Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA) Upgraded to Hold at StockNews.com

Natera (NASDAQ:NTRA - Get Free Report) was upgraded by stock analysts at StockNews.com from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a report issued on Wednesday.

NTRA has been the topic of several other reports. BTIG Research restated a "buy" rating on shares of Natera in a report on Friday, February 28th. Canaccord Genuity Group restated a "buy" rating and set a $180.00 price target on shares of Natera in a report on Wednesday, February 26th. Barclays started coverage on Natera in a report on Thursday, January 23rd. They set an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 price target on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada started coverage on Natera in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price target on Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the stock an "outperform" rating in a report on Friday, January 10th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $178.12.

Natera Price Performance

Natera stock traded up $1.52 during midday trading on Wednesday, reaching $151.15. The company's stock had a trading volume of 3,420,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,335,703. Natera has a 52 week low of $83.13 and a 52 week high of $183.00. The company has a current ratio of 4.39, a quick ratio of 4.23 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. The business has a 50-day moving average price of $161.23 and a 200-day moving average price of $149.50. The stock has a market cap of $20.43 billion, a PE ratio of -85.88 and a beta of 1.80.

Remove Ads

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

Insider Buying and Selling at Natera

In other news, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the company'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 $4,277,837.07. Following the transaction, the chief financial officer now directly owns 109,665 shares of the company's stock, valued at $18,091,435.05. This represents a 19.12 % 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 link. Also, 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 $18,217,063.20. The trade was a 0.58 % decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 307,466 shares of company stock valued at $49,047,655. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Natera

A number of institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Principal Securities Inc. raised its position in shares of Natera by 20.7% during the fourth 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. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC raised its position in Natera by 1.7% in the 4th quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 3,629 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $574,000 after buying an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated raised its position in Natera by 3.1% in the 4th quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated now owns 2,963 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $470,000 after buying an additional 89 shares during the last quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC raised its position in Natera by 7.8% in the 4th quarter. Colonial Trust Co SC now owns 1,325 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $210,000 after buying an additional 96 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Blue Trust Inc. raised its position 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. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Natera

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.