Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. Buys 69,455 Shares of Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA)

Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. boosted its position in Natera, Inc. (NASDAQ:NTRA - Free Report) by 10.3% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm owned 740,837 shares of the medical research company's stock after purchasing an additional 69,455 shares during the period. Natera makes up about 1.3% of Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc.'s portfolio, making the stock its 22nd largest holding. Nikko Asset Management Americas Inc. owned 0.56% of Natera worth $117,274,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Principal Securities Inc. grew its stake in shares of Natera by 20.7% in the 4th 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 last quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Natera by 1.7% during the fourth quarter. Gladstone Institutional Advisory LLC now owns 3,629 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $574,000 after purchasing an additional 61 shares during the last quarter. Silver Oak Securities Incorporated boosted its position in shares of 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 purchasing an additional 89 shares during the period. Blue Trust Inc. raised its holdings in Natera by 104.3% during the 4th quarter. Blue Trust Inc. now owns 190 shares of the medical research company's stock worth $30,000 after buying an additional 97 shares during the period. Finally, Hanseatic Management Services Inc. lifted its stake in Natera by 12.0% during the fourth quarter. Hanseatic Management Services Inc. now owns 998 shares of the medical research company's stock valued at $158,000 after buying an additional 107 shares in the last quarter. 99.90% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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Natera Stock Performance

NTRA stock traded up $1.52 during midday trading on Friday, hitting $151.15. The stock had a trading volume of 3,420,538 shares, compared to its average volume of 1,336,700. Natera, Inc. 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 stock has a 50-day simple moving average of $161.71 and a 200 day simple moving average of $149.27. The firm has a market capitalization of $20.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -85.88 and a beta of 1.80.

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

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

Several analysts have issued reports on NTRA shares. Barclays initiated coverage on shares of Natera in a research note on Thursday, January 23rd. They set an "overweight" rating and a $200.00 target price on the stock. Royal Bank of Canada initiated coverage on Natera in a report on Thursday, March 13th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $251.00 target price on the stock. Sanford C. Bernstein boosted their price objective on shares of Natera from $160.00 to $200.00 and gave the company an "outperform" rating in a research report on Friday, January 10th. The Goldman Sachs Group boosted their price target on Natera from $160.00 to $190.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a research note on Tuesday, January 28th. Finally, Guggenheim raised their target price on Natera from $170.00 to $200.00 and gave the company a "buy" rating in a report on Friday, January 17th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold rating and sixteen have assigned a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $178.12.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, insider John Fesko sold 669 shares of the business'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 of the company's stock, valued at $18,217,063.20. The trade was a 0.58 % decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. Also, CFO Michael Burkes Brophy sold 25,931 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $164.97, for a total value of $4,277,837.07. Following the sale, 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 disclosure for this sale can be found here. Insiders sold 307,466 shares of company stock worth $49,047,655 over the last three months. 7.60% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

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.