on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research report on Friday, December 13th. Finally, TD Cowen increased their target price on shares of Natera from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $170.94.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Natera news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 43,502 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $176.88, for a total transaction of $7,694,633.76. Following the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 70,629 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $12,492,857.52. This trade represents a 38.12 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider John Fesko sold 663 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.77, for a total value of $117,861.51. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 156,044 shares of the company's stock, valued at $27,739,941.88. The trade was a 0.42 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 295,772 shares of company stock valued at $49,741,699. 7.60% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Natera Stock Performance

Shares of Natera stock traded down $5.88 on Friday, reaching $162.31. 1,604,242 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,342,687. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $167.98 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $145.23. The firm has a market capitalization of $21.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -92.22 and a beta of 1.66. Natera, Inc. has a twelve month low of $69.74 and a twelve month high of $183.00. The company has a quick ratio of 4.23, a current ratio of 4.39 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33.

Natera Company 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.