Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA) Shares Bought by Van ECK Associates Corp

Van ECK Associates Corp boosted its position in shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 17.4% in the 4th quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The firm owned 119,673 shares of the medical research company's stock after buying an additional 17,748 shares during the quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp owned 0.09% of Natera worth $18,944,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

Other institutional investors have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Creative Planning increased its holdings in Natera by 18.3% during the 3rd quarter. Creative Planning now owns 5,833 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $740,000 after purchasing an additional 904 shares during the period. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its position in shares of Natera by 5.4% in the 3rd quarter. Moss Adams Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,646 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $336,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC boosted its position in shares of Natera by 25.0% in the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 1,229,558 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $156,092,000 after purchasing an additional 246,246 shares in the last quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC boosted its position in shares of Natera by 5.2% in the 3rd quarter. Private Advisor Group LLC now owns 2,721 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $346,000 after purchasing an additional 135 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Lecap Asset Management Ltd. boosted its position in shares of Natera by 8.2% in the 3rd quarter. Lecap Asset Management Ltd. now owns 7,003 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $889,000 after purchasing an additional 531 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 99.90% of the company's stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts have commented on NTRA shares. Sanford C. Bernstein lifted their price target on Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. TD Cowen lifted their price target on Natera from $155.00 to $175.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. StockNews.com cut Natera from a "hold" rating to a "sell" rating in a research report on Thursday, November 14th. Robert W. Baird lifted their price target on Natera from $120.00 to $160.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a research report on Wednesday, November 13th. Finally, Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Natera from $132.00 to $176.00 and gave the company an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, November 14th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a sell rating and seventeen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $165.88.

Natera Price Performance

Shares of Natera stock traded up $3.23 on Wednesday, hitting $172.61. 1,192,825 shares of the company were exchanged, compared to its average volume of 1,330,663. The stock has a market capitalization of $22.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -98.07 and a beta of 1.66. The company has a 50-day moving average price of $167.86 and a 200 day moving average price of $143.93. Natera, Inc. has a 1-year low of $68.03 and a 1-year 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.

Insider Transactions at Natera

In related news, insider John Fesko sold 669 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, December 23rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $159.60, for a total value of $106,772.40. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 114,142 shares in the company, valued at approximately $18,217,063.20. This represents a 0.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 946 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Friday, January 24th. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.98, for a total value of $162,693.08. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now owns 109,474 shares in the company, valued at $18,827,338.52. This trade represents a 0.86 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders have sold a total of 295,772 shares of company stock worth $49,741,699 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

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.