Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Given Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" by Analysts

Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) has received an average rating of "Buy" from the sixteen brokerages that are presently covering the firm, MarketBeat reports. Sixteen research analysts have rated the stock with a buy rating. The average 1-year price target among brokerages that have covered the stock in the last year is $175.76.

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on NTRA shares. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a research report on Wednesday, February 26th. Barclays lowered their price target on shares of Natera from $200.00 to $160.00 and set an "overweight" rating for the company in a research report on Thursday. StockNews.com upgraded shares of Natera from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research report on Wednesday, March 19th. Piper Sandler boosted their target price on shares of Natera from $200.00 to $205.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Tuesday, March 4th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein raised their price target on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research note on Friday, January 10th.

Insider Activity at Natera

In related news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 2,562 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, March 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $138.41, for a total transaction of $354,606.42. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer now directly owns 75,557 shares of the company's stock, valued at $10,457,844.37. This represents a 3.28 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 78,553 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, January 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total transaction of $12,958,888.41. Following the sale, the chief executive officer now owns 267,629 shares of the company's stock, valued at $44,150,756.13. The trade was a 22.69 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 325,922 shares of company stock valued at $51,603,664 over the last 90 days. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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Institutional Investors Weigh In On Natera

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Wilmington Savings Fund Society FSB acquired a new stake in Natera during the 3rd quarter worth about $385,000. Everence Capital Management Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $573,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its position in shares of Natera by 50.3% in the 4th quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 657 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $104,000 after acquiring an additional 220 shares in the last quarter. SeaBridge Investment Advisors LLC acquired a new position in Natera in the 4th quarter worth approximately $2,894,000. Finally, SYM FINANCIAL Corp purchased a new position in Natera during the 4th quarter worth approximately $256,000. 99.90% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Natera Stock Performance

NTRA traded up $4.76 during trading hours on Tuesday, hitting $148.04. 1,364,917 shares of the stock were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,394,665. The stock has a market cap of $20.01 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -84.11 and a beta of 1.80. The stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $152.66 and a 200-day simple moving average of $152.05. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.23. Natera has a 12 month low of $83.13 and a 12 month high of $183.00.

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

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.