Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Receives Consensus Recommendation of "Buy" from Brokerages

Shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) have received an average recommendation of "Buy" from the seventeen ratings firms that are covering the stock, Marketbeat.com reports. Seventeen equities research analysts have rated the stock with a buy recommendation. The average twelve-month price target among analysts that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $165.88.

A number of analysts have commented on NTRA shares. StockNews.com lowered shares of Natera from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. Craig Hallum upped their price target on shares of Natera from $121.00 to $157.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Friday, December 13th. Canaccord Genuity Group boosted their target price on shares of Natera from $165.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, January 3rd. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group raised their target price on Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 28th.

Natera Price Performance

Shares of NTRA traded up $3.23 during trading hours on Monday, hitting $172.61. 1,200,135 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,330,888. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33, a current ratio of 4.39 and a quick ratio of 4.23. The company has a market capitalization of $22.79 billion, a PE ratio of -98.07 and a beta of 1.66. The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $168.03 and a 200-day simple moving average of $144.62. Natera has a one year low of $68.03 and a one year high of $183.00.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, January 22nd. The stock was 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 owns 109,665 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $18,091,435.05. This represents a 19.12 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CEO Steven Leonard Chapman sold 78,553 shares of the business'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 value of $12,958,888.41. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer now 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 ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last quarter, insiders have sold 295,772 shares of company stock valued at $49,741,699. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. LRI Investments LLC bought a new stake in Natera during the fourth quarter valued at about $29,000. Blue Trust Inc. grew its holdings in Natera by 104.3% in the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $30,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the last quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc increased its position in Natera by 345.8% in the 4th quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 214 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $34,000 after buying an additional 166 shares during the period. Covestor Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of Natera by 34.3% during the third quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 372 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $47,000 after buying an additional 95 shares during the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Natera by 372.9% during the fourth quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 331 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $52,000 after buying an additional 261 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.90% of the company's stock.

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.