Robert W. Baird Forecasts Strong Price Appreciation for Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Stock

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) had its target price hoisted by research analysts at Robert W. Baird from $120.00 to $160.00 in a report released on Wednesday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has an "outperform" rating on the medical research company's stock. Robert W. Baird's target price indicates a potential downside of 0.60% from the stock's previous close.

Several other research analysts have also recently weighed in on NTRA. BTIG Research lifted their price target on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $135.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Friday, August 9th. UBS Group dropped their price target on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $145.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Friday, August 9th. The Goldman Sachs Group lifted their price target on shares of Natera from $125.00 to $140.00 and gave the stock a "buy" rating in a research note on Wednesday, October 16th. Piper Sandler restated an "overweight" rating and set a $150.00 price objective on shares of Natera in a research report on Friday, September 13th. Finally, Canaccord Genuity Group raised their price objective on shares of Natera from $145.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 29th. One analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and seventeen have issued a buy rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $135.06.

Natera Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ NTRA traded up $25.85 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $160.97. The company's stock had a trading volume of 4,522,730 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,328,347. Natera has a 12-month low of $49.97 and a 12-month high of $167.79. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $125.09 and a 200-day moving average price of $114.52. The stock has a market capitalization of $19.91 billion, a P/E ratio of -94.03 and a beta of 1.53. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.34, a current ratio of 4.14 and a quick ratio of 4.01.

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, November 12th. The medical research company reported ($0.26) EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.57) by $0.31. Natera had a negative net margin of 14.01% and a negative return on equity of 26.88%. The company had revenue of $439.80 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $361.43 million. Natera's revenue was up 63.9% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.95) EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Natera will post -1.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Activity at Natera

In other news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 256 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $120.07, for a total transaction of $30,737.92. Following the transaction, the insider now directly owns 111,891 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $13,434,752.37. The trade was a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. In related news, insider Solomon Moshkevich sold 256 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, October 22nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $120.07, for a total value of $30,737.92. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider now directly owns 111,891 shares of the company's stock, valued at $13,434,752.37. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. Also, insider Jonathan Sheena sold 12,000 shares of Natera stock in a transaction dated Thursday, August 15th. The shares were sold at an average price of $121.01, for a total value of $1,452,120.00. Following the transaction, the insider now owns 287,441 shares in the company, valued at $34,783,235.41. This trade represents a 0.00 % decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 47,464 shares of company stock worth $5,849,977 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 7.60% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Natera

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brooklyn Investment Group acquired a new stake in shares of Natera during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $70,000. Millrace Asset Group Inc. raised its stake in Natera by 22.5% in the 3rd quarter. Millrace Asset Group Inc. now owns 12,144 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $1,542,000 after acquiring an additional 2,228 shares during the period. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company grew its holdings in shares of Natera by 87.3% during the third quarter. The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company now owns 67,906 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $8,621,000 after purchasing an additional 31,649 shares in the last quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd boosted its stake in Natera by 90.7% in the third quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 7,774 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $987,000 after buying an additional 3,697 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group Inc. purchased a new stake in Natera in the third quarter worth approximately $232,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds 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.